By the early sixties, changes had already occured. State Street was converted to a one way, Davenport and Genesee streets were expanded. Bay Road past Weiss Street was still "country" but was under the watchful eye of investors, who would soon develop Bay Road beyond recognition...all the way to Bay City was the boast. Seemed unlikely at the time.
Wrong again.
My father met Patsy Smith while still in high school. He was a Hillite from Arthur Hill. Patsy attended Saginaw High School across town. Patsy was raised by her maternal grandparents. Her mother had a substance abuse problem and her father abandoned the family early on. Mom remembers a strict upbringing by her deaf grandparents. And perhaps, more poignantly, a sense of loss and abandonment, and an unresolved yearning for her parents. For mom, her life's most pressing insecurities were founded in her earliest experiences. She would always struggle with themes of "fitting-in" and "being good enough". And though she may never have felt successful, she surpassed everyone's expectations, becoming one of the kindest and most beloved people in White's Bar history.
My history too!

Bill and Patsy were inseparable and dated for several years, all the way through WWII. And on July 26th, 1947, they married. By 1950, their first child, William David was born. Two years later, "yours truly" followed. We were joined by our sister Sandy in 1955.
I was a sickly baby - almost died (by suffocation) from an undiagnosed thymus gland condition. Apparently the malunctioning gland was enlarged and cutting off my supply of oxygen. I was choking to death and nobody knew it!!! But my mother finally - against the wishes of her in-laws - sought treatment for me. Thank God. I was given x-ray treatment that proved successful. Gradually, I regained my health and energy to became the most destructive, hyperactive kid since the Tazmanian Devil - my personal hero.
Anyway, it was during this innocent time in our history - pre-Kennedy assasination and pre-Beatles that my father purchased White's Bar from my grandpa. As a bartender, dad made only $90 for a 40 hour work-week. He was essentially forced to work 6 and 7 days a week in order to support his family...me, my mom, brother Bill, and sister Sandy. My brother and I were pretty much typical boys - we ate alot and we were always gettin' into stuff and breakin' things...like when we played baseball in our backyard and busted neighbors windows with an errant throw or a foul ball. It cost dad alot to keep Bill and I in business. Hell, Bill and I would go to Daniel's Theater EVERY weekend. For 20 cents we would see previews, a serial, cartoons, and TWO feature films. We would be there from 1pm to 5pm. Quite an afternoon!. At times Daniel's would feature Kenny Roberts, the Singin' Cowboy. That was always a thrill. Roberts would sing for 10 or 15 minutes, grab the money and run. I loved "Going up the Country" and "Chocolate Ice Cream Cone" - great tunes. Occasionally midgets would perform. Those shows would always sell out. My memory is that the midgets performed a kind-of-vaudeville routine with juggling, bicycles, and the like. In those days smoking WAS allowed in the theater.
I didn't mind.
Mom and dad had their hands full with working all the time and trying to manage three demanding kids...but we never went without. Mom would charge groceries at Rupprecht's Market across the street. Dad would charge gas and car repair at Trudeau's Gas Station next door. And my folks would always have enough money to visit Shaler's party store across the street for treats. We got by. Was Grandpa Bert a little "tight"... perhaps a bit "cheap? I couldn't say one way or another...

So it came to pass, my dad took over in 1962. White's by that time was well established as place where people could "get away", fit-in, and become part of our family. White's became a modern neighborhood tavern "where everyone knows your name". An "alpha male" attitude dominated the spirit of the establishment...it was a guy thing... and it appealed to people of all walks of life. Politicians, local television and radio celebrities, educators, bricklayers, electricians, and plumbers...everyone was equal - if you bought a round - in the often heated debates over sports, politics, religion, or any other topical controversy. We even had a resident philosopher, James Nicole Ferguson (Fergie). He was my dad's best friend - a workingman with a PHD - plumbing, heating, and drinking. An amazing fellow who was the catlyst of the entire White's Bar scene for over 20 years. Fergie helped bring fraternal Masons and Shriners into White's as regular customers, further widening our influence and popularity across saginaw County.
Local historian Dewey Hesse was a frequent patron. He was popular with everyone and considered to be a regular "joe" despite his intellectual leanings. Mr. Hesse taught me to think deeply and critically about spiritual issues. And he raised me to the 32nd degree of freemasonry. It was an honor. Dewey gave me a videotape of his cinematography entitled Old Time Saginaw, an incredible document of Saginaw in the early 1900's
Hank Steinert, local boxing impresario, was one of my favorite customers. He would tell me stories about helping the GI's that came home after WWII and how he ended up promoting local boxing and wrestling matches. At one point old Hank arranged for me to fight a midget female wrestler, two out of three falls, in the back seat of a Gremlin. I never had a chance.
Tom Eynon, from TV5 became a friend and a confidant. I even read his masters thesis prior to submission. He passed with flying colors. I remember that Eynon's hypothesis was that "public service" programming had poor viewing percentages. Taking HIS programs on TV5 for evaluaton, Eynon proved beyond a shadow of a doubt how unpopular and disposable he was. OOPS!!!
White's also became a hub for "sports enthusiasts". Parents of the athletes and other high school sports fans would meet at White's before and after Arthur Hill and Saginaw High football, basketball, and baseball games. Dad sponsored knothole baseball teams for YEARS. My team, the White's Bar Bobcats, won championships in the 11 & under, 13 & under, and 15 & under divisions. Quite a dynasty. Several of the kids were neighborhood friends including Tom Merry, Bob Preston, Rick Rummel, Mark Champagne, Brad Champagne, Don Lapierre, Jay Congelton, Randy Henne, Larry Holtz, Bob Spreeman, Bob Becker, Jim LaFluer, Pat and Jeff Matuzak, Tim Hodges and many others. Dad sponsored yearly pilgrimages to Detroit Tigers' and Detroit Lions' games. In time, our excursions became known as "The Hummel Express", in honor of our friend, Jack Hummel, who helped my father coordinate the events. Dad had many friends and customers that I truly admired. I tenderly recall the life and times of Cowboy Hillman, Harry Feldotte, Jim Walters, Ralph Schneer, Dave Tullis, Ralph "the Big R" Werner, Cliff Orange, and Jerry Davis and so many more. They all served as spiritual guides, in one way or another, as I made my shakey debut as a man...it proved to be a prolonged and perilous process...

From 1962 - 1972 White's Bar flourished under my father's watchful eye and his good deeds. He paid off his mortgage to Grandpa Bert in 1972, paved the back parking lot, and threw one helluva "Mortgage Burning Party" at a local union hall. He grand slammed that year by flying our family to Fulda, Germany to visit my GI Brother-Bill. It was also the year that I contracted a severe case of "mono" while "burning the candle at both ends". I roofed City Schools by day and prowled the clubs at night. I had a great time...but I sure paid for it. I lost over 25 lbs and was out of sorts for an entire year.

During his 22 years at the helm of White's, dad financed several adult bowling, softball, basketball, and volleyball teams and was well known in the community for his charitable giving. He never publicized the times he helped people less fortunate... dad shied away from such a self-serving spotlight, preferring to execute his good deeds quietly.
My father was truly inspirational.