SERVICE CAME WITH A SMILE
Her positive attitude earned praise.
Times were tough in the 1930s. After my mother, Bertha May Royston Crossley, lost her dad when she was 11, staying in school became a luxury. So she quit school when she was old enough and went to work. She was hired at a local sewing factory in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, despite having only an eighth-grade education.
While at the factory, she met my dad, Thomas Crossley, and they were soon married. Afterward, she stayed home with her three children until the youngest, me, was in the third grade. Then she decided it was time she went out and got a job.
Lacking education and experience, she was hired by Sears, Roebuck and Co. for an entry-level job in the garden shop. But when an office job opened, she applied and was put in charge of the routing desk.
School let out earlier than Mom got off work, so on many days I would meet her at Sears. I had a grand time waiting at her office. On occasion, Mom would hand me a ticket to file in the cubby next to her desk. I felt so important, so sure that I was helping her. Then she would give me a quarter and I would buy a hot dog from the deli downstairs.
A big part of her job was talking to customers on the phone and letting them know when their purchases would be delivered. Sometimes the customers became impatient because deliveries were late or something arrived damaged. But no matter the mood of the customer, Mom always spoke quietly and calmed many potential storms for Sears.
At the end of each day, she walked around the store to pick up order tickets, and took them back to her desk to schedule the deliveries.
I was so proud of my mom. She dressed professionally and always wore a smile. Everyone had friendly words for her as she passed their stations. And she took every chance to greet her fellow workers as she walked past.
Those were good times, and I have warm memories of spending so many afternoons with my mom. I acquired my good work ethic from watching and following her example.