Coming to Marietta, Ohio
Mrs. Andris' obituary says she lived in Clarksburg, WV until 1917, when she came to Marietta "where her husband was employed in the former window glass plant in the Westview industrial section." According to his son's obituary, son, Arthur N., came to Marietta in 1916 to work at the Pioneer Glass Co. on the West Side of Marietta.
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Somewhere along the way, it is clear that the Andrises established a family grocery store. Arthur's obituary identifies him as "proprietor of the Andris grocery store at 313 Greene street." Victorine's obituary also describes her as proprietor of the Andris grocery. It also says "Mrs. Andris opened a grocery store in Marietta a number of years ago, and in more recent years, conducted the Clover Farm stores adjoining her home." According to my mother, "Torinne bought 313 around 1922 from Mrs. Morris, whose husband was dying of TB. She wanted to go back to West Virginia. She payed $900 for the store."
The picture above was sent to me by Karen Ruhloff of Chicago, the granddaughter of my dad's half-brother Arthur N. In the enlarged version, you can clearly see my grandmother Victorine, my grandfather Arthur, and my dad, Fernand, as a teen. Karen also has pictures of her grandfather, Arthur N. (Louis) Andris from this time period that give us a feel for the times. In particular, this picture of Arthur N. on the left and his brother, Amié peeking out between the two girls is particulary evocative for me. I have heard many stories about life on the Ohio River. In those days the "kids" (teenagers) swam often in the river. There were no life preservers. My dad could swim across the Ohio river and back at the bridge. Also, I lost my close friend, Frankie Brown, to drowning when I was 12 or 13. But this was what you did for fun on a hot summer day in the first half of the Twentieth Century in Marietta, Ohio, especially if you were poor.
