Lorene Andris, Mother

How We Started the Store in 1963

by Lorene Andris

I had been over to see Lil Warren; the doctor had sent her home to die of cancer. She had an open incision [which was not] . . . healing. I knew she had just a few days, and I was depressed about that. We also were very in debt, and dad kept saying that we were going to go bankrupt. I was so worried. I went in on the bed and I cried, and then I prayed. I asked the Lord to help us. Dad was drinking, too, and wouldn't quit, even though I had asked him several times. I said to God, "I'm going to leave it up to you." I just gave up in dispair.

It was 1963 when we had just come back from the country. Dad went down to the grocery shop across the street from Lafayette and Pike to get some second hand stuff for his Swap Shop. The woman was selling out the grocery store, Haley West Wood. She said to dad, "Oh, Squee, why don't we just inventory this place and I'll sell it to you at cost, including the beer license. I want to sell this stuff and move to Florida." So dad came back to me and told me about this.
"Hey, Red, do you know that we can buy Haley West's store for inventory but we have to get it done by 4 o'clock. Do you think you could help me with this?"
"You bet."

I got my clothes on and we went down. I started to work frantically and we finished by a quarter after four. Dad went to the lawyer's office the next day to borrow the money. We were so in debt, but dad had such wonderful credit that Edwin Strecker went along with him and loaned us $3200. I knew this was an answer directly from my Lord to my prayers. I worked on Pike while dad rebuilt the real estate office into a grocery store and got beer in.

At first we kept the store open seven days a week; took no day off. [I told dad that since the Lord had helped us, we were not going to keep [the store open] on Sunday. [But] dad said [we will] do it. We kept it open for three Sundays. On the fourth Sunday came back, said "I guess you were right, what little bit you make you can do without." So we always observed the Sabbath after that. [Other days we stayed open from] 7 in morning til 7 at night.