"I just wanted to share with you my amazement (and excitement) to see my great aunt and uncle's grocery store/home on your website. I am sharing this information with my brother, the family historian. I don't think, though, he ever saw it as he is nearly 20 years younger than I am and never had the rich childhood experiences I did in that building. My mom, who just recently passed away, would take me along with her to visit. I still remember the thrill when my great-aunt allowed me to reach inside one of many old glass jars that was neatly perched on the check out counter and/or on a shelf behind the cash register and maybe I would even get a "bottle" of pop to drink. My great-uncle butchered meat and had an old fashioned meat counter and my great-aunt would feverishly run around in the store taking care of customers, stock shelves and greet vendors.

"When she had time, we would retire to the home side of the building for something to drink and conversation. I had childhood fantasys about some day living and working in that building or a building like it. It seemed huge to me as a small child (although it probably wasn't really that big). I remember the stairs in the home side that lead to the bedrooms upstairs, an old stove in the living room, linoleum on the kitchen floor, breezy curtains at the window. The building was cold in the winter and hot in the summer. But that didn't really matter. My great aunt and uncle lived and worked in this building for more years than I remember. They knew everyone that came in the door by name. This little neighborhood store was the lifeline for many folks in the area. It was like a small town store but yet was surrounded by a big city. It served the neighborhood well for years and years.

"I would like to thank you for the time and efforts you have devoted to this web-site preserving our personal memories, neighborhood heritage, and Wichita's rich and warm history."

Melody Stucky
April 2003