Wednesday, September 14, 2016

A Teaser ... Life on the Line

So I mentioned that I was working on a book about our Electrolux family.  I know I've said this many times, but I really am doing this.  Here's a teaser, just a few paragraphs.  Please keep in mind that this is not edited or proofed for spelling at this point.  These are just some of my thoughts and observations.  I've also included a few posts that have been on the Electrolux Facebook site.  Please, continue to send me things.  I will work to sort and categorize your contributions into some appropriate topics such as The Early Years, Air Conditioning in Greenville, Working in Belding, The Last Days, etc.  Here's a start though...

Life on the Line

Living, Working, Playing
at
Gibson's
Hupp
White Consolidated
Greenville Products
Frigidaire
Electrolux


A Compilation of Memories
Through the Years

by
Leslie Anne Wood
et al

A Word from the Author

We worked, we played, sometimes it even felt as though we lived at the "shop."  This book is compiled as a memoir of the many good, bad, and ugly times and experiences we (collectively) shared at Gibson's.

Through the years, the plant changed hands and had several names.  It was Hupp when I hired in in 1971, but everyone knew it as Gibson's.  Throughout this book, I will refer to it most often as Gibson's, but many others knew it better as Frigidaire, or later as Electrolux.  I will accede to whatever name individuals use as they share memories.

This book is being written to reflect the positives, not the negatives.  Therefore, I will refrain from naming names or bad-mouthing individuals.  I will use first names or initials unless given permission to do otherwise.  I will also preface my personal comments with my initials (LAW).

So, let's get at it and take a stroll down memory lane ...


Thank You to ...

·       the many men and women who worked hard day-in and day-out to provide refrigerators, air conditioners, and gliders to an economy that bought all that we manufactured.
·       the individuals that came forth to share these stories and memories with all of us.
·       those that have passed on and left the legacy to others.
·       those who helped to turn this document into a book.


Table of Contents 

The Early Days
Air Conditioning in Greenville
Working in Belding
Pranks
Lasting Relationships
The Last Days

LAW   My first memories of the shop came when I was just a small child.  I think I was about five years old and my Dad (Orval Basney, also known as Pedro or Pete) worked at the air conditioner plant in Belding.  It was a Saturday.  I'm not sure why we were at the plant, but I was allowed to walk in with him.  He worked in the paint department.  As we walked in, on the left was a trough filled with water and a bubbly mass of color.  The colors were yellow, turquoise, and pink.  They were so pretty.
          I remember that Dad stooped down and scooped up a handful of the sticky stuff and gave it to me.  It was very rubbery to the touch.  He then explained that was paint that was collected as overspray and fell into the water.  I don't remember much else about that, other than the smell.  I smelled that paint department smell many times over the years, once I hired in.
LAW   Another memory I had early on was when I was about 8 or 9.  It must have been contract time.  I remember Daddy coming home and announcing to us that it looked as though the plant  was going to relocate to Alabama or Mississippi (I can't remember which) and that, if it did, we were going to move with them.  What a scary thought.  I know that I told my Mom and Dad that I wasn't moving and that I would go live with Grandma instead.  I think it was because I wanted to stay in my school.  Of course, we lived in Lakeview and Grandma lived in Belding.  That wouldn't have worked.  In any case, they must have settled the contract.  I don't remember if there was a strike then or not.  Of course, we all experienced the contract years where the management threatened to move.  Just before they finally made the announcement, I recall my Dad saying, "They won't move.  It's just a scare tactic.  They've done that so many times over the years."  I replied, "Not this time, Daddy.  I think they're serious this time.  Things are so different.  The economy is different; the times are different."  And, as we all know, they did choose to move.  What a sad day for all of us, for our community, for our state, and for our country.
LAW   Another early memory was when I was about 12 or 13.  At that time, Daddy was foreman in the compressor department in Greenville.  It was a Saturday and he had to work a half day.  I got to go with him.  It was smelly!  The smell of the compressor oil and paint was not appealing whatsoever!  I met a lot of the people he worked with and later worked with many of them myself once I hired in.  I remember that there was a wild orange cat in there.  Mom had packed us a lunch which included tuna sandwiches.  I tried to pet the cat by luring him with the sandwich.  Daddy told me to stay away from him because he might bite me.  I was quite the animal lover so I continued to woo him to me.  I was eventually able to touch him, but that was about it.  Through the years, I know that many of us encountered stray cats and kittens in the shop.  They especially liked to get into the yellow fiberglass insulation and would often pee in it.  Do you remember?
LAW   Gibson's in our community was a family affair.  By that, I mean that often many members of the family would work there.  Over the years, both my Dad and Mom (Ruth Basney), both sisters (Raylene and Vicki Basney), my husband (John Wood Jr.), my brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Ron and Mary Wood), my stepson and stepdaughter (John Wood III and Valerie Palmer) and my son (Brandon Wood) all worked there.  Other family members that worked there were Jim Basney, John Louis Basney, John Wayne Basney, David Wood, Arnie and Linda Anderson, Jerry and Rhonda Wall, Harva Lou Raby, Debra Badge, Blanche Rohn, and probably others that I can't think to mention here.  As the largest employer and also one that paid a good wage, it was an easy place to get and keep a good job.

