I have many fond memories of Genevieve and Crippen when I worked at Tarpley's with Melissa as a part-time job while going to ALHS.  I remember Susan's lipgloss, Anne's pretty long hair, and handsome David.  I think Tarpley's was one of the first stores where you could buy converse tennis shoes!!  I think I met all of the Tarpleys while I worked in the retail store and the cafeteria.

Tarpley"s cafeteria was the hub of Salemites on Friday nights.  Lula, Effie, & Hazel are a few of the ladies I remember that made those huge delicious rolls & pies and main dishes.  Genevieve would flit between the cafeteria and the retail gift shop.  Regulars I remember were the Overstreets, Moormans, Painters, Christiansens, Masters, Mr. Repass, Mr. Katz, the "library" lady, and just so many others I see in my mind, but can't remember their names.  

Crippen presided over the "knights of the round table" discussing ALHS  football with the other sport enthusiasts,whose names I can't remember except for Jim Taliaferro.  

Lettie fixed the most amazing sweet biscuits on Saturday mornings.  I learned to cook breakfast there and Crippen and the other men would gather around the round table to discuss the previous nights football games.  

Crippen was just such a warm, nice, unpretentious person, never boastful.  It wasn't until I read the memorial that he was a WW II Veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal.  Now that's something to boast about!!

Genevieve, I hope you know how much I loved you all and appreciated the experience of working at Tarpleys.

Fondly,

Mary Krippendorf Keene