News from the West Side: With times changing and history being lost, I thought it would be interesting to reach out to folks that can share first hand how life used to be on the west side. This is a three- part series about Brett Wholesale written by none other than the LaNelle Brett Lacey who I’m gonna call our guest columnist for the next three weeks. Enjoy!
Brett Wholesale Grocery in Sumner was opened by my grandfather, Vernon Kendrick Brett, on a Friday the 13th, because he thought that would be lucky! We don’t know the year.
Daddy, Vernon Terry Brett, was an only child, receiving a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1943 from Mississippi State University (then known as Mississippi A&M). He decided to return home to join his father in the wholesale grocery business and selling Hotpoint Appliances for some years.
Brett Wholesale served several surrounding counties, mainly selling to small “farm” stores and small community grocery stores. Daddy’s customers quickly became friends! The larger customers were the State Penitentiary at Parchman and nearby hospitals, which required quite a bit of time working up “bids” of the listed items each required for the year and it was a competitive process.
My grandfather and grandmother died in 1951 and 1953. Daddy met and married my mother, Becky (Pipkin) Brett. She became the lifelong partner in charge of the bookkeeping, using her knowledge and education from Memphis School of Business.
The office was a beehive of activity with Helen McCullough, Mama and, for a time, Mrs. Powell (who lived down the street from us). At one time, my cousin Morris Holloway joined in.
There were three salesmen joining Daddy, each with specific routes within the surrounding area. I remember well Mr. Nabors (Tutwiler) and Mr. Neely (from Charleston).
After my brother Kenny and wife Becky graduated from Mississippi State, they joined the force!
Becky quickly became a great asset in the office and Kenny received his own sales route and set up the computer system, updating daily, bringing Brett Wholesale Grocery into the computer age!
It wasn’t unusual to see their daughter in the office occasionally after school and after a trip to the Sumner Drug Store for an afternoon treat!
Brett Wholesale was two levels. Daddy enlarged the warehouse, acquiring the building next to the original structure, then building an additional area on the back. There were two large freezers and a huge, “ancient” freight elevator that was used daily. It was operated by a motor-driven set of pulleys and ropes. Honestly, it should’ve been given to the Smithsonian!
A few “Bob” trucks were acquired to make deliveries. There was one large 18-wheeler in the small “fleet” of trucks, which was used to go to New Orleans, Memphis, Arkansas and Missouri for large purchases of sugar, flour, etc. There were other wholesalers in our area of the state that occasionally would go together to purchase a large quantity to be shipped in a rail car. The train would just uncouple the car right next to Brett Wholesale and unloading would begin!
Always purchasing used trucks and trailers as a good financial decision, he couldn’t resist “shopping” for a good deal, no matter where they were found!
Several employees were delivery drivers to the small countywide stores. One driver, “Hooper” drove the long haul trips. Hooper was also the driver to move all our Methodist ministers to the parsonage in Webb.
» Continued next week.
