By 1957, Al had become the lead foreman with Schmerheim Electric, one of the largest electrical contracting firms in that area of Michigan. He was also on close terms with the owner of the company. At that point he probably could have continued on for some time, in a contented grove. Even if the conditions of the company had turned sour, as eventually they did, he was a union electrician, he would have just been picked up by another. After all, he now had his master journeyman card and that made him a highly sought after commodity on the market at the time.
However, Al wanted something different for himself, for his family. He was not happy. Oh, he loved the work and he made decent money. They had a home he liked and the boys were growing up, 10 and 8 now, but he he found he really did not like working for someone else. He wanted to be his own boss; he wanted to strike out on his own.
To set up as a contractor and to start up a business without a strong cash flow, without a client base, or a business plan was risky, but Al and Winnie had talked it over and they both were in agreement. Winnie would stand with him and help him out and he wanted this.
Things were very tight for a long time as Al built relationships up and gained clients. With Schmerheim, the clients were mostly commercial and industrial. In business for himself, without any helpers, he concentrated on residential and on service work. In the long run, the service work carried him. He was a gifted technician and troubleshooter. He gained accounts with firms needing someone who could maintain equipment and operations. The residential work, the bread and butter, brought in enough extra to allow him to do what he really loved doing. It would be another twenty years before he looked back again.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Creating a Home, 1949
Settled into a pattern of life, Al now had a career under way. He was a foreman with Schmerheim Electric and a journeyman electrician. The small family still lived on 12th St., as they had for years. However, with Al, Winnie, the young toddler, Chuck, and Jean, Winnie's sister, all in the small apartment, it was too comfortable any longer.
Al was looking for a home of his own, his first. In his entire life, he had always lived in rented apartments or rented houses. Now, for the first time, he wanted to own a house of his own. He found a lot in East Saginaw, on S. Jefferson and decided to build his own house, to save money. After work each day he worked on the small 800 square foot house. His father-in-law, Edwin, who was working two full-time jobs at the time, was the only person helping him. The house had two small bedrooms, a living room, bath and kitchen.
While building it, Winnie became pregnant again. In June, 1949, she gave birth to their second son, James, a jaundiced heart-damaged child that Al described as "so ugly a baby, it was a good thing he was a boy." With the growing family, the apartment was now much too small. Fortunately the work on the house progressed and the family was able to move in about two months after the baby was born.
The home Al built for the family on Jefferson became their residence for the next 22 years. Both boys grew to manhood in the home and left before Al and Winnie determined it was time to leave the neighborhood, which had changed so much through the years. They watched long time and short-time neighbors move in and out, the ethic and racial make-up alter, and the crime rate rise during their tenure.
Al was looking for a home of his own, his first. In his entire life, he had always lived in rented apartments or rented houses. Now, for the first time, he wanted to own a house of his own. He found a lot in East Saginaw, on S. Jefferson and decided to build his own house, to save money. After work each day he worked on the small 800 square foot house. His father-in-law, Edwin, who was working two full-time jobs at the time, was the only person helping him. The house had two small bedrooms, a living room, bath and kitchen.
While building it, Winnie became pregnant again. In June, 1949, she gave birth to their second son, James, a jaundiced heart-damaged child that Al described as "so ugly a baby, it was a good thing he was a boy." With the growing family, the apartment was now much too small. Fortunately the work on the house progressed and the family was able to move in about two months after the baby was born.
The home Al built for the family on Jefferson became their residence for the next 22 years. Both boys grew to manhood in the home and left before Al and Winnie determined it was time to leave the neighborhood, which had changed so much through the years. They watched long time and short-time neighbors move in and out, the ethic and racial make-up alter, and the crime rate rise during their tenure.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Finding a Life, 1945- 1947
1945 - 1947 brought two monumental moments into Al's life. Having returned from the war, he sought to reestablish himself in Saginaw and in his family life. Though he had found work, a job, he did not have a career, something he believed he could spend his life at. This was important to him. Further, though Al and Winnie were together, they wanted a family. She came from a large family of 12 children, with relatives had had similar large families, or even larger. Al, who came from a single child atmosphere, had been around large families, having been raised with his uncle and extended family during his early childhood.
