Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Fredericksburg: builder, snow)

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by BrianW

I have not seen an answer to this yet (I started around page 140, then went back to page 1).

I think what you're remembering is one of the West family members that owned a ranch in south Texas. If I remember correctly, she was buried in her Ferrari in a negligee "with the seat tilted back slightly". I believe they encased the car in a concrete "tomb" and buried that. I want to say this was around 1972.

I'll keep looking...

Yep, it was Sandra Ilene West. She is buried over east of downtown, in a powder-blue 1964 Ferrari 330 America (a third series 250 GTE with a 330 engine. Only 50 were built), the same car she wrecked not long before her untimely departure (she was only 37). She was buried next to her husband Ike, who passed away eight years earlier at the age of 34, in the family plot. We have visited her grave but there is no indication of the legend that is buried there. By the way, it happened in 1977.

There is a lot more of the story on the Ferrari thread. Her niece even posts some info...to include a picture of her in post #75.

Cheers! M2

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by debdeb525

I think there was one at Vance Jackson and 410 (where Northern Tools is)

You are exactly right. There was a Handy Dan there. And Tom's Ribs was a Sizzler. I used to go to both places with my family when I was a kid.

It's funny, I know there were other Handy Dan's around town, but that's the only I can remember right now.

[tcs]

Way off the subject of Tom's Ribs and Handy Dans, but who got sick when the elevator operators in the Nix Medical Building could not get the elevator car lined up with the floor thresholds. I hated going to the dentist in the late 50s anyway but the elevator ride was a true horror to me. Today it would be a great thrill ride.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by 940

Pics a bit faded but you can make out the blue roof..

There is still one of these "blue Roof" IHOPs in San Antonio, right there on 4-10 near Broadway/Nacodoches.

[Snowglobe]

It may be more fun to try to remember all the Handy Dan locations, but I opened up my 84-85 San Antonio Kriss-Kross directory and it lists quite a few:

13401 San Pedro
4722 Eisenhauer
2301 SW Military Dr
2503 NW Loop 410
3001 Goliad
1745 SW Loop 410
5830 Bandera

The corporate headquarters are listed at 7909 Fredericksburg Rd and a "distribution center" was at 9600 Ball St.

[SnappyBob]

I remember going to the one on Goliad Rd. On Sundays many of the sections were taped off because of the Blue Laws that were in effect back then.

[940]

I believe the 5830 Bandera location is near where the old Target was...I think it might have shared the same location with it, just inside Loop 410...and of course this is roughly the location where the old Bandera Rd Drive In was located.

[tcs]

Lifted this from Wikipedia.

Handy Dan Home Improvement is a now-defunct home improvement retailer. The retailer is probably best-known today for its April 1978 firing of executives Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. The day after their firing, Marcus and Blank began a series of actions that led to their founding of The Home Depot.

[debdeb525]

TCS interesting info regarding how Home Depot began. I swear, I learn something new on these threads.

[BrianW]

The Donkey Lady

I've read discussions in this thread about the donkey lady, but need someone to fill in the details.

I grew up on the southside, and had always heard that the donkey lady lived somewhere near Stinson Field. However, it sounds like you northsiders have a different place identified.

Can someone fill in the blanks for me?

Thanks...