The Depression started his working life early as it did for most of his era. He was able to finish the seventh grade but at the age of 13, he and his brother, Raymond "Hame", age 11, began working as golf caddies at Galloway Golf Course. I like to believe this made Bob the strong man he was to become. His work day began with a 2 mile walk, not to mention all of the walking on the course, and then to walk another 2 miles home again. I can recall my "O" telling me how scarce food and money was back then, and that after being a caddy all day long he was lucky if there was any ground mustard at home to go with his onion and white bread sandwich. Coca Cola was a nickel a bottle and often times there was not a nickel to spare. All of the money that they collected as caddies came home to their Momma to help out. Well, most of it.
He scolded me (rightfully) one afternoon when I was a 13 year old, sassy teenager. I came home and opened the cupboard and exclaimed, "There's nothing to eat!" What I was looking for were things I would rather eat. He asked me to sit down and told me what it was like to go without food. I have never forgotten this moment. I saw the reflection in his eyes of a life long ago. One I am happy that I didn't have to endure.
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| Galloway Golf Course Memphis TN circa 1938. |
From there he took a job at Sears, where he would meet his love, Edna.
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| Sears Crosstown Building. Courtesy of The Commercial Appeal. |
Being an adult man in the 1940's, he enlisted to fight during WWII. He was a Sargent Major stationed in the Philippines.
Upon returning home from war, Bob went back to work for Sears until he landed a job at the Armour Meat Plant. Here he learned to butcher meat. This would help him out in his grocery days to come.
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| Old Armour Post card. |
He then furthered his career as a traveling salesman for the first dry cat food, Little Friskies, offered by Friskies.
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| Little Friskies, Friskies first dry cat food. |
His wife, Edna, did not care for how much time this kept Bob away from home, so Bob started a career in the grocery business.
The first grocery store Bob worked for was Hogue & Knott located at 1378 N. Hollywood Memphis, TN as an assistant manager, and later moved to another location at 3511 Park Ave. Memphis, TN when a manager position became available. These stores were owned by Hugh Hogue and John Knott. Hugh Hogue was born in Memphis and began his grocery career with Clarence Saunders, who was credited with establishing the first self-service supermarket. Hogue later worked the grocery business with Fred Montesi's Liberty Cash Chain. After opening his first store at Hollywood and Chelsea in 1940, Hogue saw his grocery business continue to grow. In 1948, he joined John R. Knott in establishing the Hogue & Knott stores.
In 1962, he moved his family to Marked Tree, Arkansas to work for Piggly Wiggly. Bob took a ho-hum delicatessen and turned it into money maker.
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| Bob at the Piggly Wiggly deli-counter Marked Tree, Arkansas, 1965. |
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| Bob Ferrer Piggly Wiggly 1965. Thanks to Ralph L. Walker, Jr., I have this video of the grand opening of the same store Bob worked for in Marked Tree. |
Ritter Building 3: Piggly Wiggly Grand Opening from Ralph L. Walker, Jr. on Vimeo.
Bob built a beautiful home for his family in Marked Tree, but Edna did not care for the new people she was surrounded by there. That and a diagnosis of breast cancer in the 1960's forced a move back to Memphis.
Bob took a job working for Piggly Wiggly in Holly Springs, Mississippi where he commuted daily except for on the weekends when there was inventory to do. My dad worked with him there in the summer of 1966 and remembers bringing home a paycheck worth $48.17 for 60 hours of work.
Bob worked off and on for many years for Frank and Jack Gaia (Frank was married to Bob's cousin: Louise Vandercamm) at each of their stores. Jack's first store is still located at 84 N Main street in Memphis. Bob worked at the second store (pictured at the bottom near Stax Records) during the 1960's. He was there during the firefighter and police strike in the mid 60's and even made it through a fire bombing of the store. After these episodes, he only worked at Jack's number one store downtown and stayed there after Edna passed away and until he retired.
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| Jack's 84 N. Main Street Memphis, TN. |
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| Jack's No. 2 down from Stax Records. |