When Al had first come home from the service, he had trouble finding any work at all. He finally accepted the first job offered to him, that of an accountant. He hated it, as he found it boring. He received a paycheck which put food on the table and kept the rent paid, but he was miserable. To make it worse, Winnie no longer worked and, as it would develop, never would again. For for those first months, he was just plain unhappy. He wanted something different. He was looking.
He ran into a fellow named Joe Schmerheim, who owned an electrical contracting firm, Schmerheim Electric. With the economy really taking hold and a strong demand for housing,a construction boom was on. Joe was looking for more men all the time and he was willing to train them. He extended an offer to Al. He'd sponsor him into the union apprenticeship program and put him on the payroll. Schmerheim, at the time, was one of the biggest contractors around. The money was better than Al was getting. There were opportunities to move up, a skilled trade to be learned and he and the owner were on friendly terms. Al accepted.
Al took to the work naturally. He breezed through his apprenticeship. Along the way, he made a couple discoveries. He was a very gifted electrician and he absorbed the trade's skills readily. Additionally, with his strong work ethic, Joe was willing to move him up and make him a foreman.
In the summer of 1946, Winnie informed Al she was pregnant and the due date was going to be in March. Both of them were overjoyed with the prospects. They were 28 and 29 at the time and life seemed pretty decent. Al finally had a career, doing something he found out he really loved doing and now they were going to have a child. As the months progressed, the pregnancy moved along without any trouble.
On the morning of March 24, 1947, Winnie was ready. She was in hard labor and it was time to go to St. Mary's Hospital. The only impediment to the plan was that there was a major blizzard raging and the city was snow-bound. No vehicles were moving, including ambulances. The only way they could get to the hospital was by way of sleds, which was what they ended up using that early morning.
The trip was extremely slow but the doctor and the nurses were waiting and ready when they finally arrived. The delivery was easy and Al and Winnie had their first child, a son, Charles Albert Galford, named after Al, as healthy and as perfect a baby as can be hoped for and can be expected.
When Al had first come home from the service, he had trouble finding any work at all. He finally accepted the first job offered to him, that of an accountant. He hated it, as he found it boring. He received a paycheck which put food on the table and kept the rent paid, but he was miserable. To make it worse, Winnie no longer worked and, as it would develop, never would again. For for those first months, he was just plain unhappy. He wanted something different. He was looking.
He ran into a fellow named Joe Schmerheim, who owned an electrical contracting firm, Schmerheim Electric. With the economy really taking hold and a strong demand for housing,a construction boom was on. Joe was looking for more men all the time and he was willing to train them. He extended an offer to Al. He'd sponsor him into the union apprenticeship program and put him on the payroll. Schmerheim, at the time, was one of the biggest contractors around. The money was better than Al was getting. There were opportunities to move up, a skilled trade to be learned and he and the owner were on friendly terms. Al accepted.
Al took to the work naturally. He breezed through his apprenticeship. Along the way, he made a couple discoveries. He was a very gifted electrician and he absorbed the trade's skills readily. Additionally, with his strong work ethic, Joe was willing to move him up and make him a foreman.
In the summer of 1946, Winnie informed Al she was pregnant and the due date was going to be in March. Both of them were overjoyed with the prospects. They were 28 and 29 at the time and life seemed pretty decent. Al finally had a career, doing something he found out he really loved doing and now they were going to have a child. As the months progressed, the pregnancy moved along without any trouble.
On the morning of March 24, 1947, Winnie was ready. She was in hard labor and it was time to go to St. Mary's Hospital. The only impediment to the plan was that there was a major blizzard raging and the city was snow-bound. No vehicles were moving, including ambulances. The only way they could get to the hospital was by way of sleds, which was what they ended up using that early morning.
The trip was extremely slow but the doctor and the nurses were waiting and ready when they finally arrived. The delivery was easy and Al and Winnie had their first child, a son, Charles Albert Galford, named after Al, as healthy and as perfect a baby as can be hoped for and can be expected.
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