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History of the Alba Telephone Company
"Of the many operators who have served the board over the years, four are still living in the area. They are Hazel (Hill) McGregor, Maggie (Kidder) Shoup, Reathy (Coon) Glidden, and Hilda (Johnson) Parks." Reathy is the 4th from left in the photo, but is not listed in the caption.²
The Harold Glidden Family by Reathy Glidden

I was born in Alba in 1904, in the house now occupied by Clara Peterson. I attended the Alba School first in the old school house which burned in 1916. A new building was erected and I graduated in 1921. I had one brother and one sister who also graduated from here. After school I helped keep house for my father, having lost my mom in 1918 when the first flu struck. I also worked at the telephone office with Hilda Parks and Ethel Torrey. I worked one summer in the restaurant located where the Alba Mission now is. It was owned by Clayton and Edith Campbell. In 1919 a family, Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Glidden, with four sons and a daughter moved from South Dakota here and settled on a farm three miles north of Alba. The eldest son, Harold, chose to stay on the farm and help while the others went their separate ways. Harold and I were married in 1926. For about three years we lived in a small house in Alba owned by C.A. Bird, and beside the school. Then his parents moved to Alba occupying a house known as the Dickinson's house, located on the property now owned by B. Kauska. In fact the building used for a shop now was a barn where Dad Glidden took a cow from the farm to have for their milk and cream. We moved to the farm. At first it was lonely for Harold doing chores all alone after having had his father and brothers to help before. In the winter, to subsidize our milk and cream money, Harold used to plow snow. He plowed the old 131 from Alba to around the farmer Tom Colter farm and to Elmira also the road that Arlen Turner lives on now. Also in winter he, brother Ralph and John Apfel would take the team and sleighs and go cut wood.

We were blessed along with a daughter Lois and two sons, Norb and Ben. They were all a big help but after graduation, too, from Alba, Lois worked winters in Lansing as a type setter. The two boys upon graduation chose the military so both graduated from West Point. They are all married now. We've had a good life and Harold and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary last May. After that Harold decided to retire from work he had held for the past five years. We haven't any plans other than to try and live each day to the fullest.³

Photo: Alba's Basketball Team.²