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Learning not to be afraid to gather the eggs by running my hand under the sitting hen. I was 4 years old, and my grandmother was teaching me.
Pam Hicks, South Plains EC | Lubbock
Setting pins by hand in a bowling alley in 1945 at age 14.
Harold Clark, Nueces EC | Kingsville
Cashier at my father’s drugstore. I used to refer to it as the drudge store.
Cathy Blay, Sam Houston EC | Point Blank
Tearing out the beaver dam every evening so the water wouldn’t flood our field.
Benny Calvit, Bowie-Cass EC | De Kalb
For a fleet insurance company.
Catherine Crisp, CoServ | Rhome
At the local Social Security Administration office in Hilo, Hawaii. I was still in high school and made $1.60 an hour.
Philomina Rouse, Bryan Texas Utilities | Wellborn
Listening quietly to the blessing, eating all my food and carrying my dish to the sink.
Loretta Bedford, Deep East Texas EC | San Augustine
As a soda jerk in my hometown of Comfort, at the Rexall Pharmacy.
Sandra Valderaz, Pedernales EC | Leander
Picking cotton on our farm in 1959 when I was 12 years old.
Marilyn Chevalier, Bryan Texas Utilities | Bryan
At a beauty shop.
Peaches Kelly, Pedernales EC | Canyon Lake
In high school summer break in 1956, pulling lumber on a sawmill green chain.
Clady Page, Jasper-Newton EC | Kirbyville
When I was 15, working at Foster Freeze.
Rebecca Michalkiewicz, Pedernales EC | Lago Vista
Dollar Store clerk.
Kathy O’Nan, GVEC | Seguin
Helping my mother in her café every morning at 4 a.m.
Susan Martin, San Patricio EC | Three Rivers
Paperboy for the Dallas Times Herald.
Robert Spence | Via Facebook
A telephone operator with all those cords that plugged into a board in front of me.
Kathy Icenogle, Pedernales EC | San Marcos
Factory worker in Franklin, Indiana.
Virginia Bradshaw | Via Facebook
Super Duper bakery in Abilene.
Janet Bennett-Cravey, Pedernales EC | Marble Falls
Detasseling corn.
Christopher Harrold | Via Facebook
As a busboy in a Mexican restaurant in Longview in 1966 making a dollar an hour.
Wayne Adams, Grayson-Collin EC | Melissa
Throwing 76 newspapers for the Houston Chronicle seven days a week. I was 13 years old. I had big saddle bags on my bike. I had to make two trips on Thursday and Sunday because the papers were so big. I was delivering them before daylight on Sunday mornings.
Darrell Pierce | Via Facebook
Mowing our neighbors’ lawns with a push lawn mower.
James Parker, Sam Houston EC | Livingston
Concessions clerk, Kansas City Zoo.
Bob Yadrick | Via Facebook
Delivering Piggly Wiggly ads to front doors all around my hometown of Lampasas.
Terry L. McLean, Pedernales EC | Georgetown
California Conservation Corps.
Kristopher Teufel Kaufmann | Via Facebook
At Six Flags Over Texas. I worked in the candy shop. I thought I wanted to work at a ride. In the summer, I was better off in the AC.
Pamela Thompson, Tri-County EC | Azle
Selling popcorn at the Cliftex Theatre in Clifton back in 1963.
Janice Merchant, United Cooperative Services | Meridian
At a cattle auction company in Edinburg. I was 14.
Ken Steed, Pedernales EC | Georgetown
Raising and selling hybrid red wigglers for 1 cent each for fishing. Bought my three-speed bicycle with the profits.
Wendell Pool, United Cooperative Services | Hico
Making shell jewelry for my future in-laws’ shell business in Florida.
Nancy Pace, Heart of Texas EC | Cameron
Being a printer’s devil.
Hugh Campbell, Pedernales EC | Wimberley
Shoveling the dirt back into graves after the final service and everyone was gone.
Steve Bailey, PenTex Energy | Gainesville
The Easter Bunny (at the mall).
Shelli Ranly Conway, Grayson-Collin EC | Anna
Soldier in the U.S. Army.
James H. Bodiford, Bluebonnet EC | Elgin
Running hospital records through a microfiche machine for 50 cents an hour at age 9.
