Iowa Falls High School Class of 1969
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Iowa Falls High School Class of 1969
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| Iowa Falls High School Class of 1969
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“Where did you work during high school and what do you remember about that job?”
Send Your note to Webmaster@ifhs69.com
| Linda Goodenberger Pierce |
 My
high school job was working as a cashier at Joe’s Super Valu. I liked
working there even though we thought Joe was a tough boss (guys got sent
home if their hair was too long, girls got sent home if our uniform was
too short). Lots of IFHSers worked there: Hermie, David Smiley, Gary
Eldridge, Mark Dittmer, John Whitesell, Pam Schweiger, Claudia Pfeiffer,
Karen Lindamann and many others. I remember customers leaving their
cars parked out front on the incline and having them roll down onto Oak
Street (the highway). Does anybody remember what we got paid???
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| Robert Allen Hill |
 .I
also worked at Joe's and I believe .70 cents to .75 cents an hour was
the prevailing wage. I also worked for Tommy Tompkins at the Met
and at the drive in. I do recall an "after hours party" or 2 at
the drive-in. I also remember helping repair speakers after people
drove away and did not remember to remove the speaker from their window
- result - a broken window and a speaker ripped off the pole.
During my senior year I worked for Di$co Mart - no disco, but a discount
store.
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| Lilli Southerly Lanser |
 -- mine was
working for Trojan Seed Company walking corn fields with numerous
classmates....I
became so overcome with exhaust fumes on our morning and afternoon rides
on those decrepit school buses they used to transport us that I turned
the Trojan Seed Company in to the Iowa Department of Transportation --
they apparently acted on my letter the day AFTER I quit, pulling over
every single bus for inspection. All I know is people were impressed at
the power of the pen -- what one little letter could do...
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| Thurston Lamberson |
 Interestingly
enough, aside from working for my Father in the TV repair business,
mine was selling TROJANS. I had a connection in Bradford at the
cafe that could get me 3-packs of Trojans for $.50. I sold them to
fellow classmates for $1.00, thus pocketing a meager 100% profit.
However, business was not all that brisk as actual "Consumers" were
not nearly as common as "Possessors" were, suppressing the repeat
business crowd almost to nothing. The business "doors" were slammed
closed when our own Larry Lee stuck a note to my back saying
"Thurston sells Rubbers" and Mr. Riekena pulled it off and handed it
to me in class. No, Mr. Riekena DID NOT become a regular customer.
Too bad, too, as I would have given him 25% off.
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| Marlys Rush Tanner |
 I
worked only during the summer when school was out and that was pulling
weeds out of soybean fields for independent farmers. That is why I never
took up farming.
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| Karen Dole |
 I
started working at the Public Library sophomore year and worked there
until I left for college. I was "queen of the children's section" three
nights a week and shelved books in the adult area the other afternoons.
Who would have thought that I would be laying the groundwork for my
future career as a librarian? Two of my vivid memories were being at
work when people came in telling about the assassinations of Bobby
Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. I, too, worked for $.75 per hour and
thought I was rich!
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| Linda Rieks Mercer |
 I
worked at Rocky’s Pizza. I made 75 cents/hr, worked every weekend until
2 a.m., and listened to the juke box non-stop for three years. To this
day I know the words to almost every song of the era, including “I’m so
Lonely I Could Cry” and “Lady Will Power” by Gary Puckett and the Union
Gap. It was a great job for a sexually innocent book nerd. I vicariously
engaged in all sorts of wild living without the fear of venereal disease
or pregnancy. I knew who was dating, who broke up on Friday at the
roller skating rink, and who scored on Saturday night. I knew which guys
carried Thurston Lambert’s condoms in their wallets--I peeked when they
paid and I’m sure they orchestrated it so I’d see. The hot, older
college guys with black leather jackets came in at midnight, smelling of
beer, and pooling their change for a $1.00 pizza. One night we burned it
as we frantically went about our nightly clean-up. They were good sports
and left without a fuss. However, that pizza haunted me for months. I
walked in my sleep, desperately searching the linen closet and bathroom
for burning pizza I could smell, but couldn’t locate. I was terrified
Rocky would discover our neglect and fire me. For graduation he gave me
beautiful diamond earrings, which tells me he was still in the dark
after two years. Thus began my life with good karma. Linda Mercer who
still occasionally burns pizza
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| Roger Marchant |
 I
worked at Rich's Standard from 66 thru 69 as well as my Dad's
electronics shop. I sold gas in a gas war for 19.9 cents per gallon. I
remember getting off work at 9 or 10 and scooping the loop and working
on cars. I think pay was around .85 p h.
