Hello Ralph,

The names, the people and places you mention are all so very familiar to me. I remember Sheetz, Pershing, Pullings, Kohls, Mraz, Kimmel, Grogan and more.

My mother, Catherine Ann Ruffner was born in Greensburg, Pa in 1924. As a young woman, she worked for Albert Sheetz at the restaurant and fountain in Hollywood. I wonder if she is pictured in your photograph of the work force that was taken in 1937?

My dad worked for the Albert Sheetz Candy Company, too. Those were the happiest days in my father's life. I recall that he started there as a candy maker. He made ice cream, too. But, his machinist and mechanical abilities landed him in the factory. He was a steam and boiler engineer. Eventually, he studied refrigeration at night school and became certified. I believe that he made contributions to the development and improvement of the refrigeration at the factory.

June 4, 1949, Catherine "Kay" Ruffner married that "prince of a fellow" named Johnny Gage at the Santa Barbara Mission. Thank you, for your kind words about my dad. He was swell.

It broke my Dad's heart when the factory closed. He loved working for the Sheetz family. He had many friends there and fond, happy memories of those wonderful days in Los Angeles and at Lake Elsinore, too.

You may contact me by e-mail, anytime. I'd love to visit with you about this.

Thanks for the memories, Ralph.

Sharon Rae Gage Carvalho