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Nellie was a bookkeeper at Rockwells, and a store employee at Cole’s. She attended the First Baptist Church at Junction City, Kansas.

Miss Nellie York’s Retirement Ends 46 Years Work in Stores.

The Junction City Union November 1952

When Miss Nellie York, on November 1st, retired after 46 years of service in Junction City department stores, she was the last of Cole’s employees who had been with the store since Cole’s bought out Hemenways. The real life and spirit of a community is engendered not so much by the big events and achievements which are always in the headlines, as by the quiet, faithful, everyday work of the majority of the people. Junction City is a good and pleasant place in which to live because the people who live and work here want it to be that way. The woman workers in homes and businesses are its unsung heroes and heroines. Miss York well deserves to be counted one of these.

Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Tom York. Her father ran York’s Meat Market for a number of years. She and her four younger brothers were born in the house just east of her present home at 609 West Second Street. Seven half brothers and a half sister were born in England, the native land of both of her parents. Only one of the half brothers (Harry York) is still living, in Co1orado Springs. The family moved into their new home forty-two years ago. Miss York made a home there for her half brother, John (Jack) Brown, caring for him there during his last illness. He passed away five years ago. Before his illness he was for many years a stone mason, having worked on many of the earlier stone buildings in Junction City and Fort Riley.

Nellie York attended Franklin grade school and went one year to Junction City High School, in the old building which was torn down and replaced by the present Junior Senior High School building at Ninth and Adams Streets. She spent two years at home before starting to work at Reed Elam’s store on Seventh Street. On September 29, 1906, she was employed in Hemenway’s store, known popularly as “The Racket Store.” The store at that time had three departments: dry goods, shoes and groceries. There were no packaged staple items in the grocery department.

Sugar, flour, rice and all such commodities were sold from bins arid barrels, each purchase requiring careful weighing or measuring and packaging. The women clerks all wore dark skirts and white shirtwaists, the latter trimmed and laundered with real skill. Paper cuffs were used to protect the long white sleeves. Working hours were 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturdays. Big events were the nine cent sales of yard goods - shirting materials, ginghams and the like.

Large crowds of shoppers literally fought over the bolts of materials and the saleswomen’s tact and patience were sorely tried.

Early in 1913 Coles bought out Hemenways and the business was moved into the building called the Reymour block. Cole’s first manager was Paul Dalton. Following him were Guy Cole; then William (Bid) Cole; next co-managers J. J. Cole and Jess Wood; and the present manager is John Cole. As a buyer in those earlier days, Miss York went to Kansas City twice a year, using her Sundays for the long and tiresome day’s task, leaving Junction City on the early morning train and returning at midnight. At her suggestion the buying trips were discontinued after salesmen from Kansas City began to include Junction City in their regular routes.

On January 24, 1923, the entire stock of Cole’s store was destroyed by fire. The blaze was discovered about 7 a.m. and firemen immediately responded to the alarm, but the construction of the building made it impossible to fight the fire successfully. By 8:30 the entire inside was ablaze. William (Bid) Cole was manager at that time. Insurance covered only half of the stock which was completely destroyed. The building was gutted, Mr. Raymour’s loss totaling around $15,000. Soon after the fire Cole’s bought out Taylor's and for a year while the store building was being rebuilt and remodeled business was conducted in the Ziegler building. At this time Miss York was a general supervisor and buyer. She says they hung damaged clothing and goods on racks in the city park in an effort to dry them, but they were too badly soaked and soiled for sale.

Miss York has served in all departments at one time or another. For a period of several years she was supervisor of the downstairs floor and buyer for piece goods, domestic linens and notions. Her most recent responsibi1ity was supervision of the departments on the south side of the first floor, including buying and marking as well as selling and supervision of the infants and children clothing.

Nellie York Is Honored at Surprise Birthday Party

Junction City Union 1966.

Miss Nellie York was honored with a surprise dinner party at Cohen’s Chicken House Thursday noon on the occasion of her 87th birthday. The hostesses were Mrs. Alberta Zernickow and Miss Mary Rose Zernickow.

Miss York was presented a gift from each person present. The dinner blessing was offered by Mrs. Donovan Hinkson.

Those present were relatives, old friends and women who had worked many years with Miss York at Cole Brothers department store.

Miss York is a lifelong resident of Junction City and is the oldest active member of the First Baptist church of this city.

Guests attending were Misses Jessie Prouty, Mae Bush, Mary Bisheimer, Bell Bisheimer and Mesdames Ella York Taylor, Arbutus York, Lorraine York, Freida York, Bess Martin, Elvie Hinkson, Stephanie Paquette, Florence Whitebread, and Ruthie Moreland.

Each guest received a three-strand pearl necklace as a party favor.

Guests invited who were unable to attend were Mesdemes Margaret Brown, Lois York, Kathryn LaHolt, Helen Stevens, Shari Taylor, and Misses Aria Kerr and Jennifer York.

Oldest Member of Church Honored

The Junction City Union, Tuesday January 30, 1968.

Last Sunday, Jan. 25, the First Baptist church honored its oldest member, Miss Nellie York, for her years of faithful service in the church, designating it “Nellie York Sunday.”

A corsage was presented to her by the Rev. Donovan Hinkson, church pastor, and pinned on her by Mrs. Mildred McWhorter, assistant Sunday School superintendent.

In her 71 years as a member of the church, Miss York has had nearly every office in the church, and is still on the Sunday school staff. For many years she was one of the church secretaries.

Still in good health, Miss York, the last of a pioneer family of boys, attends church regularly.

She has numerous nieces and nephews.

Retired now, Miss York for years was employed at the former Cole’s Department store.

Miss Nellie F. York Dies

Junction City News Wednesday July 26, 1972.

Nellie Frances York, age 92 of 605 West Second, died July 18 at Geary Community Hospital following a six month illness.

She was born August 4, 1879 in Junction City, the daughter of Thomas and Naomi York. She was the last living member of the old York family which came to the United States from England in 1870.

For the past 43 years she had been in retail sales, retiring from the former Coles Department store in 1952. She was a member of the First Baptist Church for the past 75 years.

She was never married.

She was preceded in death by four brothers, seven half brothers and one half sister.

She is survived by seven nephews and six nieces.

Funeral services were held Friday at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church with Rev. Donovan Hinkson officiating. Mrs. Florence Whitebread was the organist and Harold Olmstead was the vocalist.

Burial was in Highland Cemetery.

Pallbearers were George York, Elmer York, Raymond York, Marvin York, Leo York, and John York.