If you have a minute, please sign the Gemco Guestbook too!
| Name: | Laurie Norby |
| Email : | laurielucas.4@q.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | I have so many memories during the time I was working at Gemco. I was 16 when I started there. and stayed until our store closed. I worked at the store in Culver City California. |
| Comments: | I was real upset when the store closed. I have not been in touch with anyone. my store mamager was Sue Mullins. |
| Name: | Darrell Grani |
| Email : | Darrell@ad-graph.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Started as Christmas help on my 16th Birthday in November 1979 in the Pomona store #528 wow still remember the number! Hired on again in summer of 1980. Worked thru High school and part of college. |
| Comments: | Still today remember it as a great place to work. With a bunch of great people. Worked in the toy department for a while. Today I work in the Toy field due to that job and the contacts made! |
| Name: | Christine |
| Email : | christine_ashford@yahoo.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | I am adding to the post below.... |
| Comments: | I had to give my alternate email address because I am having issues logging into fit4him@yahoo.com . Also the year I am speaking of was 1984 - 1985 for sure. My aunt actually worked there for many years. I know Nick was there 1984-1985 but not sure when he started or when he left. Again, thank you! Thank you for this site! |
| Name: | Christine |
| Email : | fit4him@yahoo.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | I never worked for GEMCO but my favorite memory was visiting my aunt, Geraldine Evans (Geri or Jeri) during her lunch break. She who worked at the GEMCO in Claremont, CA back in the 80's. |
| Comments: | The reason it was my favorite memory is because I was always an east coaster and had never been to California. My family spent 1984 with my aunt in California and one day when she was working, my uncle took me with him so we could visit with her and purchase film for my camera. The store was awesome. It was like nothing we had in Virginia or Texas at the time. While visiting, I briefly ran into (almost literally)a fork lift that was being operated by a young gentleman, whose name is Nick. I said my apologies, went out into the store and purchased my film; came back to the back and my uncle was ready to go. Later that afternoon when my aunt Geri came home she mentioned that Nick asked about me and was interested in showing me around the area. Of course being only 17 years old at the time, my aunt told him "No". The following year my aunt came to visit us in Texas, where we lived, and Nick asked her to tell me hello and asked me if I could give him my senior (high school) picture. I did and I believe we exchanged hellos through my aunt several times. Anyhow, my aunt has since passed away and I think about Nick from time to time. I was thinking of finding him but I only know his first name and where he worked. If anyone here on this site worked at the GEMCO in Claremont and knew my aunt, Geraldine Evans or Nick or both, please contact me. The only other thing I knew/know about Nick was that he was a football player for the shcool he was either attending at the time or had just graduated from. If I remember correctly he was a senior in college (22 or 23 years old) and I was a senior in high school. Nick was also part Hawaiian (I think). I just remmeber he was very tan and I beleive my aunt said he was of Hawaiian decent, maybe partly; not sure. Any information would be so greatly appreaciated!!!!! |
| Name: | Roy- Gemco Webmaster |
| Comments: | Todd, it sure is good to hear from you after all these years. Thanks for mentioning those names too, Gemco had so many NICE people working for them and that's what gave it a family atmosphere and why we looked forward to going to work. And "the queens of the credit office" is very fitting name for them. Again, such sweet and attractive people. And those LCD displays were hot items back then! |
| Name: | Todd Carnes aka TC - (29) 514 Granada Hills CA '83-'86 |
| Email : | todd_carnes@yahoo.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Riding bikes down the main aisle during Christmas. 3 aisle long icee spills. The girls who broke my heart. "Aisles of smiles" from Murphy. Pushing carts in the rain. The Teddy Ruxpin melee of 1985. |
| Comments: | My first job as a 29 for Gemco is the best employment memory I have. I met some great people including Renee and Heather in Small Appliances, Mr Saunders in Hardware, Mitch, Tracy, Pedro, the queens of the credit office, and of course my best friend for 28 years (fellow 29 Dave Jens). It was a beautiful thing to get paid so little and enjoy it so much. Hey Roy, I used to hang out with you in Audio and drool over the multicolor LCD displays of the JVC R-X500. Brings back old times. Anyway, time has passed and I'm a husband, father, and 20+ year Systems Engineer. Thanks for the site Roy. |
| Name: | Lavona Wright Goodson |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | I worked at the Pomona,San Gabriel & Glendora Gemco |
| Name: | Sue Blount - San Leandro Store |
| Email : | sioux_zeque@yahoo.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | I worked at The San Leandro Store from the mid 70's 'till the day it closed, before that in Fremont. I was one of the receptionists. I also had the last name a Moore. I am looking for more of you who worked at 510 or 532 during that time. |
| Comments: | I have worked many jobs since then and Gemco holds the most memories for me and is still my favorite job. I still think of my time there often. Claudine Abert - where are you? Trudy, Kathy, Judy, or anybody else - let me know where you are. Would love to try to have a reunion. |
| Name: | Alan Easley ( D. ) |
| Email : | Stanggreen98@yahoo.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Pacoima store photo and jewelry department clerk.
