I wonder how many readers remember or have heard of Imogene Snider.

A 38-year business owner in Cardington, her business on West Main Street, Imogene’s Dry Goods, first opened on the west end of the business district in the building that later became Bean’s Oliver Sales. On the west side of this was the business owned by Hank Newcomer, now a Marion resident, who remembers Imogene as “a very nice lady.”

She moved the business In 1944 when she purchased the two story brick building that housed her business for the next 22 years until she retired and closed it in 1966. This building was constructed by her grandfather, Jonathan Shaw, and was out of the family ownership for just six months before its sale June 13, 1966, to Max and Barb Weise, who owned Max’s Clothing Store, the building immediately east.

They later sold that store and opened the business in what was Imogene’s. The couple remembers finding boxes and boxes of merchandise in the building. “There was even an elevator,” said Barbara. It was operated by a rope connected to a pulley that one pulled to raise it to the second floor.

“We found boxes of uniforms for children,” said Barbara, noting they still have some of the display cases from the store. Imogene taught Barbara to knit, something she has never forgotten. The Weise’s owned and operated “Max’s Clothing Store” for 18 years before moving it to Mount Gilead. Maureen Shephard bought the building from the Weise’s. It was destroyed in the 1981 tornado.

Imogene was active in the community, with membership on the library board from about 1910. She was also a 55 year member of the Pythian Sisters, serving as the District Deputy Grand Chief at one time. One of those Sisters, Jackie Winchell, remembers Imogene as being very friendly. “When my daughter was born, she gave me a pretty little outfit from the store,” said Jackie.

By today’s standards, Imogene’s merchandise was not organized but if you asked for what you wanted, she knew right where to find it. She was at one time a deputy registrar of motor vehicles in Cardington and worked for the Morrow County Telephone Company.

Always learning, she also took art classes. She attended Cardington High School but had to drop out her senior year due to illness. She began working in her father’s hardware store at age 16.

Imogene’s first husband, Dr. Snider, a dentist, died in 1925. In 1962 she married Lindsay Bartlow. Imogene died in 1974. I remember Imogene fondly and her contributions to Cardington.

Morrow County highlights

70 years ago, October, 1948: Mrs. Mary Mills bought the Milky Way Restaurant from Mr. and Mrs. George Arthur. Nearly 2000 attended the dedication of the Lutheran Memorial Camp in Fulton on Oct. 24.

60 years ago, October 1958: A curbside mail box was installed in front of the post office on South Marion Street in Cardington.

50 years ago, 1968: A total of 8860 residents voted in the November election. Richard Nixon carried the county with 4,901 votes; Hubert Humphrey received 2195 votes and George Wallace, 1,509 votes. There was a total of 17 traffic fatalities in the county in 1968.

40 years ago, October, 1978: Members of the Cardington High School football team, 35 total, attended the Ohio State-Iowa game in Ohio Stadium. Mrs. Jack Wilhelm was named chairman of the coming Easter Seal campaign in Morrow County.

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By Evelyn Long

Contributing Columnist

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