OUR LIVES
24 REMINISCE.COM * JULY 2018
AtWork
Where did you work? Share with us:
REMINISCE.COM/SUBMIT-A-STORYF
or 30 years, from 1946 to 1976 ,my
mom and dad, Louise and Bill Stone,
owned and operated Stone’s By-Pass
Grill in Springfield, Illinois. They
bought a house on Route 66 and built
the restaurant next door. The route bypassing
downtown Springfield is also called North 31 st
Street or Dirksen Parkway.
Pop modeled his hamburgers after those
at Steak ’n Shake. He started with fresh
hamburger formed into a ball, then he flattened
it on the grill and seared it to perfection.
When we were young, my two brothers
and I helped out in the restaurant. My parents
taught us to do dishes, wait on customers
and peel potatoes for french fries.LOUISE AND BILL Stone
built a diner next to their
house on Route 66.STOP AND SMELL THE FRIES
If you traveled the Mother Road, you could always
get a bite to eat here. BY ROBERT STONE • HELOTES, TX
Larger potatoes were much easier to peel,
so when it was my turn to tackle that particular
chore, I hid the smaller spuds. It wasn’t long
before Pop’s profits took a nosedive, while
the odor from the back room intensified.
Once my misdeed was discovered, I learned
that parental retribution, as it was exercised
in 1949 , was not to be forgotten. I am certain
that Pop’s theories of discipline and life lessons
have followed me throughout my life.
Thinking back on those bittersweet
memories of the 1940 s and ’ 50 s, I yearn
for that gentler and simpler way of life.