My most vivid memory was of Paul in the watch repair department. In his booth . " yala yala " he used to say |
| Name: | Alan Easley ( D. ) |
| Email : | Stanggreen98@yahoo.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Pacoima store photo and jewelry department clerk.
My most vivid memory was of Paul in the watch repair department. In his booth . " yala yala " he used to say |
| Name: | Joe Footdale |
| Email : | jfootdale@live.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Hey Arlene, glad to see you are still around. Please send me an email if you get a chance. Take care!
Joe |
| Name: | Brian Doolittle |
| Email : | doolittlebrian@yahoo.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Starting in Audio at Redwood City with Greg Smith, George and Jim Dutkewicz in major appliances Spring 1982 then on to Mountain View with Rick Lemieux. Clinton Fredenberg introduced me to real golf at Spy Glass & Pebble Beach. There were so many excellent people in every store: Cupertino, San Jose & South San Jose, Colma and Freemont.
It was a marvelous time 1982-83-84. Best wishes to you all. Good memories. |
| Comments: | I taught public high school and Jr. High from '71 until I came to CA in 1981. I returned to teaching 1985 and retired last June. |
| Name: | DAN TUNNELL |
| Email : | tunnelldan@yahoo.com |
| Comments: | Worked at the Visalia & Stockton stores in the major appliance dept. |
| Name: | DAN TUNNELL |
| Email : | tunnelldan@yahoo.com |
| Comments: | Worked at the Visalia & Stockton stores in the major appliance dept. |
| Name: | Dan Kelly |
| Email : | event4you@aol.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Chrstmas parties, hiring "seasonal" always cute girls for Christmas time. Great job, good friends. Ken Awes was store manager, John Davidson was #2 at Mack Road store in Sacramento. Rang up the very last customer ever at that location, still have a picture of it.
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| Comments: | Some time after Gemco closed the local union, (#588) ? sent me a letter statimg I had a certain amount in a pension fund for retirement. Cannot find letter or anyone who knows how to look up or access this fund. Was'nt too much, $3oo/mo I think but in this economy anything helps. Still have a few years to go until I retire but would appreciate any help. Great website, keep up the good work!! |
| Name: | Kathi Camarella Wheat |
| Email : | kackilyn@verizon.net |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Working there was the greatest experience! I worked in Pomona, SanBernardino, Fullerton-541, La Puente and Glendora. Meeting my ex-husband there, we had some great times, shopping there, remembering i stashed stuff under the Cosmetic counter where i worked until payday came around. Love the audio and record departments! Great memories...thanks for the website
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| Name: | Mark Orsborn |
| Email : | Mark.Orsborn@cox.net |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Closed on Monday's BBQ's! |
| Comments: | GEMCO 571 La Mesa CA 1977 -1986 |
| Name: | Derek de Vany |
| Email : | Derekjon105@mac.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Most memorable was going to Tommy's after work with my friends. Two double cheese and two cokes!
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| Comments: | Worked in the La Mirada Gemco from 1980-1986, mostly in the patio department. It was the best place in the store to be, watering the plants in the early mornings or stocking the toys during the Christmas season while cracking jokes.
