My first experience with Mr. and Mrs. Bartell (Fred & Danelle) was as I 

approached the age of 16 and was looking for a job. I don't remember how

I found out about them and their store (at the intersection of highways

US 441 and Florida 318 (Orange Lake, Florida)) but somehow I did and 

they actually hired this country bumpkin.

Mrs. Bartell loved to tell the story of me coming to work at the old store. 

Evidently she had never seen anybody as shy as I was at the time.

(I also took quite a bit of ribbing later as my high school flame would

call, and, if I didn't answer, hang up!!)

Over time, the Bartell's became second parents to me. They hosted our

rehearsal dinner when JoAnn and I married. The dinner was at Ruby's after

the Geigers moved the business from Orange Lake to the west of highway

US 441 just below the Alachua/Marion county line.

At that dinner, Mrs. Bartell presented us with a gag gift as a wedding

present. It was one of those "T" shaped lawn sprinklers that one attaches

to a hose end and "pegs" into the ground. She said it was to "grow" a

family. It worked!!! JoAnn and I had 4 great kids...Tracy, Deanne, Kimberly

and Gregory.

When Greg got married (41 years later) I passed said sprinkler on to him.

It's still working as he and Ann have two (adorable) little ones, Phineas 

and Maggie!

But, I get ahead of my story.

First, a sad aside. The store was first a business of Mrs. Bartell's

father, Mr. Paul who I never knew. It's told that he was on the telephone

one day during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck the telephone line and

resulted in Mr. Paul's moving to glory.

When I started at Bartell's Store, US 441 was a two lane road. Shortly

after it was widened to a 4 lane and became North Marion Market. This 

allowed the Bartell's to raze the old store and build a new one. 

By that time, the "second parenting" had kicked in. The new facility 

included a second building that was designed to be a laundramat. At the

time I also had a sideline business of radio and TV repair. As part of

the new building design, they asked me if I'd like to have a small shop built

as a part of the laundramat building! So I now had a business front while

continuing to work in their store. As an aside, I also maintained the

washer and dryers at the laundramat. (There I also lost a Bulova Accutron

watch which I had removed and placed on a washing machine while 

working on it.  8(  Cost me a pretty penny at the time (relative to my 

income)). I was recently able to replace it with a similar vintage watch 

I bought from a guy in Texas who specializes in Accutrons. Probably paid 

many times the cost of the original, but, it has great sentimental value 

to me.

At Bartell's store and then North Marion Market I first worked with a

butcher, Mr. Mehaffey (sp?). He made a meat cutter out of me for

which I am forever grateful. (As an FFA member at Reddick Shool, I was

a member of the meat judging team. Thanks largely to the teaching of

Mr. Mehaffey and Mr. Bartell.) 

I use those skills to this day.

Later, at North Marion Market, Mr. Mehaffey was followed by a butcher by 

the name of Louis, whose last name I don't remember. Louis was ex-navy 

and lived with his mother in a trailer park south of Lowell. Some character 

he was, too. He mentioned many times of giving the customer his "minister's 

discount".

First, raise the price by 10% and then discount it by 5%. I trust he

was pulling my leg on this!!

I also remember one of Mr. Bartell's specialties...smoked sausage.

We ground and seasoned the meat and stuffed the casings in the store.

They were then transferred to a small smokehouse out back where they

were smoked to perfection. Ah, yes, the good old days!!

To this day I grind and season my own sausage (no, I don't smoke it...but

maybe one day) and grind my own hamburger.

Over time, the Bartell's built a house just to the north of the store,

and, over time, they trusted me to manage the store and left me in charge

when they went on various trips. I stayed in their house and watched over

things while they were gone. I also installed a "listening intercom"

between the store and the master bedroom in the house so that any 

untoward happening at night would be heard.

The store was pretty much a family affair for the Bartell's. This brings

another anecdote to mind. One day while I was working the meat department

Mrs. Bartell had one of their boys in a play pen nearby. A somewhat

elderly lady came by and was admiring the baby. Suddenly she looked at

me and said "You sure can't deny that one, can you!!". I think my only

response was "I sure hope so!".

I remember that JoAnn and I joined them one time at their cabin in NC.

One event took us to a gem mine where we "mined" for rubies. Maybe we

found some or maybe not; I don't remember. I do remember us going across

to Gatlinburt, TN, and ice skating at a rink at the top of a mountain

which was a ski slope in season. I still remember Mr. Bartell skating

around the rink while holding our infant Tracy.

A few years ago (when we lived in Cary, NC), Mrs. Bartell visited as a

participant in the "Senior Oympics" and I had breakfast with her. Over 

time, we met at the Reddick High School reunion. At this writing, I'm 

saddened at her recent passing.

I worked at the Bartell's from early 1958 until I graduated from the

University of Florida in December of 1966. A life experience I will 

never ever forget.



jgm...9 February 2013