As the Christmas season approaches each year, I am reminded of the job I had with Marshall Field’s at Christmastime of 1956 and 1957. Marshall Field’s in Oak Park was the perfect place to apply, since it was on my way home from high school in 1956. I was unaware of just how enjoyable the environment was to be.
I was fitted with a beige blazer with green “Marshall Field’s” lettering on the pocket. Duties were simple: to collect from any department any purchases to be mailed and take them down to shipping.
The work was not tedious; it was like taking a walk through Christmas. Besides the store being trimmed with Christmas decor, the salespeople consisted mostly of women who were very well-dressed. Their attire, decorum and smiles all added to the merry environment. It was as though I basked in all the good cheer of Christmas every evening I went to work. Everyone worked, and pleasantry and appropriate behavior was the norm.
The Oak Park Field’s closed long ago, and there may have been changes in policies and relationships. I don’t know; the Marshall Field’s I remember, however, indulged its customers.
This will be the last Christmas for Marshall Field’s. I will savor it in memory.
