Waswo's Country Store

Subject: Waswo Country Store.
Date: 1947.
Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Maternal Uncle's business.

I have very little information regarding this photograph. Once my mother retired, she went through  boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. I am posting and commenting on the photographs from my album.

In keeping with the family tradition of bakeries and grocery stores, George Daniel Waswo Jr. opened a Deli on National Avenue. During this period, this was country! To the left, you can see the extension, and this was the residence of the Waswo's. With the advent of supermarkets, the deli did not survive. Later George and Lucille went to cosmetology school and opened a beauty shop. Lucille worked at the shop until she retired at age 62. George went to work at a bank in the trust division, and the shop was leased to one of Lucille's former employees.

After Lucille passed following a battle with cancer, George hung onto the store and residence. He eventually sold the building and moved into an apartment.

To answer Karen's question in the comments: I know the original building (Circa 1920s (Wood-frame, rural general store/poultry supply) above lasted into the mid 1950's. The new cinder block building below was constructed 1954-56. When I was back in Wisconsin in 2009, I did not drive by to check it out. I went to google maps, and the building is still standing. It is a photography shop now.

Photo from google maps