14 More On
Service List
Maford M. Sanders “put
in” his first shift of work
here June 1, 1937. And be
fore that month was over,
Dillard Bradshaw had start
ed work, along with many
others. But he and Maford
are still on the job and last
month they marked their
30th work anniversary.
During the same month there
were five others who passed 25-
year milestones; and seven
more with records of 5 to 20
years.
The 25 and 30-year people are
in photos here. The remaining
list:
Twenty
Years Edward T. Dailey and
Newell E. Hardin, twisting (syn
thetics); William I. Alexander
Jr., shop.
25, 30
Years
W
C. M. Parham
Shop
Fifteen
Years Gertrude C. Price,
twisting (synthetics).
Five
Years Joshua Brice, twisting
(synthetics); Paul W. Adams
and Roy A. Postell, weaving
(synthetics).
All “long-timers’' received the
lapel service pin. The 20-year
record-holders also received the
engraved gold watch, gift of the
company. Those with 25 and 30
years service were each present
ed the company’s appreciation
gift of a $100 check.
Mildred K. Mack Furman Pearson Cornelius Lowery Maford M. Sanders Dillard Bradshaw Arlhur C. Bradley
Main Office
Shop
Twisting (syn)
Supply
Weaving (syn)
Plant Protection
Music: It’s A
Family Affair
As a youngster, Helen Spencer
Foy was too short to reach the
pedals of her grandma’s old
pump organ and touch the keys
with her hands at the same time.
But she grew up to study organ
and piano, and to make music
a ‘second career’ to her. work in
payroll at Firestone.
The wife of Luther Foy, plant
refreshment service manager,
Helen is organist at Pisgah AR
Presbyterian Church—has been
for the past four years. Before
going to Pisgah, she was organ
ist for a time at Loray Baptist
Church. Some years ago she was
director of a then-active Fire
stone choral group.
THIS YEAR Helen shared
with other members of her fami
ly in tributes from the Gastonia
Music Club, on observance of
National Music Week. A feature
in The Gastonia Gazette told of
the Spencers and Foys “who
celebrate National Music Week
all-year-round.”
Helen’s mother, Mrs. C. B.
Spencer, sang in the church
choir until her family began to
grow in numbers. Helen’s father,
the late Mr. Spencer, sang in
the church choir for 50 years—
TUNING UP • Helen Foy at
Pisgah ARP Church organ
strikes a chord as family mem
bers tune up to sing. From left,
Helen's nieces Melinda and Jane
Alyce Spencer; two of her
brothers, Haskell Spencer (Jane
Alyce's father) and Sheldon
Spencer (Melinda's father).
right up to the time of his recent
death. Soon after his passing,
a memorial fund was started at
the Pisgah church which led to
the purchase of a new organ.
Helen’s brother, Haskell
Spencer, plays trumpet and is
choir director at Pisgah, some
times sings tenor. Her brother
Sheldon, employed by WBTV,
plays baritone bugle in the Gas
tonia Drum and Bugle Corps,
and sings bass in the church
choir.
Another brother, Howard of
McAdenville, majored in music
at Erskine College, specializing
in violin. He now plays viola in
a stringed ensemble and some
times sings tenor.
Helen’s niece, Melinda, is tak
ing piano lessons; and another
niece, Jane Alyce, last year
played clarinet in the band at
Ashley High School. Both girls
sing in the church choir.
Helen has been a member of
the Gastonia Music Club for 10
years. She once served two
years as secretary of the group.
People-Places
Mayor Pro Tem Ralph John
son was in June appointed
chairman of the Gastonia May
or’s Recreation Advisory Com
mission for a two-year term.
Councilman Johnson, manager
of employee relations at Fire
stone, is widely known in rec
reation circles. Serving on the
21 - member commission with
Mr. Johnson is another Fire
stone man, Samuel Crawford,
employment interviewer.
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald H. Wil
liams went to live in Richmond,
Va., following their wedding
June 10 in Loray Baptist Church
of Gastonia. Mrs. Williams is
the former Glenda Sue Hughes,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Horace
R. Hughes. Her father works at
Firestone. Glenda is a graduate
of Ashley High School.
Her husband is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Burr H. Williams of
Georgetown, S. C. A graduate
of the technical division of Gas
ton Community College, he is
employed in Richmond by the
Virginia Electric and Power Co.
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Turner Sr.
visited in Tennessee and Ken
tucky for _ several days this
spring. Among highlights of
their travels: Guided tours of
industry in the Louisville area,
stops at the horse farms in the
Bluegrass country around Lex
ington, and a visit to “My Old
Kentucky Home” at Bardstown.
Mr. Turner is retired from Fire
stone.
