My first experience with Mr. and Mrs. Bartell (Fred & Danelle) was as I 
approached the age of 16 and was looking for a job. I don't remember how
I found out about them and their store (at the intersection of highways
US 441 and Florida 318 (Orange Lake, Florida)) but somehow I did and 
they actually hired this country bumpkin.
Mrs. Bartell loved to tell the story of me coming to work at the old store. 
Evidently she had never seen anybody as shy as I was at the time.
(I also took quite a bit of ribbing later as my high school flame would
call, and, if I didn't answer, hang up!!)
Over time, the Bartell's became second parents to me. They hosted our
rehearsal dinner when JoAnn and I married. The dinner was at Ruby's after
the Geigers moved the business from Orange Lake to the west of highway
US 441 just below the Alachua/Marion county line.
At that dinner, Mrs. Bartell presented us with a gag gift as a wedding
present. It was one of those "T" shaped lawn sprinklers that one attaches
to a hose end and "pegs" into the ground. She said it was to "grow" a
family. It worked!!! JoAnn and I had 4 great kids...Tracy, Deanne, Kimberly
and Gregory.
When Greg got married (41 years later) I passed said sprinkler on to him.
It's still working as he and Ann have two (adorable) little ones, Phineas 
and Maggie!
But, I get ahead of my story.
First, a sad aside. The store was first a business of Mrs. Bartell's
father, Mr. Paul who I never knew. It's told that he was on the telephone
one day during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck the telephone line and
resulted in Mr. Paul's moving to glory.
When I started at Bartell's Store, US 441 was a two lane road. Shortly
after it was widened to a 4 lane and became North Marion Market. This 
allowed the Bartell's to raze the old store and build a new one. 
By that time, the "second parenting" had kicked in. The new facility 
included a second building that was designed to be a laundramat. At the
time I also had a sideline business of radio and TV repair. As part of
the new building design, they asked me if I'd like to have a small shop built
as a part of the laundramat building! So I now had a business front while
continuing to work in their store. As an aside, I also maintained the
washer and dryers at the laundramat. (There I also lost a Bulova Accutron
watch which I had removed and placed on a washing machine while 
working on it.  8(  Cost me a pretty penny at the time (relative to my 
income)). I was recently able to replace it with a similar vintage watch 
I bought from a guy in Texas who specializes in Accutrons. Probably paid 
many times the cost of the original, but, it has great sentimental value 
to me.
At Bartell's store and then North Marion Market I first worked with a
butcher, Mr. Mehaffey (sp?). He made a meat cutter out of me for
which I am forever grateful. (As an FFA member at Reddick Shool, I was
a member of the meat judging team. Thanks largely to the teaching of
Mr. Mehaffey and Mr. Bartell.) 
I use those skills to this day.
Later, at North Marion Market, Mr. Mehaffey was followed by a butcher by 
the name of Louis, whose last name I don't remember. Louis was ex-navy 
and lived with his mother in a trailer park south of Lowell. Some character 
he was, too. He mentioned many times of giving the customer his "minister's 
discount".
First, raise the price by 10% and then discount it by 5%. I trust he
was pulling my leg on this!!
I also remember one of Mr. Bartell's specialties...smoked sausage.
We ground and seasoned the meat and stuffed the casings in the store.
They were then transferred to a small smokehouse out back where they
were smoked to perfection. Ah, yes, the good old days!!
To this day I grind and season my own sausage (no, I don't smoke it...but
maybe one day) and grind my own hamburger.
Over time, the Bartell's built a house just to the north of the store,
and, over time, they trusted me to manage the store and left me in charge
when they went on various trips. I stayed in their house and watched over
things while they were gone. I also installed a "listening intercom"
between the store and the master bedroom in the house so that any 
untoward happening at night would be heard.
The store was pretty much a family affair for the Bartell's. This brings
another anecdote to mind. One day while I was working the meat department
Mrs. Bartell had one of their boys in a play pen nearby. A somewhat
elderly lady came by and was admiring the baby. Suddenly she looked at
me and said "You sure can't deny that one, can you!!". I think my only
response was "I sure hope so!".
I remember that JoAnn and I joined them one time at their cabin in NC.
One event took us to a gem mine where we "mined" for rubies. Maybe we
found some or maybe not; I don't remember. I do remember us going across
to Gatlinburt, TN, and ice skating at a rink at the top of a mountain
which was a ski slope in season. I still remember Mr. Bartell skating
around the rink while holding our infant Tracy.
A few years ago (when we lived in Cary, NC), Mrs. Bartell visited as a
participant in the "Senior Oympics" and I had breakfast with her. Over 
time, we met at the Reddick High School reunion. At this writing, I'm 
saddened at her recent passing.
I worked at the Bartell's from early 1958 until I graduated from the
University of Florida in December of 1966. A life experience I will 
never ever forget.

jgm...9 February 2013