Hi All,
Well, a number of residents here in Fairfax and Franklin County had sent in their applications for employment to Big Blue, the new business that had just moved into the GBIC Building on the Teachout Farm in Essex Junction, just waiting for the word to be called in for an interview. Some of those who lived here in town at that time were Dalton Machia, Bill Cootware, Lee Minor, David Minor and me. Not sure when Paul, Pauline & Paulette Lavallee sent in their applications, but everybody was talking about that wonderful company. Well a number of people who got jobs did end up moving to Fairfax also and one of those young men was Ron Gross and his wife Theresa (Lavoie) Gross. Back in those early years, Ron drove a Saab. I seem to remember that you mixed oil in with the gas for that car just like you do for the Old Lawnboy lawnmowers. They bought the little house just across from Sandersons Corners Cemetery. Well here we are in the 50th year that IBM moved one of its manufacturing plants to Vermont and Theresa Gross sent me some pictures yesterday that brought back some old memories. Three young girls from Richford decided they would apply for work down at Big Blue. They were Nancy Heald, Theresa Lavoie and Nancy King. They ended up all being hired in 1957 and early 1958. One might say, this is the end of the story, they all remained there and are now retired. Not true.
Each discovered the love of their lives there. Nancy Heald married a young man by the name of Herb Pierce, they now live in South Burlington and winter in Florida I believe, Theresa Lavoie married a young man named Ron Gross. They later moved to Fairfax, live here in the summer and winter in Florida. Nancy King married a young Winooski man by the name of Dick Bouffard and they live in Milton year around. Well it appears these three couples all got together yesterday and through this modern age of technology, which we never dreamed we would have some 50 years ago, she sent me some photos which I will share with you of this happy retired group.
Nancy (Heald) Pierce, Theresa (Lavoie) Gross and Nancy (King) Bouffard
Now this group doesn't look quite as happy, Herb Pierce, Ron Gross and Dick Bouffard
(Dick Bouffard is the younger brother of Hank Bouffard who used to live on Route 128 in Westford)
Dick Bouffard, Theresa Gross, Nancy Bouffard, Ron Gross, Nancy Pierce & Herb Pierce
Perhaps a little known fact is that in those early years when women became pregnant while employed at IBM, they had to quit work at a certain stage of their pregnancy. After a brief medical leave their employment with IBM was terminated. They could then reapply when IBM was hiring. The three young women above never did reapply, however each of their husbands remained there for many years and retired and as you can see all seem to be enjoying their retired life. [/b]
