Job Fair

Kids, I think you know my Dad was in the Marines and that he worked for Central Bank in Lebanon. Dad worked other jobs which resulted in transfers and moves that our family made to Kansas, Illinois and back to Missouri. I'm sure Dad may have had other jobs that I'm not aware of, but I'll share what I remember.
My earliest memories of such things begins in Springfield, MO. We lived in a small house on Della street, one block north of Kearney. For a short time we lived in a house on National Avenue, not far from the house on Della. Both were relatively close to Grandpa and Grandma's Bear house on the corner of Missouri and Turner street. The first job I remember Dad having was at J.C. Penney's in the shoe department. Penny's was located on the north side of the City square and the shoe department was in the basement. I remember while he worked at Penny's he also took some evening business classes at Drury (?) college. Eventually he took a job with Public Finance which was just north off the square on Boonville. When your Mom (LaDonna) and I went to buy an engagement ring we parked at a parking lot on the sight of Public Finance and bought the ring at Zales Jewelers, in the building formerly occupied by Penny's.
I do remember going to Penny's for a new pair of shoes. At Public Finance we watched one of the Springfield Christmas parades from the window of the office. It was in the evening and must have been cold. The parade came through the square and headed north on Boonville, past the office, to Commercial street. As a point of information, the city square in Springfield was the shopping mecca of city at that time. As mentioned there was J.C. Penny's, also Fox Theatre, Gillioz Theatre and the big department store Heer's. It was a busy thriving part of Springfield.
Dad began his career at Public Finance as an Assistant Manager but was promoted to Manager. With that promotion came a transfer to Joplin, MO. I can't remember our Joplin address but we were across the street from a small shopping center and a few blocks east of downtown/Main street where Dad's office was located. He was the office Manager and his assistant manager was Jack Watkins. Jack, his wife Donna, two daughters Terri and Karen, lived in our neighborhood about two blocks away. Terri was a about a year younger than I while Karen was close to Gregg's age. The picture posted with the blog is of Terri and I in front of our house in Joplin. The edge gives a date of June 1958. It would be fair to say that Mom and Dad were good friends with Jack and Donna Watkins. Our paths would cross several times as we moved through Kansas and Illinois. -30-