The above is what’s called “Red Neck Rich”. New trucks, Nearly new big 1939 Buick car, but did not own a lawn mower. Also no running water or central heating in the old brick schoolhouse.

Charlie, his 1940 Ford & one hellava big load of hay. Note the dual rear axles. The drive axle [forward] has chains on the wheels. Photo taken at his parents farm at # 4497 NYS 247, dated 1941.

While Charlie was working, Alice was not idle. She kept house, took care of her children, helped mother-in-law Lucy with her work & on occasion with sister-in-law Ollie Thayer would have to start milking her father-in-law’s cows when he & Charlie would stop too long at a a pub. Charlie had taught her to drive his truck so now & then when Charlie was too hungover to drive she would drive while he loaded the cans. One way or the other a milk pickup was never missed. She had other jobs which included picking berries, fruit & working in the local canning factory

   Charles & Alice’s marriage was probably rocky right from the start. They ended it when a divorce was granted on Dec. 9 1944. Alice stayed in the homestead at 4496 NYS Rt. 247, while Charles moved to the farm located at what is now 4762 NYS Rt. 247 in town of Gorham Ontario Co. NY.

Alice must have been slightly annoyed when she put this in her photo album.

I said he looked like John Dillinger, except not as well dressed.

    Charlie & his girl friend, Orabelle Bergman Fox must have moved to the 4762 NYS Rt. 247 farm in early 1945 although they did not actually buy it until March 1947. They most certainly were there in 1946. A news paper article states that his father, Homer, was in a tractor accident on Charlie's farm in Aug. 1946. The author remembers this very well.

    The farm was about 63 acres. Charlie did some cash crop farming, but it was used mostly as a base for his expanding trucking business. In the late 1940’s he purchased a business that hauled food cans from the manufacturer, Continental Can Co. in Syracuse NY, to the local food processing plants, mostly Comstock Canning Co. in Rushville NY.

    Charles & Orabelle were married on June 30 1945 in Sayre PA.  Orabelle was born March 17 1914 in Italy Yates Co. NY. Parents Clarence & Hazel Herrington Bergman.

The heavy lifting & 365 days a year required in the milk hauling business started to take its toll on Charlie. In Dec. 1943 he had both feet operated on to repair broken arches. He spent 3 months with both feet in casts. This led him to get out of the milk business & into another type of trucking operation. More about this later.

Charley & Alice’s 2nd child, a girl, was born Dec. 4 1940. Her name is Connie Murel. A family story says in order to pay the doctor bill Charley hauled the stone used to build the doctor’s house. The house is located on Parish St. across from Thompson Hospital Canandaguia NY. For more about Connie    SEE LINK  SISTER