This week, Steve Bailey, outreach coordinator at the Anson County Historical Society, turns over his column to Brothel Dean of Wadesboro, who writes about his dad’s amazing work history with Belk’s of Wadesboro.
My father, Joe Dean, began his work career with Belk’s Department Store in Wadesboro when he graduated from East Polkton High School in 1947. Also in 1947, he married Aggie Lee Gaddy. Their union produced 10 children.
My father’s job consisted of stockroom clerk, keeping the store clean, wrapping packages, assisting employees and anything else that needed to be done in the store. He also helped with the window display decorations which became his pride and joy for over 25 years, until his untimely death in 1973.
Belk’s Department Store window displays were the best in Wadesboro and were admired by the town and also the surrounding counties.
In 1964 the person usually in charge of the Christmas window display was not available to decorate the store windows for the upcoming Christmas holidays and Christmas parade. The managers of the store were shaking their heads and trying to figure out what they were going to about the department store’s main attraction.
Dad assured the store’s management that he would take on the responsibility of decorating the windows and not only did he do a fantastic job, but Dad’s Belk’s window display won him first prize of $25 out of 400 entrants. By the way, $25 was a lot of money in 1964, when the minimum wage was $1.25 per hour.
The management of Belk’s Department Store decided to send Dad to “window display school” in Charlotte where he received his certificate as a “certified display window decorator.” Dad would eventually buy a van and start his own business of decorating store windows in the surrounding counties and throughout South Carolina. In the late 1960s or early 1970s, I tried to convince my Dad to visit New York City and apply for a job decorating Macy’s Department Store windows.
Unfortunately, my father passed away on June 10, 1973, when he was 43 years old. He was buried at West Rocky Ford Church Cemetery on White Store Road. His memories live on in me.