What Did Your Parents Do?

[Mikey P]

How well did the first two do Ashley?

 

[Danny Strickland]

My Dad (Leroy) was a Navy Vet in Korea, got talked out of going to UDT traing in Ft Pierce Fl (where the NAVY SEALS branched out of) and finished his tour in Kodiak Island Alaska. Upon returning to Fl he became a guard for dept of correction from 1956-1970 rising to the rank of Capt. He discovered a drug ring going on at his road camp, higher ups were getting paid, covered it up, so he resigned. He went to work for a family owned construction company as a finish/framer. He hated framing so the boss put him with an older carpenter who did finish work. Mr Cosky was a former professional hockey player from canada who had the strongest hand I ever shook (he was in his 70's at the time my dad started working with him). The company filed bankruptsy about 3 years in, my dad had a stay home wife and 4 sons at home, he and 2 other guys stayed on and he worked there over 30 years. They said in his prime when he cut a board he left pencil marks on both sides and the painter bought him beer and cigs since they didn't use putty or caulk on his work!!! He got diagnosed with Cancer in 1991, fought through Chemo and radiation and the cancer came back in 1995, it killed him in less than 8mo.

One of the best parts of the story was the guy who filed bankrupt paid every person /company back, even finding family members of people who had died before he could pay them back. He started a profit sharing fund for his employee's, a 401k and was generous to my dad his entire working life. When my dad "retired", Mr Childers paid off his car, his bill at the lumber yard (my dad remodled his house last before he died), gave him his company truck, and deposited a paycheck in his bank every week till he died. My mom still lives off his retirement to this day 20yrs later.

My dad was #3 of 10 kids and his dad died when he was 11 y/o. He grew up working hard and was the most honorable man I ever met. He would use his many skills to help others without expectation of payment. He was 5'6"tall and weighted in at 135# soaking wet, but was the strongest man I ever knew. He played guitar, drank scotch and had a wicked sense of humor. My daughter Carson (my #3 looks just like him at the same age today). My dad came to know Christ a few years before he died so I know we'll cross paths again!!!

You Da Man Wilber for starting this thread and making me cry!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Foook Daniel, is there a condensed version?

 

[Danny Strickland]

TACo, yore people are better at lawn care and picking fruits and Veggies than reading, so it said my dad was the coolest dad on here!!!

how's that for condensed!!!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Fooker!

Seriously it was a good story. I'm sorry to hear about your fathers passing.

All all this time I didn't even know you had parents Daniel.

Here I thought you came from a planet far far away....like Uranus.

 

[SamIam]

Dad moved to L.A. from south dakota and combining at 16 with his parents and brothers and sisters, My grandpa got into the service station business with alll his son's except my dad became a meat cutter for Dales and Alpha Beta, for 16 years before joining in with his brothers in 1974 to start Millers Carpet Care, to which My Dad ended up owning 12 shops serviceing all of SOCAL. Mom married my Dad when she was 16 and worked for him off and on, while raising my siter and I. She's struggles with schizophrenia and needs medication to lead a semi normal life, my parents have been married over 50 years and my Mom is in the hospital with pneumonia right now with high blood pressure.

 

[AshleyMckendree]

How well did the first two do Ashley?

Mike,
I'm only "Technically" a 3rd gen cleaner...
My grandfather did allot of odd-jobs in the 50's in Georgia, He did allot of "Shampoo'n"...

My dad started doing basically the same thing in the early 70's when he wasn't high as a kite, in the late 70's early 80's he met my JW 17.9 YO (He was 33) mom through friends and conveniently found Jehovah, they moved to MS after taking over the lease on my uncles POS Direct drive (HOT CC - Ever heard of it?)
And by the late 80's had 4 home made Butler copy's on the road (JW powered fleet) Splash'n Dashing apartments like it was going out of style... All to prop up his Recording Studio that hemorrhaged money.

Sold that company and moved to Lexington Ky, Dad kept up his same BS, Cleaned carpet just so he could buy his toys (Guitars, Drum sets, Recording equipment)
Mom had to work 60+ hours cleaning houses and empty apts to pay the bills, just like she had to when they were in MS,

By the late 90's I was basically running the truck on my own at 16, in '01 bought the company from my dad for 30k that I made selling my Janitorial contracts to a fellow JW, Cleaned house, fired all of my dads $12/room customers, changed our phone#, doubled prices, Met the Geurkinks (They lived 2 miles from my house) Added pad cleaning to our HWE offerings, and focused heavily on Commercial work.