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| Thurston Lamberson |
My actual very first shot at being an entrepreneur was in grade school (circa 1958). I had an "Ink Pen Repair Business". I operated it out of a cigar box. I would take apart ink pens and salvage the pieces, such as the spring, the clicker components (and these varied widely), the ink cartridge, pen bodies, etc. I would offer to repair non working pens of all sorts. It was NOT a successful business, but I did have one good customer; the next door neighbor on the farm where I lived until I was 12. The neighbor was an elderly man in a wheel chair who had nothing better to do than to entertain me, I guess. He paid me a WHOLE dime for a spring once! I think I still have that dime somewhere.....
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| Sandrea Murphy |
I
believe their pay was $1.50 an hour which I was totally envious about
since I also worked for the Public Library at $.50 an hour. Though I
saved-up one summer and bought a set of golf clubs!!!!
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| Trish[ Pat Brady] Belcher |
 I
worked at A&W Drive-in with Barb Brueggar and Laura Fogarty. There may
have been others but I'm not remembering now.
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| Tom Jones |
 I
was fortunate to have two jobs during high school (and earlier). One
was of my choosing--the other was my father's choice! The family job
was of course working at Park & Eat. Starting with washing dishes
before I could reach the sink, I worked my way up to cook, and cooking
breakfast was my shift. Dad didn't care how late I was out, as long as
I was able to open up for the breakfast crowd. I probably owe much of my
success today to lessons learned at Park & Eat. The job of my
choosing was working for Tommy Tompkins at the Met Theater and the Falls
Drive Inn during the summer. Also working at the theater was Tom
Brasher, Meredith Miller, Bill Kilmer, Bob Hill, Mary Rose, and others
who just "hung out" there without pay. I was officially a maintenance
man, but on the weekend I became "the bouncer." Not being a beer
drinker myself, I took great pleasure in dumping entire cases of
beer--usually purchased by minors at a very high price!
When patrons tried to get in for free, they would get dropped off at the
gas station and try to sneak in through the corn field, or simply hide
in the trunk. They usually did not escape our watchful eyes and ears.
And the cars with single drivers were a dead giveaway! We also
repaired seat cushions at the Met, and we were paid $1 per seat or $1
per hour, whichever was more. After implementing an improvement
process, Brasher and I were able to make $20 per hour.
Unfortunately, there just weren't that many seats to be fixed in the
Met! Tommy Tompkins was a great boss, and for years I would take my
family to visit him and his wife, Zelma when we were back in town
visiting my folks. A final note about Park & Eat. Our pastor (another
Iowa Falls boy, John Gaulke) often told us that God would use whatever
talents we had for the good of others. Well, for the past year I have
been in charge of "Breakfast by the Boys" where once a month, a group of
men in the congregation prepare breakfast for everyone before church.
(and we're not talking muffins and breakfast casseroles here, but real
breakfast items!) I found that working the grill quickly comes back to
you! The more things change, the more they stay the same!!
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| Rodney Yeomans |
 I
worked for my Dad at his hardware store and when I was in DECA I
worked for Harrison's Variety Store. In the summers I would go and
detassel corn.
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| Anne Harris Voge |
 My
high school job was at the Met Theater. I worked with Margo Hale,
Wade Nelson, and Tom Fisher. I worked behind the candy/popcorn
counter and remember how sticky the money was when we had free kids'
movies. We could watch all the movies free and see everyone that
came to the Met. I remember the old ballroom and the backstage area,
which were untouched from the days when the Met was a well known
opera house in the area. I remember having bats flying around the
theater and the stories that the place was haunted. Tommy Tompkins
was the manager and Ted Verink was the projectionist. I remember
long, long lines for "The Graduate" and for "Guess Who's Coming to
Dinner" and running out of candy and making lots of popcorn. It was
and still is a fun place for the high schoolers to work. Anne
Harris Voge
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| Lois Altfillisch Gehl |
I worked at the Rite Drug Store for Mavis and Dick Stabler during my junior and senior years at IFHS. I believe I was paid $.75 an hour to restock shelves and wait on customers. My favorite time of year to work was during Christmas. Mavis offered complimentary gift wrapping and I was the one to do it! To this day, I enjoy wrapping gifts. Each shift I spent my break at the Princess Cafe getting a fountain Cherry-Coke and sitting in a booth to enjoy the moment. Both of these jobs are fond memories of mine. Life was good in Iowa Falls. Lois Altfillisch Gehl
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webmaster@ifhs69.com with
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My
first job was at the Maid Rite on the west side of town and about a
block from my home. I worked behind the counter for "Melba" and her
husband. Melba was the short order cook and I waited tables and filled
ice cream orders at the counter. It was a popular place. As a
waitress, I really relied on those tips! The most expensive item on the
menu was a steak dinner and I prayed that someone would order that!
Melba would let me close the shop and each night I would walk home
usually with a sundae or ice cream confection of some sort. I've spent
my adult life tipping well and working the ice cream off my hips.