john torrison president
   
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PICTURESQUE  01/15/2018

1/15/2018

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  A  conversation "overheard" among Lincoln HS Coachmen students

Picture
PicturePete Christensen


​Evergleam Aluminum Christmas Trees
​

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Evergleam Aluminum Christmas Trees - Pete gets the ball rolling
PictureWesty
A great testament to the true meaning of Christmas.  By the way Pete, I believe Torr’s dad was a very “Big Cheese” at Aluminum Specialty when the Coachmen were “in residence” at the family’s coach house.   Torr may wish to clarify my fading recall however.
Westy

PicturePete
Hi Tom,
I know Torr's dad was the President at Aluminum Speciality.
​Torr, am I correct??
Also, I believe Torr's family owned Aluminum Speciality??

​I remember riding to Milwaukee in the Jeepster  to have a new convertible top installed. It was really cold and we froze on the way down. I think the ride home was warmer?. Torr, I've often wondered if that Jeep heater was any good??.
The email I forwarded to all of you about the Aluminum Trees came from the WI Historical Society . I've been a member for many years. It's a worthwhile organization.

Westy -  what a nice picture of you and Ginny. It's great to see you out and about. 

Harv - what a neat view of the moon from your backyard. The houses in the distance are are a good backdrop as well a nice looking backyard.

​Sharon - when I worked at Mirro in the summer I remember loading Mirro trees in train cars for shipping. Boy!! Lots of good memories.

Pete
PictureSharon
Ditto...and now that Barb is a Coachmen, should we tell her about the night we got that Jeep stuck half way up the hill behind her father's gravel pit?  More truly fond memories.

Hey John (Torrison)!
I remember the day you and a group of men from the Specialty were walking through the assembly line for these trees!  I looked up and there you were!  I don't know which of us was more surprised.  Of course I had to chat...while working.  We had one of the fastest lines--made good money that HOT summer.
Sharon

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Barb . . . HUH?
PictureTorr
​In response to Westy's question about the aluminum Specialty Company. Walter Spindler founded the company in 1914 and they made combs and varying specialty items and over the years cookware became the big item as Mirro also did. My dad married Mary Spindler and went to work at the Specialty in 1940. Walter died in 1952 and my dad became president and he died in 1966. Walter owned almost all stock and when he died it went to my grandmother and my mother. In 1963 the company went public with my mother and our family owning a large interest but not half. 

Kraft Foods bought the whole company in 1976. One of the best things that ever happened was the Christmas tree as the cookware market was very competitive.

I remember Sharon on the tree line and I worked a summer on a different floor stacking boxes coming off the assembly line.

Bill's dad also was the public relations and advertising person for the Company
Torr

PictureWesty
Thanks for the clarification Torr.  As the Coachmen's President Emeritus, we are all honored to be part of the humble group of kids that sat around in your family's (actual) coach house and visualized (fantasized) about the future.  The Torrison legacy is part of the reason we still all somewhat "connected".  I am sure I speak for all Coachmen when I say how much we appreciate you family's acceptance (tolerance) of our antics in the late 1950s. 
Your parents, siblings and of course yourself will always be a part our early history and fond (crazy sometimes) memories.  It sometimes seems like almost yesterday.  

PictureTorr's Jeepster
By the way, Ginny and I were strolling in Pike's Market a couple of weeks ago and saw a yellow Jeepster (top down) parked among the throngs of shoppers.  I stood by it transfixed (Ginny wondered if I was having a "episode") for a long time and for a moment, I was time warped back to 1959 and could see you sitting behind the wheel of that restored Jeepster.  It took a strong cup of Seattle's finest to "bring me back" to reality.  Thanks for the memories John. 
Westy

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