RAMM
Retiree’s Association of Martin Marietta Corporation
That Spicy Company
What would our foods taste like without the flavor of herbs and spices? Due to
health reasons many have to give up the use of that tasty mineral – salt, and rely on herbs
and spices for flavor meals. Let’s talk about the company, here in Maryland, that makes
those ingredients – the McCormick Company.
Willoughby M. McCormick started the business in Baltimore in 1889 at age 25
with the help of three assistants. From one room and a cellar, the initial products were
sold door to door and included root beer, flavoring extracts, fruit syrups, and juices. In
one year they added household and medicinal products, talcum powder, bay rum, liver
pills, and castor oil They even sold roach traps, fly paper (remember those), and bird
seed. Seven years later, he bought the F.G. Emmett Spice Company and entered the spice
industry in 1903.
Most of the company’s assets and records were destroyed in the Great Baltimore
Fire of 1904, though a new five-story building was erected on the same site within 10
months. Willoughby’s nephew, Charles P. McCormick, began working for the company
in the summer of 1912 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 1925. Willoughby
died in 1932 and Charles was elected president at the age of 36. The big “Mc” became a
trademark for nearly all U.S. products in 1941. McCormick acquired A. Shilling and
Company in 1947 that enabled him to begin coast-to-coast distribution in the U.S.
McCormick has been acquiring more and more businesses over the years. The company
began in 1889 in Baltimore and over one hundred years later it moved to the suburb of
Hunt Valley, Maryland. It has about 10,000 employees and it is headquartered in Sparks,
Maryland.
Sidebar: It has been written that in Colonial times, and earlier, meat would be heavily
spices to hide the smell and taste of spoiled meat. This was not true. Actually what the
elite were doing is what the very wealthy have always done” they were showing off their
wealth by using lavishly very expensive spices.
P.O. Box 18115 Baltimore, Maryland 21220-0215
November 2014
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RAMM
Retiree’s Association of Martin Marietta Corporation
Oh, My Aching Bones
It isn’t our bones that cause us so much pain as we grow older; it’s our joints that
protect our bones. Bones give your body stability, but it is the connecting joints that give
us mobility.
Joints are formed where bones meet and allow bones to move. They can be
classified by the tissues that are involved in holding bones together. Cartilage is a tissue
that protects the ends of the bone so they don’t grate on one another. Tendons are tough
connective tissues that connect the bone to muscles and ligaments are tough elastic tissue
that connects bone to bone. The joints are surrounded by synovial membrane, a tissue that
lines a joint and seals it into a capsule. It secretes synovial fluid around the joint to
lubricate it. Now with all this protection so our bones can move, what happens that we
develop stiffness and pain?
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that mostly affects cartilage. Healthy cartilage
allows bones to glide over each other and absorbs shock. In osteoarthritis, the top layer of
cartilage breaks down and wears away. Bones rub together and over time lose its shape
and bone spurs may grow (those knobby bumps on our fingers). Bits of bone and
cartilage break off and float inside the joint space, causing pain and damage.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and affects only the joints
where Rheumatoid arthritis, the second most common arthritis affects other parts of the
body besides the joints.
Sidebar: At our RAMM Spring Fling dance in May, Leona Bauer, Mel and I compared
our arthritic bumps on our fingers to see who had the most. I think Leona won with Mel
coming in a close second.
P.O. Box 18115 Baltimore, Maryland 21220-0215
November 2014
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RAMM
Retiree’s Association of Martin Marietta Corporation
Blackouts
I was relaxing in my recliner the other day and started thinking about the Blackout
Drills we had here in Baltimore in 1942 and 1943. Remember those? This memory is for
the really old-timers.
The United States was not exposed to air attacks during World War II, but along
with the Atlantic coast, the lack of a coastal blackout served to outline Allied shipping
and thus expose them to German submarine attacks. The Civil Defense announced we
would start having blackout drills.
A series of intermittent siren blasts would announce these drills. All lights had to
be turned off. Windows had to be covered with black curtains or covered with cardboard,
or painted black. Street lights would be off and if you were driving a car, you had to pull
over and go indoors somewhere. There was a rush to buy black material for curtains and
some had to be taped so no light would shine at the edges. Our family would turn off
lights and go to our basement where the windows were covered.
No one was allowed outdoors during these drills except volunteer Air Raid
Wardens. Wearing white helmets and arm bands they supervised the blackout
drill, cruising or walking the neighborhood to make sure no light escaped a house.
They may blow a whistle if they saw a light to warn the person to douse the light.
No one was even allowed to light a match outdoors. It was complete darkness.
A series of siren blasts announced the drill over. It was pretty scary and everyone
took these drills very seriously. We were thankful there was never a need to experience a
real enemy attack.
Sidebar: Not many people owned cars in those days and those who did, did not drive
them often due to gasoline rationing. Can you imagine what it would be if a blackout drill
would happen here at night with thousands of cars now being driven?