Now we're 90/10 commercial/resi, and do in one night on our large contracts what took my dad 4 trucks all month to do.

 

[Mikey P]

I missed your answer Ashley, thanks....



Anybody else?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

My Dad was a tool and die maker who could fix of fabricate anything. Usually worked at small factories in Michigan where I grew up on a small farm near Coldwater. He was a Korea veteran who was strongly moved by that experience.

My Mom was a homemaker for us 5 kids, and she often cleaned lake cabins for the summer tourist crowd. We "helped"...lol It was educational.

They were awesome parents and grandparents, I was blessed with the legacy they gave us. Miss them daily.

 

[Charlie Lyman]

My dad worked for a candy and tobacco warehouse in San Bernardino, ca called Glaser Bros. It was a highly desired Teamster run warehouse job that paid well and had great benefits. After nearly 20 years with the company they sold to a company called Core-Mark. This company was very anti Union and set out to bust the union. When their contract was up, the company put a contract on the table that cut $100 per week out of their pay and slashed benefits. They went on strike for 7 months. After starving and loosing nearly everything, the workers went back to work without a union.
My dad never liked going to work after that.
He worked there for a few more years and had enough. He quit to start a business with my uncle. Problem was, that business was illegal. The competition didn't like them cutting in on their territory. Someone killed my uncle and my dad ended up in prison for possession of 125 lbs of marijuana with the intent to distribute.
He did his time and spent the rest of his life living in a motel on his small teamster pension. He passed a few years ago from COPD.
My mom was a housewife until they divorced and she lives in Palm Springs working for a resort.

 

[Mikey P]

Love this thread..

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Jim Pemberton]

One of the best Mike, thanks for starting it.

The insights into what has made these people who they are because of, or in spite of, their parents is inspiring and touching.

There are some incredible people on this board.

 

[Willy P]

Um. I thought I started it.....Now you've gone and hurt my feelings Jim.

 

[Desk Jockey]

"If you do someone a solid, don't be a yutz, alright? Just play it cool otherwise you come off grandiose." Tony Stark Iron Man 3

 

[Willy P]

Now you've hurt my feelings too. Woe is me.....

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Um. I thought I started it.....Now you've gone and hurt my feelings Jim.

My deepest apologies Willy...I shouldn't post before my first coffee. I'd edit my comment, but it would make yours confusing to everyone else.

So, that said, I'll elaborate on my earlier point where I gave Mike undue credit:

Willy, I appreciate what you did here. I think its great to see how people grew so much in life because of their parents, but in ways I find it even more impressive what several people did here IN SPITE of them.

There are few insights into a person's success as telling as when they talk about their upbringing, good or bad.

In the end, I think of something Earl Nightengale once said:

"We are all self made. But only the successful admit to it."

Thanks again Willy for starting us on this path.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Now you've hurt my feelings too. Woe is me.....

Really? You just made my day.

 

[Willy P]

My deepest apologies Willy...I shouldn't post before my first coffee. I'd edit my comment, but it would make yours confusing to everyone else.

So, that said, I'll elaborate on my earlier point where I gave Mike undue credit:

Willy, I appreciate what you did here. I think its great to see how people grew so much in life because of their parents, but in ways I find it even more impressive what several people did here IN SPITE of them.

There are few insights into a person's success as telling as when they talk about their upbringing, good or bad.

In the end, I think of something Earl Nightengale once said:

"We are all self made. But only the successful admit to it."

Thanks again Willy for starting us on this path.

I'm just messing with you Jim. Richard, on the other hand is always mean to me.....

 

[Desk Jockey]

Richard, on the other hand is always mean to me.....

Gotta stay consistent!

 

[Shane T]

My parents married young. Dad had just graduated from HS and Mom was only a junior. Dad worked maintence jobs in several factories, gas station attendant, dry cleaners delivery, artificial insemination of cattle and any other job he could get to feed provide for our family of 7. A lot of the time it required him to work 2 and 3 jobs at a time. While in their mid 30s Dad study for the ministry and then spent the next 35 years teaching and administrating in the US, Canada, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. Mom has always worked to keep the house in tack and served along side my Dad everywhere he went. They are the 2 most selfless people I know.