In that period between the time Mother picked out my clothes and the time Wife Lila came along to spare me from sartorial suicide, Central High School classmate Wayne Golliher was the guy I turned to. He worked in a Main Street clothing store, Al’s Shops.
Al’s Shops
Al’s, on the corner of Independence and Main St., billed itself on the side of the building as “Styles for the young at heart.”
Francine Hopkins and Wayne
I’d walk into Al’s and tell Wayne, “Give me three of everything that’ll go together: shirts, ties, pants, socks…” Underwear was something I could handle myself. How could you go wrong with basic white?
You might think it was strange that I would trust my wardrobe to someone who dressed like Wayne, but he managed to talk Francine Hopkins into donning similar duds in December 1966.
Note how he suggested vertical stripes to make her look taller?
Candidate for high school royalty
See how conventionally she dressed when Wayne wasn’t helping her make clothing decisions? Those stripes might have earned her a place on the podium. Francine was crowned Basketball Queen, but I’m not sure what this event was.
Midnight Madness Sale, right? And I’m gonna take a wild guess that the formally dressed group has something to do with Valentines Day.
That was my dad’s store! And I had the biggest crush on Wayne- he went on to SEMO and still worked there. And we lived next door to Francie Hopkins when we first moved to Cape from St. Louis for my dad to take over the store. She and her twin sisters, and brother Bill were great to have as neighbors. After the store burned down (cannot remember the year- it was the year of the Cairo riot and we thought it was vandalized, but it was not), the store moved across the street and was called Oglander’s. Great memories of that store and all who worked there.
That was my dad’s store, too!! The store burned down in 1969–the same summer we had the first moon landing. I remember it like it was yesterday. And who remembers the bands my dad used to have play on the second floor of Al’s on Saturday mornings?
Okay, Ken, I confess there was a time in high school when I sported a pocket protector, too. I credit Buzz, a Oglander’s salesman whose last name I’ve forgotten, with rescuing me from that infamy. I missed the Al’s years but remember the fire. (Wasn’t the Western Auto store also involved in the fire?)
I’ve got to chime in as well. Fondest memories of my family’s days in Cape. We moved their from St Louis in 1964. I played drums in a band with Luke Landgraf and Bobby Drace. The Saturday morning show was a live broadcast on KGMO and hosted by Rusty Sharp aka Rush Limbaugh. My Dad was always searching for creative promotions for the store and it was quite a thrill to play on the radio. Best to all my Cape friends!
Wayne “the Brain” Golliher and his brother David were both good friends of my family and me. Until Wayne’s parents deaths years ago, my mom and dad and his mom visited at least once a year. This does not sound like much until you know that Wayne’s Mom moved to Hawaii and then to Las Vegas, so they were not right next door!
Wayne got his name from just being brainy and maybe because it rhymed…good guy!
The last I heard he was working for LEVI STRAUSS in California…that seems fitting for Wayne. (Sorry for the pun)But he loved his job at Al’s and loved clothes!
BTW: good shot of the Girdot Queen and her court!
Ken…enjoyed your old article regarding my store in downtown Cape, it brings back some fond memories of Cape Girardeau; raising our three children and being envolved in the downtown business community. I remember the Sunday morning on July 6, 1969, when our store burned, i was standing in the middle of Main Street and everybody was driving downtown to see the destruction, but mostly enquiring about our most noteable bird…Ceasar the talking mytah bird. I hope to enjoy more of your old articles in the future.
I remember Francine! We were in college together at SEMO. She was a lovely person.
Buzz Smith requires a more fitting recollection than as a destroyer of pocket protectors. How about the Avanti.
i’m bob wife. what a nice article on our store. brings back alot of memories. those were some great years. we were very happy living in cape. every one was so friendly. thank you again for writing . mitzi
I echo the sentiment of Paul Storey regarding Buzz Smith, he of notorious sartorial splendor and his one-of-Cape-kind Avanti. Buzz might have been on the cover of the Cape Girardeau GQ. Moreover, a salute to the Oglander family, worthy competitors in the once-bustling downtown Cape.
The Oglanders lived in the other side of a duplex we shared on East Rodney. They were pretty wonderful neighbors! I was sickened by the fire.
By the way, my sister’s name is Francis Elisabeth Hopkins Dunlap. No one ever got her name spelled correctly.
Ken, it appears to me that Francie Hopkins Dunlap is on the far left, then Anne Buchanan; on the far right is Norma Jean Baker, then Jackie Knehaus. The queen looks like Tara (Kaiser?)/
The queen was the lovely Tana Austin. I know because I was the lucky fellow standing to her right.
Ken, WOW! What a great trip down memory lane. My sister Jan Gilbert Ramey was in that class and all I can remember is how hot those girls were back then. Naturally they were all out of my league being a sophomore when they were seniors but hey a young guy can dream. I shopped at Oglanders and bought everything Buzz Smith showed me. The women had class back then and they dressed the part and walked the walk. Today we do not have that elegance anymore. How sad.
I remember the bands playing at Al’s. That was a real treat for me. As an aspiring musician at the time, I looked for any opportunity to see live bands. I have a memory of one band. Something like The Thamesmen or The Guardsmen or something. Anyone remember them? I would love to find any info on Cape bands of that time. The Orange Wedge (Chuck McGinty)? Rock Bottom? Fried Jam?
As I was leaving “Al’s 234 shop” as an employee during my senior year at SEMO, Wayne was arriving. I even recall selling him my Central High School letterman’s jacket! What a great time we had together.
Cris
Well, Francie and I were lavaliered while at SEMO; I was a Pike and Francie was a Tri Delta. Time did what time does and I am now a Psychologist in Oxford, MS and just stumbled across this page. Anyone know how I can get in touch with Francie?
Thanks,
Steve
Francie Girl – Where are you?
Have not heard THAT word in decades?? “Lavaliered…. funny. Surely Bill Hopkins can clue you in!
i was just looking for my name on google and this popped up. grast to see the store again and the comments from the people. nice to see the comments from the oglanders they were great to work for and treated me like a son. i retired from vf corp wrangler salesman for 36 years. i live in albuquerque, nm and sold wrangler here for 25 years. the reason i sold clothes from 1973 with lee jeans until 2013 was because of the great education and love of selling clothes i gained at als/oglanders. i’m on facebook under my name. ifanyone wants to contact me give the my email address i’m married for 30 years jan and have daughter nicole a senior at seattle university
Glad you found us. Poke around, you’ll find lots of things to spark memories.
Mr. Oglander was the nicest man. My father bought all his suits from him. When my husband needed a suit for our wedding dad sent him to Mr. Oglander and he fitted Paul personally.
You got to escort the lovely Tana Austin Spiekermann – Michael Seabaugh, but I seem to remember being her ignored date that night.
Speaking of clothing stores… does anyone remember PRIEST’S MEN’S WEAR from the Town Plaza in the 60s and early 1970’s? It was located to the North of Sears and East of Garber’s. I worked there for a year around 66-67 while in college. The Priest family was from Jackson and had an outlet there also as I remember. The manager was a fine gentleman named Harry Hoffmister – also from Jackson. The future Robin Ford (1st wife of Jerry & mother of Keller) also worked there.