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The First Shall Be LastFirst Customer Among Last At Smiley's Hair EmporiumBy LARRY JOSEPHThe beginning of a now yearalways brings many changes. Such is the case on S. Shannon St where Charles Gmiley, who has operated a barber shopthere for over 30 years, retiredTuesday afternoon.A new life is in .store forthe happy barber He plansto do “a little bit of traveling ” A trip to the World s Kair, a hunting lodge in \lt;w HampshireSTILL ENOUGH TO C UT—Guy Giffin, lt;r of Charles Smile's first customers, was on baud Tuesday to be among the last Van Wertrrs ’,lt;lt; have their hair cropped by the veteran barber,(Staff photo)and a visit to relatives in Ken tucky are on his agenda.Smiley’s first customer when he opened his shop on Aug 8. 1933, was Guy Giffin, presi ident of Giffin College. Mr. Gif fin was also one of Smiley’slast customers.Smiley recalled his first dav in Van Wert and said he had only been open a few minuteswhen Giffin walked in “I didn't want him to know he was the fir*t one ” Smiley said. Smiley said he later told him about it and told Giffin to come back on that date each year for afree haircut “He has picked up quite a few during the pastyears,” he said.Smiley said he began barber* ing in Cincinnati in 1931 and then worked in Norwood before coming to Van Wert. He said when he started here he didn’tplan to make money, “only groceries.” He said other people were making more moneyin factories but added that hiswork was steady and averagedout over the years,Jim Marker, one of Smiley’s former customers, in the shop today, that when Marker to his shop he wasold. “Now, here heme,”Smiley has always been popular with the youngsters. He said he thought he had more child customers and has had more “first timers” than shop in Van Wert His favorite conversation top ic with customers has probablybeen sports. He always spoke of hunting, fishing or’ what a certain team did in Saturday’s game Now he plans to do what he has always talked aboutbegan workSmiley saidfirst came three yearsis, relievingany
Newspaper Details
Van Wert Times Bulletin
Van Wert, Ohio, US
Thu, Jan 02, 1964
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KY, USA 11 Nov 2020
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