Friday, February 18, 2011

William Oliver Haines and His Barber Shop

Bill and his 'OK Barber Shop' opened 1966 in La Verne CA


My Uncle Bill was not blood related to me.  He was my uncle by marriage to my mother's sister Dorothy Troyer Haines.  Uncle Bill was a barber by trade and according to his family history learned the trade from his father who was also a barber.  I remember his 'razor strap' hanging by the back door of their home.  He was a strong disciplinarian, much stronger than my parents (as I remember).

William Oliver Haines was born in Chicago Illinois on June 17, 1907; he died June 19, 1992 in La Verne California. 

He worked with his father in Chicago until he was 28 at which time he went to California to check out his half-brother Orville's barber shops (he owned 3 in the Pomona/La Verne areas).  From California he drove to Indiana where he married Dorothy Troyer in 1935...a year later they moved to California.  He worked for his brother Orville from 1942 until 1966.  When his brother retired he bought his Barber Shop.


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La Verne Magazine 1979



 






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Click on each page and it will take you to a new page...then click on page again to enlarge for easy readability.  IMPORTANT: BE SURE AND USE THE BACK ARROW ON YOUR BROWSERS (UPPER LEFT) TO COME BACK TO THIS PAGE.

Bill and Dorothy had 4 children (3 girls, 1 boy). 

(Editor's note: not sure of  last name of Orville since he was a half-brother; I think I remember it being Haines but am not positive....any of Bill's descendants who are reading this please leave me a reply and let me know)

Know anything about anyone mentioned in this post? Please contact me using the e-mail address to the right under my picture.
Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2011, all rights reserved

10 comments:

  1. I enjoyed this story about the Barber shop.Old businesses and store front pics have always fascinated me. I am so far behind in my blog reading as the first one of your Schrock family is where I left off! Time to get busy.

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  2. Cheri - thanks for the comment. The Schrock family is where my Troyer family comes in. one of Yost and Martha Schrock's daughters (Elizabeth) married Joseph Troyer. Keep reading the Schrock posts and you will see one memory page by my grandfather (Joseph & Elizabeth's son) Elmer Troyer.

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  3. Mom ~ This is a great post... What happened to the old barber shop and what is there now? Do you know?

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  4. Thanks Kim, I'll have to ask my cousin. None of the children or their spouses went into barbering so I'm sure it was just sold off.

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  5. Mary- I am a granddaughter of Orville Haines. I remember your Uncle Bill, who was my great uncle. Bill & Orville had the same father. My granddad, Orville, was the only child of his first marriage. Bill was the son of the second marriage. There was another son of the second marriage, if I remember right, his name was Bobby.

    Kim- Unfortunately, the old barber shop no longer exists. It was torn down to make way for a small park in La Verne.

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  6. Mary, This is great, your uncle use to cut my hair when I was in high school. His last shop was on D street, next to the Pizza Warehouse. The shop was knocked down I think in the late 1980's or early 1990's. The outdoor seating for the Pizza Warehouse is now where Mr. Haines shop use to sit. The photo of him in front of his shop in 1966 looks like it was the Barbershop next to the TG and Y. I recall some of the older local men that would hang out at the service station (I think it was owned by Homer Daccus located on Bonita Ave and D street) next to his D street shop would sometimes be in the barbershop. Also, I recall that his son Bob was the principle at my elementary school, Roynon. Good memories of your Uncle, he gave a good haircut.

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    1. Bob (or Bobby, as family called him) was Bill's brother not his son. I did not realize that he was the principal of a school. Thanks for that tidbit of info! And thanks also for all the other information. You have a great memory for those days :)

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    2. Bob Haines, principal of Roynon, was Orville's son, not Bill's brother.

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  7. The Bob Haines who was principal at Roynon was Orville's son, (my uncle). Bill and Bobby were Orville's 1/2 brothers.

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  8. Karen - thank you for clarifying this. Yes, I realized that my uncle Bill and 'uncle' Bobby (as we called him) were brothers. I also knew there was an Orville but did not know he was a half brother, or maybe I forgot. Karen, you are welcome to contact me, if you like, at marysellslv@gmail.com and we could discuss other family relations.

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