22 • The Beacon September 24 , 2020

By Jen Jones

When asked about their first jobs , people are eager to talk about the fun they had and the money they made . For some , first jobs turned into careers , or they met the person they would marry on their first job . One thing is for sure : When kids today hear Baby Boomers started working for 60 cents or a dollar an

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hour , they are shocked .

For Mary Jo Wells , her first job as a cashier at a Walgreens store 43 years ago was where she met someone who would become very special to her . “ Kevin Lyngaas was the Santa in the store when he came home from college . That ’ s how we met and dated ,” she said .

Life got in the way , and

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& Crematory they parted ways , only to reconnect almost 40 years later and fall in love again .

Eric Ott found his first job when he was 13 as a little league baseball coach . When Kay Rodock was 16 , she started working at Bud ’ s Tropical Fish Store for $ 4.50 an hour . “ I took care of birds that would peck you and all the other critters ,” she said .

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Gary Collins started working at Young ’ s IGA as a carryout boy when he was 16 for $ 1.25 an hour . Pete Ross also worked at Young ’ s IGA to earn money for his first motorcycle .

Becki Guinther liked her first job so much she worked there for more than 16 years . She was a cashier at Rink ’ s Bargain City . “ I started out at $ 1.65 an hour , and my last day was when they permanently closed the store . The best times were when I worked in the clothing department and did all of the clothing displays . The worst time was working in the toy department when the Cabbage Patch dolls came out ,” she said .

Steve Tompkins worked at Ramstein Air Base in Germany when he was 15 and made $ 1.86 an hour . “ I raked playgrounds , picked up trash as an Air Force summer hire ,” he said .

Gardina ’ s Pizza was Carolyn Skelton Wright ’ s first job . “ I started my freshman year . I made the dough , made pizzas , everything but the sauce . That was Mr . G ’ s secret . I worked there all through high school and a few years in my 20s .”

Burger Chef was Pam Mullett ’ s first job at 16 . “ I did like working there because of the people . I am sure the pay was minimum wage for 1976-1977 .”

Toni Treadway worked at Soft Cloth Car Wash

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Mary Jo Wells and Kevin Lyngaas met in 1977 at their first jobs . She was a cashier , and he was Santa Claus in a store .

when she was 22 . Amy Shutt worked at Weaver Construction with her dad doing odd jobs when she was 9 or 10 .

Working as a car hop was the first job for several people . Scott Kestler was 15 when he started working at A & W in 1976 for $ 1.25 an hour . “ I think it was the best job I ’ ve ever had as far as sheer enjoyment ,” he said .

Tony Celeschi also worked there for his first job . Linda Ashcraft and Connie Smith were car hops at Spitler ’ s .

Many people worked as life guards as their first job and loved it . Lori Stockon worked at the West Lafayette Pool from 1980-82 . She was 16 and believes she was paid $ 5.75 an hour . Susie Blackson Mann was a lifeguard at Colonial Pool while Marcia Schmitt worked at Lake Park in 1972 when she was 16 . “ It was the best job

ever ,” she said .

Cynthia Reed Aiken worked at Lake Park in 1963 . “ So fun and got a great tan ,” she said .

Reed used her earnings to buy clothes for her senior year of high school .

Carol Olinger also worked at Lake Park . “ My sisters were lifeguards . I was 15 . My duties included saying this every hour , ‘ It is time for a 15-minute rest break . Everyone out of the water and off the docks . We will resume swimming in 15 minutes . Thank you ,’” she said .

Olinger also answered the phone and took money for tickets .

When he graduated , William Olinger started working at a brickyard in Baltic . “ It was a hot , horrible job . My uncle , John Miller , got me the job , and my dad worked there as well many years earlier . I would go home and run 6-8 miles every night to prepare myself to run on the Muskingum College cross country team . I used the money for tuition and expenses . That would have been the summer of 1975 ,” he said .

Babysitting was Jane Wilt Whitworth ’ s first job at 50 cents an hour , but her first “ real ” job was at Paul ’ s Dari in 1972 . “ I was 16 and made 85 cents an hour , and we had to wear white polyester dresses . Even after being laundered ,