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| Roger's Market, Milton, N.S. |
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| Roger's Market building before the store was added. |
I moved to Milton in 1972 and at that time there were 2 stores near the Milton Bridge, Legge's Store and Roger's Market. Seems to me I remember seeing a sign on Rogers that called it the Red & White Store. I was too young to know who owned it, so as far back as I can recall it was owned by Roger and Shirley Leslie. They bought the store around 1970. Roger and Shirley were great people, always calm, cool and kind. They would deliver people's groceries for those who had no vehicles and they just always seemed like they really cared about people. My dad's uncle didn't drive and Shirley would bring his groceries to him, she made sure his income tax was filled out and if she hadn't seen him for a few days sometimes she'd call us to see if he was doing okay. Roger and Shirley worked hard to keep the business going and when Roger got very ill, Shirley continued to run the business basically by herself. Roger died in 1994 at the age of 54 and soon after his death, Shirley got very sick too and she died in 2000. She was 57. The store is empty now and hasn't been used in many years. Everytime I drive by the building, I always remember Roger and Shirley and how good they were to everyone!
I remember going there as a child. It was in close proximity to the Milton Pool so when I was there for swimming lessons of general swims we used to make a trip across the road for a Mr. Freeze to cool off. I also remember stopping there on day trips we'd take to either Keji or to Annapolis Royal. We'd get munchies for the drive like a bag of sour cream and onion chips and a bottle of cream soda :-)
ReplyDeleteHarley Walker had a store in the old building next door when I was very young. I'm not sure if he moved it to what became Roger's Market. Horace MacPherson's parents owned it for a while. I don't know the history between the MacPhersons and the Leslies. My kids loved Shirley. It's sad she and Roger died so young - they were great community members.
ReplyDeleteim pretty sure that donald payzant used to run this store when i was going to school.
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in Milton Rod MacPheron ran the store. He was well liked, I remember him kidding around wth us youngins. Donnie MacLeod was another guy that always used to kid around with us when we stopped at his service station.
ReplyDeleteAfter MacPherson's I believe Roger Leslie and his wife Shirley took over. Peggy Hatt worked there too.
ReplyDeleteAudrey Collings and her husband, I think his name was Doug ran the store for a little while just before the Leslies had it. My grandfather, Harley Walker, ran the store next door. His parents owned it before him and he worked there delivering groceries and hardware as a boy before he went off to university, then to war. They also had an ice cream parlour, we still have one of the tables and some of the sundae dishes from the old store. This was all before my time.
ReplyDeleteAs a boyu we would go to Leslie's Red and White store to buy candy, chips and pop. I remember going for a loaf of bread and being allowed to spend the change from a quarter, and it was a good size bag of candy for the 4 cents left over.
When Rod MacPherson was running it my mother would call in her grocery order and he would deliver it. In the summer she would call it in and we would stop in on our way to the cottage in Ponhook and pick them up. Sometimes that trip would also include a visit to Blue Jeans across the street for a meal.
ReplyDeleteRoger and Shirley were wonderful people ... so kind! Daphne Joudrey worked there when Roger and Shirley had the store. She was such a nice lady too!! I used to love biking down to the store and going in the back room where they had VHS movies there to rent. Seen Sixteen Candles for the first time from renting it there and it's one of my favourite movies to this day. lol They also made their own hamburger. They would deliver hamburger to the Transcotia every week.
ReplyDeleteIn the 50's, he store was owned and operated by Donald Payzant. He had a son, John, and a daughter, Louise, who was in my class in Milton School ("Primary", as it was called in those days, in the 1952-53 school year). Their home was 342 Highway 8, in MIlton. Donald had had polio earlier in his life. Mrs. Payzant's first name escapes me at the moment.
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