By Doris Gerber, November 16, 2019 — I worked in a coat shop for over 30 years. I remember that I made about fifteen dollars a week in the beginning. I would give my mother ten dollars to help pay the bills and kept the other five for myself. I never finished high school. I quit during my sophomore year I believe, so I’ve been working my whole life. I wasn’t allowed to quit school if I didn’t have a job, in fact, out of us five children, my brother Budd was the only one to graduate.
I really enjoyed working there, I was a cashier. It was very routine; I would check customers out and clean up around the store, occasionally help take measurements of customers. One day when I was working, a man from my school came in looking for a coat and I had always thought he was so handsome. I knew I had to try and talk to him because it was my only chance. I made sure that I was the one that took his measurements and I checked him out that day. I was lucky that he decided he liked me too. I never thought he would have because we never talked in school.
He was the man I ended up marrying, his name was Richard. He was a perfect husband; he was so handy and was always able to help me when I needed it. I never liked those smart pencil pushers. He ended up being drafted towards the end of World War II and I missed him terribly then. Luckily, he came back and we were able to start our family. Originally, we just had our son and daughter, George and Diane, but then sixteen years later we had our son Mark. Diane was just like me growing up and Mark was just like his father. George ended up going in his own direction, he became a chef.
I’m grateful for my children, they’ve really helped me out since my husband passed away years ago. Although Diane and I clash heads because we’re so alike, she’s always willing to lend an ear. George always takes me places when I need to go. Mark lives five minutes away and will always come by when I need help, even if it aggravates him sometimes. He’s just like his father, very handy. I am very lucky to have the family I have, and I can look back and thank that coat shop for giving me it.
