THE SURVIVOR
Mom had to get a job with no real skills, as she had been an at- home-mom. She saw a classified in the newspaper for a server at Pat’s Captain’s Table restaurant which was 20 miles away. She got help from a friend and bought a green Valiant car making $15 weekly payments that continued even after moving to Florida. Still in Pennsylvania to my best recollection,Tom delcared bankruptcy at that time, so she lost her car, her check was garnished 100%, so the only income she had were her tips which obviously were not enough. Tom was supposed to send $75 per week, but he only sent $58 from time to time. In fact he had HER send HIM money! At Pat’s Captain’s Table, she noticed a fireplace in a separate room of the restaurant that was never used and she had an idea. SHE ALWAYS LOVED A FIREPLACE. Marilyn suggested to Pat that she would light the fire and invite customers for after dinner drinks, thereby increasing her tip income. She also saw a small hallway right inside the restaurant that would make a great Coat Check. She asked Pat if she could do this and Pat agreed to all money collected from the coat check would be hers. I didn’t realize at the time what was going on as I was only around 12 years old. Our lunch money was always available in a cup on the dresser. Mom had to travel a 40 mile round trip every day and sometimes twice a day for both lunch and dinner. She would not get home until we were all in bed. Tom came back from Florida to put an ad in the local paper to sell everything and move us all to Florida. (see Marilyn’s Audio transcript)
1967 – Jan 14th to be exact We moved to Pompano Beach, FL when I was in the 2nd
semester of the 7th grade.Tom had rented a house, so Mom packed up 3 kids, a cat and a dog and with Slim Marquart’s help who would drive us half way in a little green valiant, we were off to Florida! At some
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