HISTORY: West Orange County of yesteryear for week of Aug. 29, 2024

OLD TIMES / THE WAYS WE WERE

80 years ago

Flight Officer Malcolm McMillan, who was stationed at Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, in North Carolina, was home on leave. Cpl. Leonard Mann left for Camp McPherson, Georgia, following a furlough in Winter Garden. Third Class Petty Officer Joe Burch left following a short leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Burch. Burch, who was with the U.S. Navy, had just returned from foreign service.

Lt. Robert G. Fischer of Gotha was reported missing in action while piloting a Mustang fighter over Norway. He was a 1942 graduate of Ocoee High School.

The display of fruit and vegetables at Nelson’s Grocery on Plant Street attracted attention. Fifty-seven varieties were exhibited, occupying practically all the front space in the store.

Mrs. J.S. Kirton, principal of Lakeview High School, was entering her 20th year of service in the Oakland-Winter Garden schools.

For a consideration of $10,000, John H.D. Grogan, Winter Garden jeweler, purchased from the Bumby Hardware Company of Orlando the one-story brick business block on Plant Street.

70 years ago

The first meeting of the fall for the Hibiscus Circle of the Garden Club of Winter Garden was planned at the Florida Power Lounge.

50 years ago

Virginia Spigener and Jane Fulmer were among the seven young people from the Lutheran Camp of Montverde who completed a 136-mile bicycle trip around Central Florida. They followed the main highways during their six-day experience.

Serving on the Executive Committee of the newly organized Oakland Volunteer Fire Department were Ron Herrick, vice president; Phil Cross, president; Henry Nobles and Willie Welch, directors; Terri Tyree, secretary-treasurer; and Dick Mills, chief.

45 years ago

Suzi Karr celebrated the first anniversary of her Windermere real estate firm with an open house. Her sons, Jim and Tim, both took a real estate course to join their mother at the firm.

35 years ago

Ocoee officials dedicated the city’s new Senior League Field in honor of the late Bob Sorenson, a longtime Ocoee Little League president. On hand for the unveiling of the new logo were Commissioner Junior Hager; Mayor Tom Ison; Commissioner Lester Dabbs; Bob’s wife, Yvonne; and their sons, Shawn, Bobby and Shane.

Norm Fleming was honored by United Parcel Service for completing 20 years of service with the company. He was a delivery driver with UPS in Orlando.

Bay Hill resident Payne Stewart came away with one of golf’s most coveted prizes by winning the 71st annual PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes Golf Course in Illinois.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

AUGUST 28, 1969

Remember when encyclopedias were a staple in practically every household — those hardbound information books that were outdated almost as soon as they were printed?

In 1969, the A&P in Winter Garden advertised in The Winter Garden Times an offer that allowed grocery shoppers to get the first of 21 volumes of the Illustrated World Encyclopedia for 49 cents. The remaining alphabetical volumes could be purchased, one week at a time, for $1.99 each.

These book collections were perfect to help students get started with book reports and research papers.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

Winter Garden photographer and camera store owner B.P. Hannon took this photograph of two members of the Lions Club. Louise Brown is seen at right, but the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation needs identification for the woman on the left. In days of yore, female members were referred to as Lionettes, Lady Lions or Auxiliaries. In these enlightened times, we now properly refer to these hard-working women as Lions. To see what the local Lions Club was all about, visit the exhibit at the Winter Garden Heritage Museum: “One Last Roar: The Winter Garden Lions Club.” Photographs and artifacts tell the story of this service organization, which hopefully will become reactivated.