Page 13 - Robeson Living Spring 2021

Joy Little Gordon was one of the high school girls that worked
part time at the Fashion Bar during the late 80s and early 90s.
Many of the things she learned from Ms. Price back then are
still practiced today: “The Customer is Always Right” (she
kept this posted behind the front register), how to wrap a gift
with only 3 pieces of tape (there was more than one time that a
gift made it to the front and she’d bring it to the back to show
us that we’d used too much tape), how to properly polish silver,
that you never throw nice clothing on the floor (you treat them
with respect), I can steam clothing like nobody’s business be-
cause of her, how to tie a bow perfectly, how to be creative and
think outside the box as it relates to sales and customer inter-
action. Ms. Price was my maternal grandmother’s best friend.
My grandmother, unfortunately, died in her early 20s. I often
thought of how similar she would’ve been to Mrs. Price. And I
always enjoyed hearing her wonderful memories of my grand-
mother that I wouldn’t have heard otherwise. Working for Ms.
Price was absolutely my favorite job!”

Another example of her kind nature was back when fur protest-

Crystal Crumpler Harper, Marilyn Butler Inman, Jan ers arrived one day to picket in front of the store. Amy Tyner
Tedder Rogers and Mrs. Price heading to Atlanta on a Moore remembers “it was so cold and windy that day. Mrs.
buying trip Price being the sweet soul she was went out and offered cof-
fee and cookies. She assured them the cookies didn’t have any
called the customers to tell them we ordered items for them and animal fat in them. I rolled on the floor.”
they were so excited to come see what we bought them”.
Her son, Jack, said his mother managed by example. She never
“We used to have the best time on buying trips. Crystal Crum- asked the girls to do anything she wouldn’t do even to sweep-
pler Harper, Jan Tedder-Rogers, Mrs. Price and I would drive ing the sidewalks in front of the store. She was certainly not an
down to Atlanta. We always stopped to eat at Waffle House on absentee mother, work never took precedence over her family.
the way there and back. You can only imagine the stares we If something happened and she couldn’t get him from school
received as Zsa Zsa #2 walked in with her rhinestones, fur, & one of the ladies would pick him up and bring him to the store.
high heels, quite literally looking like a million bucks. On one He told me “I never lacked for anything the only thing I ever
occasion the waitress took our order and proceeded to yell the wanted that I didn’t get was a motorcycle or a minibike”. He
order across the length of the restaurant to the cook. Mrs. Price tried for several years to get his mother to retire but she wasn’t
obviously disturbed by the lack of decorum said to the wait- ready. One day she called and said ok I am ready. He replied let
ress,” We could have done that without you! Next time why me finish tax season. So just after the end of tax season in 2005
don’t you walk over and just tell him our order without yelling they began the process of closing after more than 53 years. He
it across the restaurant. “ Crystal, Jan, and I were rolling”. said when closing day arrived on July 2, 2005 they literally had
not much more left than would fit in the trunk of the car. People
Marilyn remembers many of the lessons learned from her had bought everything down to the light fixtures and decorative
boss and friend. “Never be wasteful. A penny saved is a penny artwork. Lumberton native, Afeni Shakur, mother of hip-hop’s
earned. She taught me to iron wrapping paper, tissue & ribbon iconic figure Tupac Shakur attended the closing sale and the
which I still do to this day. You don’t need to buy a lot of things saleslady just followed her around the store with a rolling rack
(clothes and accessories) but when you do buy good quality. to hold all her clothing selections. Mrs. Price summed up the
She taught me that people with humble beginnings can become years “It was a wonderful journey. Success comes with hard
anything they decide to become if they work hard, treat others work, dedication, determination, and the love for and enjoy-
fairly, are smart and determined. ment of what you are doing.”

It’s important to give back to the community that supports you Community Service and Awards
and leave this place better than we found it. She taught me to Mrs. Price believed that it was very important to be involved
love much, laugh often, and dance as often as possible. She in your community, be honest and disciplined, and having a
taught me how to tell the difference in a Male and a female supportive spouse is very important. She would always say that
mink fur/expensive vs. less expensive. Now that’s a bit of because of her husband’s help she was able to balance career
knowledge you need every day! Ha!” and family. He was an accountant, and he handled her books

Robeson Living ~ Spring 2021 Page 13