Here is a picture of my dad, Charlie, as he works on one of the summer cottages that he took care of to pay for the rent ($10.00 per month) on the old house that we lived in. Our house was owned by a family from Peoria that owned a summer cottage along the river. His brother and mother also had cottages and they were all in a cluster. For years and years, Dad took care of the yards and did handyman work for them. It also gave him a wonderful place to have his duck blind during hunting season and a place to keep the old double bowed row boat. The Lynches, the people who owned the cottages, were very lucky people to have someone as conscientious as Dad to take care of their property. He was a very hard working man.
Dad worked at Pabst Brewery in Peoria Heights. I found this stub of his vacation check from May, 1959. Hard to believe that was the pay for a man who by that time had somewhere around 25 years to his credit. $2.61 an hour does not leave a lot of money for luxury items. Of course, the price of groceries, energy, etc., were so much cheaper then than now that it did balance out, but my parents never did get very far ahead and never managed to own a home. They did have a television about the time I was pregnant for our daughter. Back then, tv was "snowy" and stations were not plentiful--Peoria had one station and Chicago stations could be picked up with the big antennae. They enjoyed their television. Mom and Dad did not have an easy life, but they were comfortable and content together. What more can you ask.
Here is a picture of my dad, Charlie, as he works on one of the summer cottages that he took care of to pay for the rent ($10.00 per month) on the old house that we lived in. Our house was owned by a family from Peoria that owned a summer cottage along the river. His brother and mother also had cottages and they were all in a cluster. For years and years, Dad took care of the yards and did handyman work for them. It also gave him a wonderful place to have his duck blind during hunting season and a place to keep the old double bowed row boat. The Lynches, the people who owned the cottages, were very lucky people to have someone as conscientious as Dad to take care of their property. He was a very hard working man. 
Dad worked at Pabst Brewery in Peoria Heights. I found this stub of his vacation check from May, 1959. Hard to believe that was the pay for a man who by that time had somewhere around 25 years to his credit. $2.61 an hour does not leave a lot of money for luxury items. Of course, the price of groceries, energy, etc., were so much cheaper then than now that it did balance out, but my parents never did get very far ahead and never managed to own a home. They did have a television about the time I was pregnant for our daughter. Back then, tv was "snowy" and stations were not plentiful--Peoria had one station and Chicago stations could be picked up with the big antennae. They enjoyed their television. Mom and Dad did not have an easy life, but they were comfortable and content together. What more can you ask. 
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