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.
·
Bonnie Frisbie I put black grease on BUD Coleman phone so when he
answered phone he. Would have grease on his ear!
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
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!
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.
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