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| Name: | Lisa Leija McAllister |
| Email : | bzmom62@yahoo.com |
| Website: | http://www.strosesuites.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Too many. |
| Comments: | The Las Vegas store on Boulder Highway. Gemco was my first job. It was a scream. So much fun. The thing is the management trained us very well. I judge all stores by my training at Costco. Counting change back, saying thank you when ID is returned to customer, etc.. Worked for a red headed man Jeff, a latino man very dark complected, and another man who married a checker named Mariane. I met a lot of wonderful people there which is the same as many postings here...proof GEMCO hired really good people. It's a shame they went out of business. It was a very well run store and was not much different than todays Target or WalMart Superstores, which I am sure they learned from GEMCO. |
| Name: | Jeanne Guerra |
| Email : | Jgpg5464@charter.net |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Family! Life long friends. Paul and I are both alive and still married. It has been 45 years. Gosh we're getting old. My real favorite memory about Gemco occurred many years after closing. Paul was on a plane and saw Pete Harris. Paul said, " Hi, Pete, Paul guerra and Pete replied oh Jeanne Guerra's husband. It's nice to be remembered, |
| Name: | Pete T. Saenz |
| Email : | ptsaenz@hotmail.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | I always purchased our christmas tree outside of GEMCO! |
| Comments: | I worked at the Oceanside Ca in 1986 and worked at Glendale Az from 1980-1986! |
| Name: | mike molin |
| Email : | mikemolin48@clear.net |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | just the employees i worked with it was a fun place to work I worked for them for 15 years and 6 different stores before i went to costco which many of gemco employees are now working for.I worked in the warehouse. the stores i worked at were.LA PUENTE.SAN GABRIEL.DOWNEY.CHINO.GLENDORA.AND,LAS VEGAS. which was fun because we got to play the slots on are breaks.some of the bosses i worked for were terry wertz,rudy stangl,derek pope tom edwards.tom kelly.jeff long ron hanstein,larry hoover,george spelman,garry webber,rolf,bob daly,frank farcone mark mashaud,wally riesbeck,just to name a few besides all the great employess I DONT have enough room to name them all it was my first job and it was great.the golf tournaments the softball teams.it was a great experience in my life. |
| Comments: | just hope to get in touch with some of my old gemco friends |
| Name: | Lisa POLE |
| Email : | LISAPOLE1@AOL.COM |
| Name: | Roy- Gemco Webmaster |
| Comments: | Pamela, I remember those UPC registers- what a PAIN they were for me! To ring up just ONE item I had to press at least 74 buttons!! I wanted to take an axe to it. I'm sure others felt the same way. |
| Name: | Pamela Johnson |
| Email : | Pamhandle2@aol.com |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | The best memory I have was when GEMCO got the UPC code and the unique registers into the San Leandro Store #510 in the 1970's. We had visitors from all over the world to see this. All the Japanese that came in with their cameras and as a receiptionist we had to tag them all. GEMCO was the first store to have these registers. "LIFE" magazine, "New York Times", all the known media came to this store to see the $10,000.00 Register in the grocery department print out items such as Rice Krispies for $1.29, etc. The Japanese loved it because there was a register that printed out groceries in their language.
I also remember Ralph Goldman coming into the store and everyone would scamper around getting their departsments spruced up. LOL |
| Comments: | I worked as a receptionist during 1971 to 1980. I eventually worked up to the store secretary job, after the previouse secretary Gail Travers was promoted to the Lucky stores corporate office as a treasury secretary. I stepped into her job but quickly stepped down when I got pregnant. (maybe 6 months or so I did that job). I remember my #2 Marty Rodriguez who seemed to drink coffee by the gallons running around like crazy. She was one of the hardest workers. I eventually transferred from the San Leandro Store, to the Dublin, CA store, and lastly to Yuba City. My whole separation from my husband was my demise to leaving GEMCO. I surely miss that store. In my opinion GEMCO was the FIRST Walmart! |
| Name: | Chris Turner |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Gemco was my first job. |
| Name: | David Alarcon |
| Email : | dave@constructionhardwareco.com |
| Comments: | Trying to locate Hank "Hanko" Valencia.Worked together @ 505 San Gabriel from 1980-83.Any information would-be greatly appreciated. |
| Name: | Roy- Gemco Webmaster |
| Website: | http://www.pbase.com/roy/image/117578228 |
| Comments: | Click on the link and so you can see the address for the El Cajon store. And here is the location now http://g.co/maps/8a44h |
| Name: | Gregory May |
| Email : | gregory_may_jr@yahoo.com |
| Website: | http://gregoryagogo.multiply.com/ |
| Favorite "GEMCO" memory: | Dad and I would shop there for everything, but usually our weekly groceries. It was hard getting money out of him for things I needed, like school clothes. Have vague memories picking out clothes for school, like 1983 or 1984. |
| Comments: | Does anyone know the exact street address for the Gemco El Cajon location? My memory is not helping me, and things look so different now along Fletcher Parkway where I think it was. |
| Name: | Ray Rodriguez |