For the Herald & Review

Some of my best times came when I went shopping with my grandma.

On Saturday, my grandma and grandpa would pick me up at our home in Harristown about 8 a.m. We would go in on what is now old U.S. 36 around Snake Hill and in on Main Street. Grandpa would let us off at New Art Salon for grandma to get her hair fixed. Grandpa went to the St. Nicholas Hotel to play cards.

When Grandma's hair was done, we would start our shopping. We would walk down one side of Water Street all the way to Montgomery Ward and JC Penney, which were on opposite sides of the street. I always liked Ward's. The clothing department was on the second floor, and I loved the old wooden creaky stairs.

When we finished, we would go the other direction to Kresge's. It was one of the better dime stores. By then it was lunch time, and we headed to Woolworth's. Most of the time, we ate lunch at their standup bar. Many times we had to wait for a while to get a spot to stand. They had the most delicious sloppy joe in town.

After all of the walking, we were ready to take in a movie, usually at the Avon or Lincoln Theatre.

After the movie, the shopping was at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and Shinner's meat market. I was fascinated at the way they had the whole fish lying on crushed ice. I never liked the fish looking at me.

Grandpa picked us up there about 3:30 p.m., and we headed home. My grandma has been gone for many years, but these memories come back to me as if they were yesterday.

I also remember my dad taking mom and us kids to Greider's Cafeteria. We ate there about once a week. I was just a little tyke, but dad always let me order baked ham. It was a family restaurant.

There are so many memories, such as Macon Music, where my daughter took baton lessons, and Linn & Scruggs, where I had a seasonal job wrapping gifts.

I still can see in my mind the big old buildings, the beautiful, colorful fountain and the Transfer House sitting in the middle of the intersection.

I can see the crowded streets and busy stores. I also remember that nobody was in a hurry, and everyone had time to be courteous. I guess I am just a member of the generation that says those were the good old days.

- Marjorie A. Butler, Decatur

Restaurants hold memories

I graduated from Argenta High School in 1963. My first job was at the Dog 'N Suds on North Main Street, where the Butternut bread store is today.

Across the street was Chaps Amusement Park, where True Value is today. At the Dog 'N Suds, I learned how to make onion rings from scratch, make root beer and carry trays loaded with heavy mugs on roller skates.

Then I went to work at the Chuck Wagon Diner, a restaurant at William and North Main streets. My sister also worked there. It was a henhouse-shaped metal building. Many years of fun at both places.

I worked this job at night, and during the day I worked at Carson Pirie Scott & Co. in the basement in women's wear and teen clothes. Ernie Keltner, who now works at Spare Time Lanes and formerly worked at the Eldorado Bowl, worked in shoes down there. Joe Thompson was my boss.

At lunch hour I would walk down Wood Street and go to the Raycraft Dry Store for onion rings, a ham sandwich and a Green River. I worked at Carson's until it moved out to the mall.

In 1977 I started working at Elam's Silverfrost Root Beer and was there until it closed in 1988. Really good years and lots of fun. Made root beer, onions were diced in garage 100 pounds at a time. When I started, girls were delivering orders on roller skates, and we listened to juke boxes.

I have always worked two or three jobs at a time, and from 1968 to 1977 I worked at Tops Big Boy on Water Street, across from where McDonald's was (former Raines Town House) at the corner where the small shopping center is now. While working at Tops, I watched the Red Wheel restaurant being built.

Thanks for the memories.

- Sally Allen, Decatur