Volume 6 , Issue 37

Ingersoll Stores

"Somebody gave you a bum steer about the Ingersoll store! The business on the east side (north side of the highway) was owned by Raymond (not Leonard) and Nettie Mantz.

The old structure is located directly across the street from the Smok Shak. It is true that Nettie liked to visit, but she didn't drive so was sort of stuck in a tiny little building all day. They both liked animals and there were assorted dogs and cats which had to be moved to retrieve milk, beer or bologna out of the cooler.

They had no children of their own but often babysat some of the neighbor children. Nettie's elderly mother, Mrs. Percintina lived there also. Toni Hawkins Fox's maternal grandparents were Glen and Pauline Tucker. Glen was a brother to the Tuckers living in Kiowa and Pauline was originally from Boston. They had the War Surplus and Gas Store also on the north side of the highway, but one block west. The business was unique and customers gasped at the amount of STUFF in that store.

Tuck (as everyone called him) advertised having anything anybody needed, if he could just find it.  Pauline told me one time that shoes were sometimes bought by the truckload, tied together in pairs but there would always be a bunch for just one foot! There were literally tons of tools in that store.

The old adobe building has collapsed but part of it remains. A cactus still blooms there in the spring. Since both proprietors sold gas competitively, folks in the community often referred to them as Nip and Tuck.
When Glen retired the Tuckers moved to a new home in Cherokee. Glen died not long after they moved but Pauline lived there several years before she passed away." -- Bonnie   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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