| Mildred
Ann Penn, age 100 years, a good friend,
aunt, and integral part of the former S.
Metzger Co. for 65 years until her retirement
in 1993, died Sunday, April 20, 2008 at
Lake Park Comfort Care in Sylvania, where
she had lived the past 7 months. A
resident of Lawnview Avenue in Toledo and
Haines City, Fla., Mrs. Penn was preceded
in death by her husband, William Penn, who
died in 1967. She was born in 1907 in Toledo
to George and Rosetta (Sievert) Crossman.
A
graduate of Libbey High School, she attended
Stautzenberger College before being hired
in 1927 by the S. Metzger Co., at the time
one of the largest fruit and vegetable wholesalers
in the Toledo area. She became the firm's
secretary, bookkeeper, and eventually its
treasurer. She
was hired by the firm's founder, Siegfried
Metzger, and worked with his son, Richard
Metzger, and grandson, Robert Metzger. When
Mildred was hired by Metzger, fruit and
vegetables were shipped into Toledo by rail
cars. Early each morning, the downtown market
area was jammed with hucksters arriving
by horse and wagon to unload produce from
trains and bring it to Metzger's. Produce
was then hauled to 525 grocery stores in
the Toledo area.
“All
of the business in the early days was done
in cash, the payroll was all paid in cash,
and Mildred handled it all,” said Richard
Metzger. “She was very conscientious. She
was always there.”
For
years, Mrs. Penn worked from 4:30 a.m. to
6 p.m. six days a week. “It's easier now
that I've cut back to three days a week,”
she told The Blade in 1993 shortly before
she retired at age 85. “I never took a day
off. I didn't think about it. I just got
up and went to work. Few young people today
feel that way, so many seem interested only
in a paycheck.”
After
her retirement she bought a home in Florida
, where she lived each winter. “I love the
birds, my friends, and the warm weather,”
she said recently.
She
is survived by a nephew, Dale Miller; niece,
Lillian LaMarche, and numerous great, great-great,
and great-great-great nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by a brother,
Carl Crossman and sister, Rosetta Miller.
Visitation
will be held Wednesday from 2-9 pm at
the Michael W. Pawlak Funeral Home, 1640
Smith Rd. (at Jackman) Temperance, MI,
where funeral services will be held Thursday
at 11:00 am. Her great-great nephew, Pastor
Matthew South, officiating. Interment
will follow at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery.
Mildred's family would like to extend
our most sincere gratitude to the staff
at Lake Park Comfort Care. Your kindness
and compassion were immeasurable. Therefore,
in lieu of flowers, donations may be made
to Promedica Hospice.
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