JULY 2018 (^) * REMINISCE.COM 23
Baseball
occupied my
thoughts while the
war raged overseas.
Iwasacenterfielder
ontheteamfrom
St. Adalbert’s.
Your Refreshment, Madam
S
ummers during my junior and senior years of high school
in 1949 and ’50 were spent working as a bellhop at the
Stroudsmoor Hotel in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. I was
only 16, and they would have preferred someone of college
age, but they needed someone now. Plus I was tall for my age,
and they must have believed I could carry luggage without
difficulty. In addition to carting suitcases in and out, I delivered
beverages to various locations on the property —to the rooms,
tennis court, swimming pool or recreation area. I got room and
board, plus $5 a week; tips averaged $60 to $65 a week.
Those two summers gave me the people skills that proved
invaluable throughout my career as a teacher, principal and
eventually superintendent of schools.
STROUDSMOOR INN had room for up to 160 guests, most
of them from New York City and Long Island. Fred worked
12 -hour days, seven days a week, as part of the hotel waitstaff.
FRED SERFASS • POTTSTOWN, PA
FRANK KUCA • O’FALLON, IL
Thanks to Mom’s sewing, my
sisters and I stole the show at
the 1954 July Fourth parade
in Hammond, Wisconsin. From
left, Mary took first place
dressed as a queen, Shirley
took second place playing
Uncle Sam, and I took third
as a farmer gone fishing. •
WINNING THE TRIFECTA
KAY GEURKINK
BALDWIN, WI
frankie
(Frankie)
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