The Dallas Post “Dallas, PA Thursday, October 25, 2001 i eDallas couple celebrate 60th wedding anniversary By SANDY PEOPLES Post Correspondent DALLAS - George and Shirley Davis are members of the “Greatest Generation.” They @ cc married 60 years ago today in the Askam Methodist Church by the late Rev. Roy H. Beane. The Davises recently remi- nisced about the last six decades, their marriage, their children, and the things that are important to them. "We were married about six weeks before the bombing at a carl Harbor,” said Mrs. Davis. ® were living in Philadelphia and had come home for the weekend. We went back to Philadelphia later that Sunday after the President's speech. As we approached the city, there were armed guards everywhere." "I worked at the E. G. Budd Co.," said Mr. Davis. "We made auto parts for Chrysler. It didn't take long until we converted the whole operation to wartime parts Q.: the B24 and B17 bombers." From 1943 to 1946, Mr. Davis served in the Air Force as an in- structor * at the aerial gunnery school for officers in Laredo, Texas. "I came back to the valley with our 9-mont- old son," said Mrs. Davis. "Living with my par- ents made it easier for us. We had so many friends in the same @ osition. We all stuck together and supported each other, and we made it through those diffi- cult times." Mr. Davis recalls when "Rosie the Riveter" was born. "When I left the Budd Co. to go into the Air Force, many of my buddies from the company did the same thing," he said. "Management looked around, and there was no 6 to work the assembly line d run the plant. They quickly hired and trained women to do the jobs that the men were doing on the line such as the metal and drilling work, and they did a good job." Mrs. Davis remembers stand- ing in lines and getting stamps for everything during that time. "There were stamps for gas, and stamps for meat," she said. "We all learned very quickly to adjust to that way of life. We felt we were conserving to support our troops. We just made everything stretch as far as we could." After the war, they were able to return to a normal life. Even- tually, they moved to Dallas in 1962. Mr. Davis became vice president and general manager of Sordoni Enterprises. The com- pany was sold to George Isaacs GMC Truck Co. from which he later retired. Mrs. Davis stayed at home to be with their children and later went to work at the Luzerne County Courthouse in the com- missioner's office. "We always thought it was a high priority to spend time with our children," she said, "especially on Sunday. It makes us sad to see so many ball games and other activities happening on Sunday morning. They take away from families go- ing to church together and hav- ing Sunday dinner together." "Dallas has really changed over the years," said Mr. Davis. "When we moved here, the high- way to Harveys Lake was only two lanes. The Dallas Shopping Center did not exist. The post of- fice was not where it is today. There was an Acme market in the downtown area and a small 5 and 10 cent store near where CVS is located. We built the sev- enth house in College Manor." Many people moved to the Back Mountain upon returning from World War II, but the larger influx of people took place in 1972 after the flood caused by Hurricane Agnes. . "Many people ended up living out here on a temporary basis when their homes were flooded," said Mr. Davis. "I was the poten- GEORGE AND SHIRLY DAVIS tate at the Irem Temple that year. The Red Cross came out and set up over 200 cots in a ‘barracks-like fashion. I instruct- ed the kitchen to cook and serve basic, affordable meals, and peo- ple were allowed to use the laun- dry in the basement." Mrs. Davis recalls that many public buildings in the Back Mountain were used to house and feed people. "There were people living at Dallas High School. Helicopters landed on the grounds of College Misericor- dia where emergency shelters were also set up. And virtually all of the churches, including our own at Trinity Presbyterian, fed and housed people for weeks." Mr. and Mrs. Davis have led busy and productive lives and continue to do so. Mr. Davis was chairman of the building committee that built Trinity Presbyterian Church. "We used to meet in the gymna- sium of the old school building down the street,” he said. "Later we were pleased to watch the church being built from the ground up. It was a great day when we marched from that old school to our new sanctuary. We started out with cold metal chairs which have been replaced by beautiful pews." George Davis was born in Nanticoke and is the son of the late Edward and Margaret Davis. Shirley Davis was born in Hanover Township and is the daughter of the late George and Edith Cooper. They have two children. Their son, Thomas E. Davis, is a man- ufacturing consultant, and their daughter, Virginia C. Davis, is an artist. They have three grand- children and one great grand- child. Mr. Davis has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church since 1941. He is a member of the Wilkes-Barre Kiwanis Club, the Irem Temple, and the PA Motor Truck Association. He has also served as a red coat volunteer at General Hospital. He plays golf and walks three miles a day. Mrs. Davis has been a member of the Irem Auxiliary Board for Children and Youth, an auxiliary board member at General Hospi- tal, a deacon, a pink lady at General Hospital, and enjoys playing bridge. She is a member of the Women of Trinity. "We love to entertain and trav- el with family and friends," she said, "and we have been blessed to be together all these years." _Shouldn’t Health Insurance Be About Health? | has a proud heritage of excellent coverage and care. With no insurance adjustors. R ———— ES, GEISINGER HEALTH PLAN A choice for the better. 1-800-631-1656 A lot of insurance companies are out there offering health plans nowadays. But they're often more concerned with healthy profits than healthy families. At Geisinger Health Plan, our decisions are made.by practicing physicians. Medical professionals who believe that managed care doesn't have to mean less care. With more than 3900 physicians and 45 hospitals located throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, Geisinger Health Plan offers you > top-quality care..right in your own backyard. And at a price that’s affordable. Call today, or visit our web site, and find out more about the héalth plan that www.thehealthplan.com HPM/S50 Borough manager’s proposed pay hike draws one complaint By HEATHER B. JONES Post Staff DALLAS BOROUGH - The most talked about item in the 2002 Dallas Borough budget is a salary increase for Borough Manager Joseph Moskovitz, which will increase his current $26,000 a year salary to $34,839. The 34 percent salary increase is a thorn in the side of Dennis Garvey, council member. “I am opposed to this budget for a number of reasons, primarily, a 34 percent pay increase,” he told council at the October 17 council meeting. ‘Do I think you deserve a raise? Yes. 34 percent? No,” Garvey told Moskovitz. Moskovitz was hired last No- vember as township manager af- ter Milton Lutsey, the part-time borough manager, resigned. Garvey said that for nine years before Moskovitz, the borough was run well by a part-time manager whose salary was $14,000 a year. Other council members sup- ported the proposed raise. “At $34,000 I think we're get- ting a bargain,” said William Peiffer, council president. He reminded council of a number of Moskovitz's accom- plishments over the past year. Moskovitz secured a large grant for the borough and is conduct- ing a comprehensive study of the borough which has not been done since 1973, Peiffer said. Moskovitz also brought in a group to- study the roads and traffic patterns added John Oliv- er, council member. “The salary is a flat pay, there is no overtime, there's no com- pensation time,” said Peiffer. Council members voted 5-1 approving the first reading of the 2002 budget. Absent from the meeting were council mem- bers Martha Weber and Pat Peif- fer. The 2002 budget is available for examination by the public at the municipal building. In other business, council ap- proved borough police officers to be hired as part-time security officers = with Pennsylvania- American Water Company. The agreement is with Jackson Township, but will allow Dallas Borough officers to be hired at a rate of $20 per hour. 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