Gary Hansen                  


Today getting ready to spend some of the day at the park and have picnic lunch with Peyton. He reminded me of a memory. Brushing your teeth while in the shower is better way of knowing you wouldn't have toothpaste around your mouth off, when you went to work. Several times I got caught. Not only that, I curl my hair and forget to brush it out. Lloyd Loper remember you coming to work with one shoe differ then other. Always got some laughs out of great co workers.
Let's post some of the funny's things we did. Always fun to share.
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·        Betty WhiteBecky Shinabargar HerdMary Mcnees and 9 others like this.
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  Linda Lou Mason I put the repair man's hat in the freezer becomes he keep picking on me
 
  Kim DeKubber My funny things haven't stopped!
 
  Bonnie Frisbie I put black grease on BUD Coleman phone so when he answered phone he. Would have grease on his ear!
 
  Marsha Korson Tyler Really thought I see more comments then these.
 
  Mary Curler We used to fill big plastic syringes with water in (doors)paint dept. and shoot the people hanging condensers downstairs thru little holes in the wall.
 
  Janet Rasmussen I know my husband Dan Rasmussen did alot if pranks to people. He still laughs about them. Lol
 
  Marsha Korson Tyler He was always full of p**s and vinagar. Hi Dan.
 
  Karen Peiffer caught Madeline in final with her pants on inside out! Boy I still razz her about that!
 
  Joan Johnson I, and my partners in crime (Grace Hopkins, Vic Lehman, Sally Law) hung "designer" tails on every one we could!!!! smile emoticon
 
  Joan Johnson Linda Lou Mason & Bill Mason deep frying smelt on the line (Dept.244) then passing it around to everyone! YUM!
 
  Shirley Stevenson One time Hattie M. would answer the Forman's phone and just about knock anyone away who even thought about answering it, there was a different ring for outside calls, so I took my cell phone and would call the desk, when she would answer I would hang up. We must have did this 5 or 6 times in a row, she would get so mad because no one was on the phone!
 
  Marsha Korson Tyler Did Hattie ever figure out you was doing that?
 
  Linda Beech When it was really hot i would go wet down clean rags for everybody to put around their necks to cool down. one day i went in and got a maxi pad and wraped around Wendall Moody's neck. he thought it felt sooo good and couldn't figure why everyone was laughing. when he figured it out, i was in trouble.
 
  Shirley Stevenson I don't think she ever did Marsha!
 
  Leslie Anne Wood I like these funnies! Yes, I am going to write that book. This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for.
 
  Rhonda Larsen Evans when I worked in 212 we had a air popcorn popper & would pop corn for everyone on the line & sometimes it would short out a breaker in foam & shut it down for a hour or so until they got it going again. we would just sit back and enjoyed our popcorn until they got it running again.
 
  Karen Peiffer found one the the repair guys sleeping in his chair. took a fridge box, cut windows and a door in it and put it over him in the chair without him waking up. so he was in his own little fridge box when he woke up.
 
  Amanda Jo Thompson Filling in a department i was getting harassed endlessly for being unknown in that dept.wh-en i got home that day i had a hoodie hood full of screws that rained down on my head when i changed my shirt..lmao
 
  Amanda Jo Thompson Also working on top hinge watchin people try to picknup glued changed on the floor..always priceless!!
 
  Marsha Korson Tyler When I first started working there in 242 I had the job of screwing in light bulbs. You wore gloves, because after so many you start getting butlisters. Easy, then after break I started having lots of trouble screwing them in. Oh yea everybody was laughing so hard and finally one of the bulbs I picked up had lots of valaline on it and then I knew what they were laughing about. Remember doing that Harold?
 
Gil Jewell wow where would I start seeing as though I was known as the instigator where ever I worked just about lol . I guess one would be where we would have big water fights in the summer in dept 227 and one day 3 guys came up and held me and Gary M. poured ice culbs down the front of my pants hahaha . I took a pail of water down and poured it over our foremans head ( she had just got me wet ) got most of her paper work wet too . Jim Rittenbury came down and said that a bunch of frig's had just went to the repair hole all wet and if he heard of one more person throwing water we would all be fired lol . That was the end of that  smile emoticon Thats just one story of many lol

 Okay, that's it for now.  Again, this will only become a reality if YOU help!  You can email me at leslie@lawood.net or call me at 989-287-0167.  


Until later...

Leslie