Montgomery Ward Memories
Do you have a favorite Montgomery Ward memory you’d like to share with us? Send us an e-mail at memories@wards.com! If we pick your memory and share it online, you will receive a $50 Montgomery Ward Gift Card!
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May 13, 2008 at 11:08 am
[...] Montgomery Ward Memories [...]
June 4, 2008 at 11:39 am
[...] Montgomery Ward Memories [...]
June 18, 2008 at 2:35 pm
[...] Montgomery Ward Memories [...]
June 19, 2008 at 12:19 am
I remember going to the montogomery Ward Store in Batavia NY with my dad to get the kitchen cabinets, This is a fond memory of him for me since this was the first thing we did together after my mom past a way and I truly beleve that this was gave my dad the thing he needed to help to begin to heal together I had another 12 wonder full years, of memories with him.
July 1, 2008 at 11:54 am
Im in my 50’s now but I remember back in the 1960’s when Mongomery Wards was just about one of the only stores around. Back then we did’nt have “malls”. When we would go shopping it was a major outing. Mom & Dad, my 2 younger brothers and I would have to get all dressed up, i mean like we were going to church or something. It was an all day thing and dinner or lunch out was usally what followed the shopping trip.(this only happened about twice a year, so it was a big deal…lol)
We would spend hours there and since we didnt do this often, my parents looked at everything! I remember my brothers and I all dressed up trying to find places to sit down as we grew tired and bored…it seemed to take forever. It must have been a huge thing for my parents because they would buy alot of things and usually had a detailed list of what they wanted.
After all the shopping was done, we would head for the candy counter. We each got to pick out like 25 cents worth of the candy of our choice in our own little bag. Now we were getting somwhere..lol. Then my dad would say “do you kids want to go look at the toys?” Thats when it all came together for us.
W’ed head for the Toy dept. and we would carefully look down each isle. my parents watching carefully and taking mental notes for safety and quality of the items i guess.
After leaving and having had dinner we would head for home a tiring and exhausting day for all. Soon after the trip with what we saw ,still fresh in our minds and my parents too. Mom & Dad would give us the Wards Catologue and tell us to write our Christmas lists. A ritual at our house that happened every year.
We would spend hours goin thru that book making sure we got everything on those lists. What a thril it was to wake up Christmas morning and see the items we so carefully picked under our Christmas tree…my parents always made sure we got most of the items on our list. Since we only shopped like twice a year, I think it was as much fun for my parents as it was for us kids.(in those days nothing was ever out of stock or held back for markenting strategies)
A couple of years ago we were at my parents house going thru and cleaning out some old closets and such (my mom being a packrat, it was time to purge) My son now 15 came across an old book, stuck in the pages was an old Christmas list my brothers and I had written(ages 41, 49, 52 Now). On the lists my parents had checked off the items we we to get and even wrote the prices down! We all laughed about it and pointed out the toys we remember getting. I think the total of Christmas for all 3 of us was like $200. My son made the comment “WOW” you guys were poor!” We wer’ent poor and i my memories of those Christmas’ were rich to me.
Having spent $400 on a game system, games, clothes and a few other items on my kid this past Christmas for a grand total of about $1000!…i can see how he would never understand what it was like, we didnt get those kinds of elaborate gifts or live a lavish lifestyle, but back then what we had was comfort, security, happiness and a pretty much “stress” free life.
I would gladly give up all the luxeries and technologies of today, for just a small piece of what “back then” was like.
With great memories, Kat