Michael Scott Shooster Birthday - April 2nd, 1955
Frank Mallory Shooster Feb. 22nd, 1954
Stephen Leon Shooster May 11th, 1958
Wendy Joy Shooster, Dec. 6th, 1960
Michael walks around telling daddy that “We’re pals,” he just adores his daddy terribly much. Dorothy Shooster Diary - Sept, 21, 1952.
Frank, Michael and Cindy, the Boxer
HOME SWEET TOWNHOUSE
During the next eight years, all four of our children were born. Our first son, aptly named after my father, Frank, was born in 1954; Michael, 1955; Stephen, 1958; and Wendy, 1960. If this tiny row house was our castle, our knight was Cindy, protector of the kids, a boxer. We were very happy there. I was working crazy hours. That’s what happens when you work for yourself. I started at about 10 am and got home at 2 am. Luckily I alternated the night shift with my brother. On nights off Dorothy and I would hop in the car and go to Philly. Our first stop was Schrafft’s, on Chestnut Street, for a butterscotch sundae, then off to catch a 9:30 movie. We were ‘free as birds.’ Even after the kids came into our lives we still managed to get out a lot. Anoth- er one of our favorite evenings was betting on the horses at The Trotters Race Track, in Wilmington. The families were growing. Harry and I started to focus on ways to increase income.
We began our married life living at my moth- er’s home. About eight months later, we bought a little townhouse down the block, 322 W. 22nd Street. The cost was $9,800 [96k in 2021]. It was the most expensive one available on the block. We paid a premium for the home because Dorothy loved things to be ‘clean.’ It was immaculate. She furnished it in pink and aqua, and her father made us a built-in pink kitchen as a wedding gift. Her father, Leon Schluger, was a wonder- ful man. I became very fond of him. Unfor- tunately, he became ill with a kidney problem within two years of our marriage and died soon after. There was no kidney dialysis avail- able in those days. He lived just long enough to see his youngest son, Allen, return from Korea.
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