When Michael McDevitt brought his daughter Peyton for her first visit to Buzzy’s Country Store a few weeks back, he told me about his Grandfather Nick Sullivan owning a small general store in Garret, Pennsylvania. He then sent me the following photo from his cell phone:
When I asked Michael for additional info on the store and his Granddad, he suggested that I talk to his mom Pat and also to check out the Facebook page “Main Line Memories.”
After I contacted her, this past Thursday Pat and her husband Joe (above) dropped into Buzzy’s Country Store with photos, an article and several stories about her Dad and his owning and operating the Market. Pat noted how growing up she had helped him out in the store and had many fond memories of being a part of the store. (When I visited Pat’s FB page, I smiled when I saw this photo of her with another country store on display on her wall. I can see why she appreciates it!)
Pat loaned me a 1975 newspaper article containing the above photo of her Dad:
The article quotes Mr. Sullivan as follows:
“You could say I was born into this” he said gesturing at the food laden shelves and counters that crowd almost every available inch in the small one room store…. “My mother opened this place when I was seven… This place is my home. I live next door in my parents old home. I open and close this place. It is my whole life.”
The FB site “Main Line Memories” recommended by Michael had several mentions of Sullivan’s Market. Here is a sampling of some comments posted on Main Line including Pat’s:
As you can see from the above photo’s, Sullivan’s eventually became the Bywood Seafood Market in 1984 when Mr. Sullivan retired. Bywood Seafood is still located there and in business to this day.
My thanks to Mainline Memories’ administrator Andrew Goutman for granting me a temporary admission to their group to track down info and comments on Sullivan’s. And of course my thanks to Pat, Joe and Michael for directing me to check out the “much beloved Sullivan’s Market.” Maybe some day folks will say the same about Buzzy’s. (That as opposed to someone named Eloise who referred to Buzzy’s as “the funnel of the devil.”)
Music-wise, check out this nice little collaboration here from Eddie and Jack: