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Shortly thereafter I went to Tennessee and got myself married! Then I needed to work, for I didn't have any money. Retha and I went back to Cincinnati, Ohio but the job I had didn't give me enough work, production was cut so much that I was forced to quit. So I searched for another job, found one shortly at J. H. Day company. It didn't look too much like I wanted to make my future there so I left it shortly. Retha became pregnant then and very sick! So we came to Tennessee.
I worked in a saw mill to fill in till I could find something better. I wanted to take training under the G I bill to be a automobile mechanic. During my search, I went to Colditz Brothers Motor Co. there in Oneida and ask for a job. Rudolph told me the roof needed repairs but I didn't take the hint that he wanted me to do the job and was about to leave, then he ask me if I wanted to do the roof. So I became top man, as high up as I could get there. It was in July, I believe he knew if I would do that, he could count on me to do anything. The job was moping hot tar on the roof. When I finished he put me to work in the garage.
I always liked mechanic work. I was training on the G I bill, I never finished my training because they advanced me in salary too much to finish. So because of this, I dropped out of the training program and I stayed there for nine years. During my training I was thankful to be working with Benton Jones, who was very helpful and a good mechanic.
Rudolph & Arnold Colditz, two German fellows ran the garage. They sold and serviced Chrysler/Plymouth, International Harvester trucks and farm equipment. They said they were going broke all the time but they ended up being rich! To sum it up, they were good people to work for. Never did ask for a favor that I didn't get, they paid us well. They always said they paid their employees more than they took for themselves. They trained us to be clean with the parts and do a good and honest job. The price was considered high by some people but you got what you paid for, Good, honest and quality work.
I had worked for the Tennessee Railroad some, while in garage work. They ran some equipment on the rails, one thing I worked on was an old 1941 Plymouth car, another was a bus that had a International engine in it. Because I had done work for them. When they changed from steam to Diesel Locomotives they ask me to come work for them full time. The Colditz Brothers didn't want me to go but Arnold told me, " I feel like you are bettering yourself, so I don't blame you for going. So this ended my employment for the Garage, but not my friendship with Arnold & Rudolph, owners of the Colditz Brothers Motor Company.
John Ray Partin
