I want to take a moment to say thank you to a great group of people at our market… YOU, our customers! All of us here at Wolff’s feel so blessed to have such incredible customers. It absolutely fills me with pride to be a local business in this wonderful community! Throughout the years we have always received amazing support from you. I particularly feel honored by the personal connection with our customers. In a small neighborhood business we have a unique opportunity to experience firsthand all of your input, generosity, and support. And in our smaller family business, customers are truly so much more than just “customers.” You are our friends, neighbors, relatives, former staff, schoolmates, fellow church members, fellow community group members, fellow business people, and much more!
Wolff’s has been in the community for over a century, and we owe that to the tremendous support from each and every one of you over the years (and in some cases your parents too, and sometimes even your grandparents!) A cherished memory of mine is about an older woman who stopped me in the store several years ago. She grabbed my arm as I was walking by and said with great pride “You know something? I’ve been shopping here at Wolff’s for over 70 years. I used to come here with my father when I was a little girl and buy a bushel of apples from old Mr. Wolff.” “Wow!” I said. And then she told me she used to “take the trolley up Pennell Road” to get here. “Double Wow” I said.
I actually had to confirm the existence of a trolley on Pennell Road with my dad. (Yes, he remembered a trolley line on Pennell Road until at least the early 1930’s. And he said that when the trolley started up steep “Glen Riddle Hill” from Aston, it would sometimes be too full and heavy to make it up the hill. If that happened the men on board were expected to “get out and help push”!)
I’m always humbled and amazed when older customers share their memories of the Market about things that happened before I was even born. I have heard some great stories about how we used to sell chickens, hold square dances, sell paintings, etc.
But, honestly, the most common story is actually more of a confession. It goes something like this. A customer will sheepishly tell me “When I was a kid, we used to sneak into the orchard and steal apples.” When I hear those “confession” stories, I can’t help but feel a little like a Catholic priest. I feel like I should tell them something like: “Ok, you stole 20 apples. Hmmm, let me think about this… Apples, well, they DO have biblical significance, being from the Garden of Eden and all. But it WAS a long time ago. How ‘bout you say 5 Hail Mary’s and one Our Father. That should do it.”
But in all seriousness, I think about it with reverence and gratitude that we have been so fortunate to have so many wonderful customers over the last century! So, I would like to say one more time that I beam with pride when I think about the wonderful support we get each and every day from such a loyal and consistent group of customers…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!