I posted last week about my grandfather, William John Smith, who owned several pharmacies in Jacksonville, FL in the 1940s and 50s. I posted a picture of one of his stores:
A Willie Smith store
Well, he also ran a distributorship for Adolph’s Beauty Products, and sold their products wholesale at his stores and out of his home.
Guess who was the model for this line of business? His wife Pauline. If you look closely at the picture, you will see her mural painted big as day on the front of the store.
Pauline's mural
As a child, and even today, I always thought that was hugely romantic. Can I just tell you if my husband had my picture on the front of his store, I would be driving by every day to show all my friends? The town would be sick of me! LOL.
So, to Bill & Pauline..you make me sentimental.
that’s kewl!
Robyn, This is awesome! What a memory!
You’re Grandfather was getting down! An Entrepreneur before we called them that!:-)
I love it — our people are so industrious & love seeing the mural of your Grandmother!
Luckie.
What a wonderful tribute to your wife!
Both a romantic and a business man; what a catch and what a treasure for the chest of memories.
I just received notice that I received the Ancestor Approved Award from colleague Mavis Jones of the Georgia Black Crackers website [http://georgiablackcrackers.blogspot.com/]. Please check out this site. And thank you, Mavis Jones.
Then go to http://geder.posterous.com to receive your award!
The recipient of the Ancestor Approved Award must list ten things learned about their ancestors that have surprised, humbled, or enlightened. The recipient then passes the award to ten other bloggers that are doing their Ancestors proud.
So, here’s your reward!
Peace,
“Guided by the Ancestors”
Robyn,
That is such a sweet story!!!
Your grandfather, like many people back then was so industrious. It is amazing how many of our ancestors were entrepreneurs, landowners and worked hard to improve their communities. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line that entrepreneurial spirit got lost in the name of “progress”. Owning beauty shops, barber shops, drug stores etc was no longer seen as a sign of success. Therefore, the next generation abandoned the family business in order to work for corporation america. So now many of the businesses our ancestors worked hard to establish and the land they worked hard to acquire is all gone. So sad.