P.O. Box 18115 Baltimore, Maryland 21220-0215
November 2014
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RAMM
Retiree’s Association of Martin Marietta Corporation
A Fun Memory
Oh, those wonderful Hunt Valley Bus Trips we went on. We always had two
buses for years, full of RAMM members anxious to “hit the road.” Vic Williams was our
bus one driver and George Smith on bus two. Mel and I hosted the second bus, called the
fun bus. What trips! I want to mention one of our trips though I spoke of it a few years
ago.
The Thrill of a Lifetime – Remember that one? The trip included three attractions
– a tethered balloon ride, riding the rapids, and another ride that I’ve forgotten. The
morning of the thrill of “riding the rapids,” we all gathered at the river bank to board our
rafts. The so-called rapids were “smooth as glass.” The rafts each held about 6 passengers
and a guide who explained safety cautions and handed us each a bag containing a white
plastic poncho with an attached hat.
We were slowly riding the “smooth as glass” rapids when a heavy rain shower
poured upon us. We grabbed our bags and quickly donned our poncho with the attached
pointed hat. Everyone started to frantically brush the rain puddles from our rubber seats
that were drenching our derrières. I glanced at the other 8 rafts and burst out laughing. All
the rafts appeared to be full of Klu, Klux, Klan members slowly floating down the
southern river. Yep, that was one fun-filled-thrill of a lifetime. We sure had some
wonderful trips. Here are a couple of pictures of our trip to Cape Cod in October 2000.
The picture of Gene Maylat, Mel Ruth, Gen Mason, yours truly, Irene Rehberger, Juanita
and Dick Fischer, Gloria Nueslein, and Ronnie Maylat was taken at the Kennedy Library
in Boston Massachusetts.
P.O. Box 18115 Baltimore, Maryland 21220-0215
November 2014
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RAMM
Retiree’s Association of Martin Marietta Corporation
Those Ugly Birds
This month is turkey month, so naturally I started thinking of those ugly tasty
birds.
There are many varieties of turkeys and the Poultry Association recognizes these:
Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red (love that name), Marragansett (silvery black), Black
Turkey, White Holland, Royal Palm, and Slate. Some are bred for their size and some for
their flavor. Some for their larger breasts, better shape, etc. Different turkeys for different
consumers.
A great majority of domesticated turkeys bred have white
feathers to reduce the visibility of the pin feathers that remain after
plucking. Most of today’s commercial turkeys are too big to breed
naturally and must be bred through artificial insemination. Hmmm,
never gave a thought that our demands for large turkeys would
interfere with their sex life. Large, medium, or small, thousands of
turkeys will be sold this month of November.
Sidebar: I still remember my first home-cooked turkey dinner. Mel and
his brother-in-law decided to purchase three live turkeys at a turkey
farm in Pennsylvania. I told Mel to pick the smallest of the three, as it
was just Mel, me and our two year old son. I was shocked when seeing
three huge turkeys strutting around my mother-in-laws kitchen, tilting
their heads in the sink for a drink of water. I quickly departed as the
men shooed the unsuspecting turkeys to the back year. I won’t mention
the scene Mel later described that occurred in that yard, humorous but
messy. Two days later I placed that small 26 pound turkey on the table
for our first Thanksgiving dinner.
November Celebrations!
Congratulations to all those who have a birthday or anniversary this month.
P.O. Box 18115 Baltimore, Maryland 21220-0215
November 2014
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RAMM
Retiree’s Association of Martin Marietta Corporation
Care and Concern
Bill Peroutka called Mel recently, talking old times and RAMM trips. Bill is suffering
from a very serious illness requiring additional surgeries.
Ralph Crocamo is recovering from a heart attack that caused him to be in and out of the
hospital four times.
Doris Peterson is still in a lot of pain from a recent fall
Please remember them in your prayers along with all our RAMM family, who are
struggling with physical ailments.
Silent RAMMs
RAMM member Bill Clift died of pneumonia on October 21, 2014.
RAMM member John Fiorino died in August.
•
•
•
RAMM member, Mildred Karsseboom, wife of deceased Carl Karsseboom Sr, who
worked in the Machine Shop at the old Glenn L. Martin plant for so many years, sent
a nice note when renewing her membership. Mildred is 96.
RAMM member Ed Chatfield sent a note – he and his wife, Donie, just celebrated
their 71st anniversary with 39 members of their family. Congratulations to all!
RAMM member, Joyce Blades read in the newsletter that Otts Mason needed a
replacement of his worn-out Martin cap. Joyce’s deceased husband had a couple of
Martin Marietta caps and sent one to Otts. We RAMM members really look out for
one another. Thanks, Joyce.
Notice
The next Ramm meeting is November 26, 2014 the day before Thanksgiving. This will
be our last meeting of 2014, as we have no meeting in December because of our
Christmas Party.
Remember, we have NO meeting in January nor February due the the chance of bad
weather, so pelase try to attend the Christmas Party otherwise we will have to wait for
spring to see you.
Stay healthy,
Dottie Ruth
2913 D Conroy Ct.
Baltimore, MD 21234
(410-665-3207)
P.O. Box 18115 Baltimore, Maryland 21220-0215
November 2014
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