My Parents Migration to Flint by James Wardlow

My parents and I came to Flint from Dyersburg, Tennessee in 1942. We settled into the St. John street community In 1943. In Dyersburg, my dad was a clothes presser. He worked at the laundry in Dyersburg, and by accident one day he came out for lunch and there was a guy sitting in the parking lot, called him over to the car and , said ..."I'm from Michigan. And I'm opening a cleaners in Michigan, and I'm looking for a presser, a good clothes presser." And my dad told him, "You just found one." Dad was really in a hurry to get away from there, because he was only making $5 a week. And I was his only child at the time. So he told him he would go if his wife approved.. The gentleman told him he would be leaving next week. He could drive back with him. So he came home, told mom what had happened. She okayed it, and the following week he hopped in the car with Mr. Dolan . His dry cleaners was in Mount Morris, MI.. That building is still there in Mount Morris. I've seen it, right on the corner there, across from the small mall there in Mount Morris. So Dad came here as a presser. He worked in Mount Morris at the cleaners, New Way Cleaners it was called. He worked there for several years until he finally decided to hire into General Motors. He continued to work part-time at the cleaners for several more years . And once he got stable,he started sending for my mother's brothers and sisters.Our house was a big two story and it stayed full for a good couple of years. because as soon as my mother's brothers started showing up, and they would get a place to rent, they'd send for somebody else. So that's how we all ended up here. And believe me, there are a lot of us Tiptons and Wynnes in Flint. The picture was taken in 1952.