Last Christmas Deb and Tom made a phone call to Harry Strobel, owner of the City Club in Plymouth looking for any memorabilia from the past. Harry called back several weeks later and said he found two boxes of "stuff" in an upstairs closet. It turned out to be scrapbooks and newspaper clippings that my Grandma Myrna had accumulated in the 1940's and 1950's.
Harry died last week at age 85. Harry worked for my Grandpa Chalk and Myrna for all the years I lived at the City Club. He was part of the fabric.
Harry got me interested in golf. Many bar room discussions revolved around the game. He and girl friend Doris would invite me to play the QuicQuiOc Golf Course on many occasions. Harry was what they call a "scratch golfer". He usually matched par on each hole and made very few mistakes. The obituary said he won a state amateur title in 1949. I don't think that is right. He did win the Quit Qui Oc Club championship probably in 1949.
Harry had a interesting life style. For many years he would stop tending bar in November and go to Florida to be Captain of a boat for the Dahl family, a successful local car dealer. So in the winter he cruised the Carribean and in the summer he tended bar and played golf. Not bad!
Harry and I would travel over to Lawsonia Golf Course once each summer. At the time, Lawsonia was revered as "the" championship course. It had ten foot high bunkers in the middle of the fairways and one hole was built over an old railroad car. It was like a fantasy "outing".
Harry eventually stopped going to Florida and still tended bar at the City Club. He took a part time job with Arndt's Truck Stop on the edge of town building a small nine hole par 3 golf course for "duppy" Clarence Arndt. Harry did not lack for work ethic.
When the City Club was put up for sale in the early 80's, Harry partnered up with his wealthy brother Chuck to buy it. So since the early 80's, Harry has managed his own business.
I think if you total the years Harry had invested at the City Club, it would total more than Myrna and Chalk. Harry spent more than 60 years either working for or owning the City Club.
Harry had an even keel. He never showed anger. He was good with customers because he could tolerate even the a--h----. I did see him throw a few people out of the tavern bodily but that was the exception. He was always "steady" and mild mannered. I guess that is how you hold several jobs and still enjoy the lifestyle that you like.
Harry never married which was part of his genius. Great lifestyle. Great girlfriend. No serious long term commitments.
I could never figure out why girlfriend Doris didn't tell Harry to get lost. Then again Harry just kind of grew on you. He was easy to be around. There were always interesting things to do.
So rescuing the old scrap books from the City Club proved opportune. Maybe it was meant to be. The City Club now goes into a new stage of it's history. Time will determine it's fate.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that lots of people pop into and out of our life. They play different roles. Harry influenced my golfing and probably my outlook on life. Maybe he is one of the five people I will meet in Heaven (isn't that presumptious on my part). Ha!
Love,
Dad