Wednesday, August 30, 2006

1000 words



In my quest to prevent Obi-Wan's story from fading away, I have borrowed this photo "to share with a few friends"...

This is Obi-Wan (front row, center, wearing some kind of mechanics apron) and some coworkers at "Homer Mann's Gulf Station" at N. 1st and Grape, sometime in the late 1950's.

His boss, Mr. Mann is on the front left (with the big mutton chops). The guy who looks like Pee-Wee Herman was some loyal customer who befriended Obi-Wan. And the 2 guys in back were other workers, one was named Tiny.

Plenty more where that came from...if interest arises.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

strapping young man!

it looks like a post-card doesn't it?

Agent B said...

Yes, a "Hello from Abilene...here's our working class" postcard.

I love this photo. Not many people took snap shots from their routine, work-related lives back then.

Anonymous said...

Is the gas station still there? That would be a neat piece of history for them.

Agent B said...

The station still stands, but is vacant.

It last was an independent owned muffler shop that ripped off my ex girlfriend from college 12 years ago.

Yesterday, I got the idea to drive Obi-Wan around and "tour" some of his old stomping grounds. Except for the doctor and the grocery store/bank, he hasn't been out much. I told him how the service station he retired from in the 1980's was recently torn down. News to him.

Anonymous said...

I want to go! We should go as a family and he can tell us how it was. He lived in the carver neighborhood which is the drug den/ hood now. I wonder how he feels about that. Maybe the drive would be sad for him. Better end it with a zip around a lake or maybe a fish fry!