Chuck Keller of Boy Scout
Troop 9 last month attained
Eagle Rank. He was among the
29 Scouts honored for achieve-
4
‘Along About
Sundown’
® Music and dancing in
the traditional style of the
Southern hillcountry will
take the stage at the 40th
annual Mountain Dance and
Folk Festival early next
month. At this — the oldest
festival of its kind in East
ern U.S.—exciting things
underway “’long about sun
down” for three evenings
Asheville, Aug. 4-6. Above
Firestone News photo is of ^
Georgia “bluegrass” band
putting out with “Keep Mv
Skillet Good and Greasy AH
the Time” at last year’s col'
orful festival. Check Travel
Notes on page 4.
ment at the recent Firestone
Scouting Awards Banquet.
Chuck has earned 21 merit
badges in his four years of
scouting. Troop 9 is sponsored
by Loray Baptist Church. Ray
mond Varnadore of the Fire
stone mechanical department is
scoutmaster.
Don R. Grant received a di
ploma in Yarn Manufacturing I
at the June 14 commencement
exercises of North Carolina Vo
cational Textile School, Bel
mont. Don, whose father Thom
as A. Grant is manager of Fire
stone methods-time study, was
working here in twisting (syn
thetics) during part of his study
at NCVTS. He is a graduate of
Hunter Huss High School.
Charles L. Heffner, a veteran
of 17 years with the Gastonia
Police Department, was this
spring promoted to the detective
division. Mrs. Heffner is em'
ployed in warp preparation
Firestone. The Heffners have a
son, Charles Von, stationed with
the U.S. Air Force at Hon^®'
stead, Fla. Mrs. Heffner’s father»
John Freeman, is retired from
Firestone.
A teaching career beginning
this fall is in the plans of
Mervin Nicky Huffman, son oi
Mr. and Mrs. Mervin F. Huff'
man of Gastonia. Nicky Ireceived
a degree with major in English
from Appalachian State Teach'
ers College last month.
father works in Firestone twist'
ing (synthetics).
How’s That For Service?
The fire department at Waldron, Ark. had a flat tire
earlier this year. It was a Firestone tire and the department
reported it to Earl B. Hathaway, president.
That was fair enough, because when you're operating a
fire department, you need dependable equipment—including
tires.
Even when you're in a town of 1,600 away yonder in the
northwest corner of Arkansas—down the road from Hon and
a few miles from Needmore, but a long way from a big city.
Now notice. The Waldron firemen were returning from a
fire call—not going to one. And it was their first flat tire. The
tires and wheels were mounted on the 1942 Ford truck just
as they were when it was delivered to Waldron in August,
1944.
The nearly 23 years of trouble-free service brought a let
ter of praise from H. O. Sims, Waldron mayor; Albert Yates,
fire chief; and Jerry Martin, Chamber of Commerce president.
Replied Mr. Hathaway: "I hope you don't have another
flat tire in the next 23 years!"
Good Ideas
People of a machine age won t
appreciate it as much as great'
grandpa would have. He had to
make his own shoes, or
someone else to do it in the slo''^
hand process of his day.
We can thank L. R. Blake of
Abington, Mass., because h^
patented the first machine to
manufacture shoes. That
July 6, 1858.
Put this down as another
ample of a great idea paving th®
way for man’s progress.
And remember Henry Tit>h^
of Washington, Mo., who
July 8, 1878 became the
first
the
Volume XVI
Number 7
GASTONIA
July, 1967
Page 2
Plant
Offices
Warehouses
REPORTERS
Claude C. Callaway, Editor
Employee publication of Firestone Textiles, Gastonia, North
Carolina, producing quality tire fabric since 1935.
Member, South Atlantic Council of Industrial Editors.
☆ ☆ ☆
Carding—Payton Lewis
Industrial Relations—Rita Maye
Main Office—Bea McCarter
Mechanical Dept.—Rosie Francum
Quality Control—Sallie Crawford,
Louella Queen, Leila Rape
Twisting (synthetics)—Elease Cole,
Katie Elkins, Catherine Fletcher
Warp Preparation—Elmina Bradshaw,
Nell Bolick
Warehouse—Harold Robinson, Israel
Good, Rosevelt Rainey
Weaving (cotton)—Ruth Veitch
Weaving (synthetics)—Ann C o s e y ,
Mayzelle Lewis
commercial manufacturer
corncob pipes. Think of the co^
tentment he brought to
world with his idea put to
What a step forward was t ^
invention of the tape measur®
Credit goes to A. J. FelloWS^^
New Haven, Conn., with
patent July 14, 1868. .jj
Then there was D. R. Ave^^
of Newburg, Ohio, who came
with the first practical
mixed paint in July of 1.
What a blessing his contributi^
has been! ^
Ideas are all around. ^
them out. Write them
Share them with your ^
tion System. You could
some mbney through an apP^
ed suggestion. When your ^
are harnessed, they make tni
better.