Growing Up in Sullivan: Our Neighborhood
•July 29, 2015•
by Jerry Ginther
NP Columnist
Many of my age group will remember the two small grocery stores on Blackwood St. One of them was Jake Marble’s grocery located just east of Seymour St. and the other, first known to me as Murphy’s grocery, was located just west of McClellan St. There wasn’t much difference in their size or the items they offered for sale, and today they would probably be categorized as convenience stores. Then, they were just neighborhood groceries owned by local proprietors who either lived next door or on the same property.
From the time I was big enough to keep up with my grandpa, I would walk with him to Jake’s store where my grandparents did the bulk of their grocery shopping. Prior to that, I could go only when he could carry me, and what he anticipated carrying home pretty well dictated that. I was on one arm and the grocery bag was on the other. That was necessary because Grandpa never had a driver’s license nor owned an automobile.
As soon as we walked in we were greeted with something like, “Good morning, Tom. I see you’ve got your sidekick with you today. Has he been a pretty good boy this week, Tom?” Of course the answer was always yes.