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Frank
Williams, owner of the Ideal Laundry and Dry Cleaning plant placed the
sign pictured above on the door of his burned out plant on south Second
street in Cherokee. The cat is “Grandma” and has been a pet at the
laundry plant for a long time. She refused to leave after the fire and
Williams makes a daily trip to the plant to feed her. The sign speaks
for itself. Source: The Cherokee Courier, Thursday May 29, 1952, pg. 8 |
| Ideal Laundry Company Employees, May 1952 | Ideal Laundry Company Cat "Grandma" |
Ideal Laundry Goes Up in Flames
For
the third time in six years fire swept through the Ideal Laundry – this
time leaving little more than charred ruins in the main building
and heavily damaged supplies and equipment in the cement block addition. Saddened
owner Frank Williams this morning said “It looks to me like it’s a
total loss”. He estimated a financial loss of $75,000. “And that’s a
conservative estimate.” Clyde Trumble, who lives next to the
laundry at the south end of Second street, said he was awakened by a
“blast” at about 2 am today and saw flames shooting out of the basement
windows. Cherokee firemen, using two trucks and five hose lines,
poured a flood of water into the flaming building until nearly 6:30
this morning but little could be saved. Cherokee police and
Cherokee county sheriff’s office are investigating a possible tie-up
between the $75,000 Ideal Laundry fire and three local robberies here
last night. Laundry owner Frank Williams reported this morning
that the cash drawer in the smoking ruins was nearly empty. He said
that prowlers made off with “a couple dollars worth of change.” Thieves struck three times in Cherokee last night making off with cash and merchandise totaling at least $1,800. Source: Cherokee Newspaper, May 26, 1952
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- Ideal Laundry Employees
- What Are They Doing Now?
Source: The Cherokee Courier, Cherokee, Iowa Thursday, May 29th, 1952, pg. 7 - The
importance of only one industry to a city the size of Cherokee is
sometimes minimized until catastrophe strikes as it did to the building
housing the Ideal Laundry and Dry Cleaning company last April 24.
Now
becoming a memory – The Ideal plant was until that date one of 264
business firms which contribute to making Cherokee what most of us
proudly call, “The City With A Future”. To the casual customer who no
longer can patronize the defunct service to the passerby who sees the
burned out building on south Second street and to the average resident
of the area, the cessation of laundry and dry cleaning service by that
particular company is only a matter of passing interest.
Such
is not the case however to proprietor, Frank Williams and 19 Cherokeans
who were employed by Williams during the six years he operated the
south Cherokee laundry plant. To them – The fire destroying the
prosperous local business was more than just another spectacular piece
of news. To them it was the ending of a pleasant period of association
with what has coming enterprise in the Cherokee area.
“Enterprising”
is probably the best term to employ in describing the nature of the
Ideal Laundry and its employees. Starting in a relatively small way
with the plant and equipment purchased from U.G. Hall on April 1, 1946,
Williams with the aid and cooperation of a crew of loyal employees
built the service into one of the dominant factor in the laundry
business of North West Iowa.
At the time fire destroyed the
Ideal, trucks covered every surround county bringing laundry and dry
cleaning service for thousands of customers living far from Cherokee.
Now, with plans uncertain and with owner Frank Williams undecided about
whether to rebuild the plant or engage in another business, the
employees have turned to other fields, accepted other similar
establishments or are not working at all.
Here’s a list of
the former employees at the Ideal plant, a few notes about what they
were employed at and what they are doing now.
MABLE CURRY,
worked at the Ideal Laundry for the last two years as a silk finisher
and prior to that worked in the laundry department. She is now working
at Dunn’s Café in Cherokee.
NADA STOREY, spent four years as a checker and mangle operator and is now working at the Home laundry at Storm Lake.
CARRIE FREEBURGER, only began working at the plant last October and is now working at the Cherokee café.
GLEN
GESLAND, started working for the Ideal only a couple of weeks before
the fire. Now unemployed, he served as a utility man, tended boilers
and did much of the heavy work.
OPAL REED, spent 11 years working as
a wool presser and doing other work in the dry cleaning division.
Since the fire, she has taken a similar job at Bunkers Dry Cleaning
Company in Cherokee.
LULA CUMMINS, spent 13 years checking clothing
in and out and doing many other types of work, at the plant. Now she is
working as a silk finisher at the Victory Cleaners in Cherokee.
JOYCE SAGNESS, worked for two years as a spotter for the dry cleaning department. At present she is unemployed.
VERA RASMUS, city driver, is now running a truck and doing similar work for the Home Laundry at Storm Lake.
MARY
MOSES, is another former Ideal employee who has gone to work for the
Home Laundry. She was formerly employed for five years as a presser and
mangle operator.
CLARA HAHN, now not working, worked on the tumbler machine for about eight months.
EDNA FARMER, a mangle operator for five years is now employed at the Home Laundry at Storm Lake.
ANN WILSON, a presser for eight years is now unemployed.
HAROLD BEDONI, truck driver for 12 years is now driving a similar route for the Cascade Laundry at Sioux City.
ALBERT
ALINGH, a truck driver for about a year and a half at the Ideal, Alingh
has also begun working as a route driver for the Cascade Laundry.
CARL RAYMAN, served as a fireman at the laundry and dry cleaning plant for 13 years and is now retired.
ELIZA MILES, operated a mangle for about five and a half years and has taken a similar job at the Home Laundry at Storm Lake.
LUELLA WILMOT, a shirt presser for nearly a year has also gone to Storm Lake in a similar position.
FRED MILES, served as utility man and did maintenance work for about five years.
PAULINE RITZ, worked at one time as a bookkeeper and subsequently put in time in the dry cleaning department.
AREDA
LONG, serving as bookkeeper, she is actually unemployed now but devotes
a considerable portion of her time to helping owner Frank Williams
clear up detail work left over since the cessation of business at the
Ideal Laundry and Dry Cleaning plant.
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Mrs. Frank Williams Succumbs in Lincoln
Funeral
services for Mrs. Frank Williams, wife of the operator of the former
Ideal Laundry and Dry Cleaning here, were held Saturday, Oct 6, at
Lincoln, Neb. Her death occurred following a prolonged illness.
Survivors are husband Frank of Lincoln and one son, Robert.
While here Mrs. Williams was active in musical activities and the Order of the Eastern Star.
- Source: Cherokee Daily Times, Cherokee, Iowa 11 oct 1962, pg 1
Frank Williams, cleaning founder, dies at age 82
Frank A. Williams, 82, founder of Williams Cleaners, died Sunday.
Williams
entered the cleaning business in 1952. He sold his interest in Williams
Cleaners in 1957. He also had a cleaning firm in Cherokee, Iowa, for
six years.
Born in Welch, W.Va., Williams served in the Navy for 20
years. He was at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 when the Japanese
attacked. He retired as a Navy chief petty officer.
He also was
involved in Thoroughbred horse racing as an owner and breeder. He was
an unsuccessful candidate for Lincoln City Council, mayor and Lancaster
County Board.
Williams is survived by his wife, Cecilia; son, Robert; sister, Aileen Williams; and two granddaughters.
Source: Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) 2 Jun 1986, Mon, pg. 5
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