Bob and Jan (McHenry)
Miller
After Graduation Jan and I moved to Palm Springs, where I worked for
the Woolworth store and Jan and I had our second child. My career with
Woolworth lasted 24 years and we moved several times. From Palm Springs to Riverside,
then San Bernadino and then to El Monte which by the way used to be a pretty
decent city but don't get off the freeway now I did a couple years ago and I swear
they were selling crack out of our old house.
From El Monte I was promoted to store manager in Alameda Ca. and
we moved to Oakland in 1967. Our third child was born while we were in San
Berdo, and our forth while we lived in Oakland. From Alameda I was transferred
to San Francisco and I worked in two stores there and was an associate manager
of the downtown Woolworth store there, which at the time was the largest volume
store that Woolworth had.
In 1976 I was transferred to El Paso Texas and ran a store on the
border. The name of the store was El Paisano cinco and diaz de Woolworth. We sold
a lot of junk and each year I traveled to New York to buy closeout goods,
fabric and distressed merchandise. This was quite an experience and training
ground for me. At this time our fifth child was born. Also I sustained a back
injury and was hospitalized and had surgery (disk removal). I was forced to
take a leave of absence and when I returned to work was moved to Woolco in
Tucson, Arizona. Guess what our sixth child was born in Tucson.
In 1983 the Woolco division closed and I traveled for a while remodeling
stores for Woolworth and then took a store in Springfield Ohio. At this time
several of the Woolworth managers left to join a new company Michaels Arts and
Crafts stores and I followed suit-leaving Woolworth after 24 years. I opened
the 26th Michaels store in Tucson about 1 block from my old Woolco store.
I spent 14 years with Michaels and we moved from Tucson to San
Jose where I ran a store and helped supervise all the stores in Northern
California. I then became a District Manager for Michaels and moved back to
Tucson and traveled to Southern Ca., Las Vegas, Utah, New Mexico, and El Paso
Texas. After 7 years of this I was tired of traveling and took a store in
Tucson. The company during my tenure there grew from the 26 stores to over 600
stores and the reasons I had left Woolworth were the order of the day at
Michaels, corporate policy etc.
Two years ago I was contacted by the owner of a Drug Store in
Springerville, Az. and asked to join him and manage his store. I accepted the
position and Jan and I moved to adjoining Eagar. We live in a log home
overlooking a cow pasture and the John Wayne ranch. One other thing we live 3
miles from the turn off to Big Lake my favorite fishing hole for the past 30
years so you know where I spend a lot of time. Jan says I am semi-retired, my
store is not only a drug store but we are a variety store and sell crafts,
fabric, greeting cards, toys etc. Over 30% of my business is Sporting Goods
where we sell camping fishing and hunting equipment. This area is known for its
Trophy Elk, Deer, Antelope, and Turkey hunting.
Our international family has grown our oldest daughter is married
to a Greek who was raised in Saudi Arabia.
Tom is married to girl from India.
Nathan is married to a girl from Bosnia.
We have six children, eight grandchildren and 1 great grand child.
We have had a wonderful life so far and are looking forward to
what comes in the future. See you all at the reunion. Bob