Waldo Gray, the Barber

[Marcia Moore]

The Howard Courant - Dec. 16, 1948
     Waldo Gray recently appeared before the state barber examining board and qualified as a full-fledged barber and is now qualified by law to carry on his profession.

[W. Gray]

Cool

[Diane Amberg]

Well, it's about time. You've been cutting us up and making us laugh for a long time. It's nice to know there was a license involved.

[W. Gray]

That particular Waldo was my uncle.

At that time, he was barbering with my grand dad under the old post office where Batson's drugstore is now.

Cooley's barbershop was under the building next to the old bank. Prior to that my grand dad worked under Cooley at the Metropolitan hotel.

In the late 60s or early 70s my grand dad opened a shop in Severy and Waldo went to the present location.

He passed away in 2000. His shop is closed and essentially remains the way it was when he was unable to get to work.

My aunt rented the shop out for a short time but the individual apparently never drew enough business.

One barber remains in Elk County in Moline. It is in a small house. He has cut my hair. He rented the shop out to a lady who has also cut my hair, but she gave up and the original owner came back on a part time basis.

There is a woman in Severy who runs a combination salon/barbershop called A Hair South and has cut my hair three or four times--but you have to find her.

I always seem to need a haircut when I go to Elk County.

[Diane Amberg]

Yeh, I didn't think you were that old.

[Lookatmeknow!!]

I loved to go with my dad to Waldo's when I was a kid.  We lived in Severy and he always went to Waldo.  My brother did too.  I remember that I never understood why Waldo never cut many women's hair.  This is funny though.  I was a daddy's girl and wanted my hair cut from Waldo.  He cut it once and I loved it.  I had short hair at the time anyways, and he gave me a spike.  I would never let my girls get a spike now.  I think that the stories that he told were priceless.  He was a very loved man by all that knew him, and many that didn't even know him.

There was a article in the paper this week that said that Julie Perkins has purchased the old building that Waldo and Jean Gray owned.  She is planing on putting the gift shop in it, I think.  Also, the soda fountain also, so that there will be more room for the grocery store.

I think alot of people miss Waldo!!  I know that I do.  He was a wonderful man!!

[W. Gray]

I do not have my copy of the newspaper yet but that is good to hear about Julie's expansion.

I am not aware of him ever wanting or not wanting to cut women's hair.

Personally, the only women I ever saw in his shop was an aunt and my wife and that was only in recent years.

When I was growing up, I did not believe women ever went into barber shops.

One could understand why when some of the subjects and the laughter came around.

[Lookatmeknow!!]

You are right about that.  They did have some funny stories.  I don't think that he would or hadn't cut womens hair, I guess I should say that when I was younger the talk was that women went to beauty shops, and men to barbers.  I am only 33, so I probably just saw it that way then.  I remember all the stories that was talked about there, but I mainly remember the hunting and especially the fishing stories that they told.  I was a daddys girl and loved that kind of thing.  I enjoyed ever minute that I was in his shop.  It was treat to go in there.  My brother and I loved to look at all the pictures that he had, the books that he had, but most of all he would give us a treat, too.  I also love Jean she is a wonderful lady, too. 

[sixdogsmom]

I used to go with my husband when he got his haircut from Waldo. I would busily 'read' a magazine but actually was listening very carefully to the conversation. Waldo could tell some fascinating stories! Too bad there wasn't some kind of documentation going on. Oral history is getting to be a thing of the past. Folks here sit and visit and just talk more than in the cities, but I think that is passing also. Television and cars have changed our way of living, I think that may why chat rooms have so many older folks. They miss the visiting!  

[Leonardcrl]

When I was growing up, I did not believe women ever went into barber shops.

One could understand why when some of the subjects and the laughter came around.

Back then (forties & fifties) we had REAL Standards no women in the Barbershop and no men in the beauty shop.

Regards
-=crl=-