Debbie Hirsch, Pedernales EC | Austin
My daddy’s gate opener.
Kammi Kothmann, Medina EC | Pearsall
Picking cotton.
Virginia Bevers, Lyntegar EC and Big Country EC | Post
Babysitting for 25 cents an hour.
Joy Bradford, CoServ | McKinney
Keeping out of reach of dogs while delivering newspapers.
Doug White, Grayson-Collin EC | McKinney
A ditch digger at 18 years old.
Darrell Rabel, Sam Houston EC | Cut and Shoot
When I was 16—gift wrapping customers’ purchases. I’d never gift wrapped before!
Robin Hodges, Bandera EC | Bandera County
Making the effort to look for a job.
Lee Harley, Lamar EC | Paris
Picking strawberries for 10 cents per quart in 1972 at age 13.
Darrell Lahr, Farmers EC | Quinlan
The U.S Navy provided my first job as navigator on a destroyer escort.
Steve Muller, Bandera EC | Bandera
Making horse saddles in Shiner in 1977.
Barbara Jasek, GVEC | Hallettsville
At age 7 to wash dishes for 1 cent apiece, so I washed every dish in the kitchen—dirty and clean!
JoJo Cain, Wood County EC | Quitman
Dishwasher at Western Sizzlin’.
Tony Shank, Fayette EC | Schulenburg
I was so excited to be paid 50 cents a day to hoe peanuts in the summer.
Cindy Wood, CECA | Rising Star
At the Weed Barn in Novice, packaging mistletoe.
Jerri Ann Wilson, Coleman County EC | Coleman
Covering wire hangers at a cleaners.
Jean Patterson, Heart of Texas EC | McGregor
A ride attendant at AstroWorld.
Ann Behrends, Wood County EC | Mineola
At the concession stand at a drive-in theater in Edinburg back in 1972.
Viola Pedraza, Magic Valley EC | Edinburg
Picking grapes by hand with my grandmother in western New York.
Sherry Crecraft Krupinski | Via Facebook
My first job was pulling red rice in the rice fields in Nome.
Cathy Martel, Sam Houston EC | Livingston
At 8 years old, hunting and killing rabbits on the ranch’s pastures.
Fran Lomas, Concho Valley EC | Lubbock
Sixty-eight years ago, when I was 6, warming nails or spikes for my dad’s carpenters during the winter while they built cutting horse stalls in Aledo. I would heat nails over an open fire in an orange juice can with a wire handle. Then I would pour them in the carpenters’ apron pockets to keep their hands warm. Pay was 5 cents a day.
Lewis Bundock, United Cooperative Services | Cleburne
Making ice cream cones and dipping them in chocolate.
Ernie Leveritt, Farmers EC | Forney
In 1954, setting bowling pins at a bowling alley. I received 10 cents per game.
Roger Conant, Nueces EC | Corpus Christi
Shelving new books in my college library according to the card catalog number.
Willie Stark, Sam Houston EC | Livingston
PBX operator in 1971.
Jacque Visosky, Nueces EC | Rockport
Clay pigeon loader on a manual skeet trap.
Ronald Deutch, Central Texas EC | Kerrville
A swinger at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse in San Antonio.
Beverly Chaney, Bryan Texas Utilities | Bryan
At the State Fair of Texas as an operator on the Wild Mouse.
Fel Bolton, Trinity Valley EC | Canton
Trapping gophers when my dad paid me a nickel for each catch.
Rudy Zoch, Bluebonnet EC | Giddings
Scooping ice cream at Baskin-Robbins.
Barbara Humber, Tri-County EC | Haslet
Working in my parents’ Ben Franklin five-and-ten at 5 years old. I even got paid.
Lynne Wickerham, Pedernales EC | Canyon Lake
Catching horny toads for a fellow who put them in paperweights. Baby size got 10 cents, big ones a quarter.
Candis Conard, South Plains EC | Lubbock
Delivering newspapers on my three-speed Schwinn bicycle in the small town of Liberty Mills, Indiana.
Marcia Venable, Trinity Valley EC | Anderson County
In 1962, as a kindergartner, taking my turn pumping water from the outdoor manual water pump where my classmates and I would line up after playtime to wash our hands and clap them dry.
Bobbi Flowers, Bryan Texas Utilities | Bryan
