Clarence Anthony Waldorf


Clarence and Rose


Clarence Anthony Waldorf was born on March 12th, 1910. He married Rose Agatha Sauer on June 24th, 1939. Rose was born on September 18th, 1919.

Clarence and Rose claimed that their wedding date was set so that they could take advantage of opening day of bass season in Michigan. They started married life with a flat tire on the way to Brevorg Lake in Michigan. When they finally got onto the water, a storm came up and Clarence's outboard motor gave up. He had to get out of the boat and push his new bride to shore.

The union produced five children. Marjorie E. Waldorf was born in Detroit on April 20th, 1941. Leonard A. Waldorf was born in Detroit on January 4th, 1944. Robert E. Waldorf was born in Dayton, Ohio on November 10th, 1945. Maxine R. Waldorf was born in Dayton on November 4th, 1946. And Mary Jo Waldorf was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 27th, 1953.

Clarence worked for only one company from the time he started working as a young man until he retired at age 65. He started out washing trucks for Continental Baking Company in Detroit. After several years working in the Continental garage in Detroit, he was promoted to garage superintendent in Dayton, Ohio. After five years there, he took the same position in Cincinnati, Ohio. In another five years, he took over as Regional Vehicular Supervisor for Continental in Des Moines, Iowa.

His last years at Continental were in the regional offices in Kansas City, Missouri. After his retirement, Clarence and Rose maintained their home in Overland Park, Kansas for several years while they sampled retirement living at various locations around the country. They finally settled in Largo, Florida, a suburb of Tampa. Clarence died at home on December 31st, 1997. Rose continues to enjoy retirement in Largo.


Clarence Anthony Waldorf's Story August 4, 1991

 

I was born on March 12, 1910 at home on Canfield Avenue. The fourth child of August and Theresa Waldorf. After a short while we moved to Sheridan Avenue.

 

Mother always told me that I was a fragile baby and a weak toddler. She spent much time encouraging me to eat. She discovered that I liked graham crackers and milk. She claimed that is what kept me alive. Once I was able to sit at the table to eat, I learned to eat better because the slow ones could be lost in the shuffle.

 

I attended St. Anthony's School. My teacher, Sister Theresita was also the principal. The kids called her " Sister Tear Your Seat Off."

 

I was in the second grade when we moved to Roseville. I remember the morning the van moved us to Eleven Mile Road and Gratiot, but Eleven Mile Road was to muddy for the moving van. We had a farmer, using his hay wagon, move the furniture to our house.

 

A short time later, I remember going into an orchard. My new coat was full of sand burrs. I spent the day picking them out.

 

Ma always had a good humor and would whistle while she worked. When the kitchen floor froze the scrub water, we ice skated.

 

My Dad tore down our old farm house. We saved all the lumber to build our new house. I remember pulling nails out of the old boards and breaking up old bricks to put in the floor of the new basement. I stayed out of school to help my Dad build the new house. I remember crawling along the rafters - we built the house without the use of a ladder.

 

Things I remember -

-Snow drifts that covered the fence in winter - Nestor, Raymond, and I killing a skunk on the way to school along the creek and being sent home.

-Hoeing a row of corn before we could go swimming

-My first shot gun was a single barrel

-I had a paper route and bought my first bicycle

-My first ticket was in Bill's car driving 35 miles per hour

-My first job was working in Frisch's bakery on Friday nights

-I also worked at a little bakery in Roseville and another bakery in halfway on Nine Mile Road

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In 1925, I worked full time at Frisch's bakery. He closed the bakery and moved to Harper and Van Dyke. Bill Frisch's wife divorced him and Bill committed suicide.

 

In 1929, I went to the Wonder bakery for a baking job. They did not need anybody in the bakery but they needed a helper in their garage. I accepted. I learned a lot about repairing trucks... In 1932 they transferred me to the cake plant. In 1934, they transferred me back to the bread plant as assistant to the Garage Superintendent.

 

In 1944, I was transferred to Dayton, Ohio as a Garage Superintendent, and in 1949 to Cincinnati, Ohio, because of it being a larger Cake and Bread plant with several agencies and transport trucks.

 

In 1954, I was transferred to the Des Moines, Iowa Regional Office as Transportation Supervisor. We made the long move in June but managed to be in Detroit in September for Ma and Pa's 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration.

 

In 1959 they closed the Des Moines Regional Office. Without moving, I was transferred to work from New Your General Office on special assignments. In 1964, I was transferred to the Kansas City Regional Office. I was there until I retired in 1975.

 

We spent two winters in Southern Texas, one season in Southern California, then we pulled our trailer to Florida for one winter. We decided to make our home in Florida.

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