LAWRENCE OF THE LAUNDROMAT!

     It was the late 1990's and I had moved to Marshalltown and just rented an apartment at 410 1/2 West Linn Street. It did not have a washer and dryer as was an up and down duplex.

     There was a Laundromat just  south over the 3rd street bridge beside a convenience store and as of this writing still there. The guy that owned it was a rather large and tall sixty plus year old named Lawrence. He and his wife, Maureen, ran it when I came on the scene.

     We seemed to hit it off right from the beginning. He and Maureen were a great team, working together and had no other employees. Yet, they were open 7 days a week from 7A.M. to at least 9 A.M. each night. Generally, one of them would stay and work while the other would go home to nap, have lunch, or do home chores.

     To put it bluntly, they were hard working people, kept the place spotless and took no guff off any customer. They ran a clean and tight ship. They would not allow children to run around un-attended and were not afraid to confront kids while parents were busy with their laundry. Those people would eventually not return.

     On some weekends, sad to say, going there was my social event of the evening. Lawrence would fix me a hot-dog with kraut, a beverage and proceed to tell me a new joke or two. Lots of times as I entered he would say; "Well did you make any money today or just gain a little more experience?"

      While your clothes were washing/drying, you would relax in a comfortable room with T.V., lazy-boy chair and lots of good magazines. Sometimes I would fall asleep and Maureen would come in, wake me up and let me know that my clothes were done.  Several times she would have them folded too! She was a sweet lady.

     My only regret with them is I never had the chance to have dinner with them at a restaurant even though we talked about it several times. Lawrence passed away around 2008 after I purchased my home on Lily Lane. Maureen sold the business and moved to the Indianola, Iowa area to be nearer to family. I still think about them every so often. They were special people that I had the privilege to have met them along the way.