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Roy | profile | all galleries >> Gemco Gallery >> 4- Stockton Store #518 tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

4- Stockton Store #518

In June 2008 I was contacted by Floyd Perry, Jr. of the Stockton area who was a loyal
Gemco customer and wrote an article in his local paper in 1999 about Gemco. Floyd also
came across a photo album that once belonged to Gemco Security Guard Paul Barbour
pictured here- 
"Hi Roy, I really enjoy your GEMCO tribute website. I have many fond memories
of GEMCO. I was a longtime customer from the time they opened in STOCKTON,
CALIFORNIA in 1968 and until they closed in 1986. I don't know if you read
my guestbook entry today? Just yesterday, I purchased a GEMCO STORE,
STOCKTON CALIFORNIA, GOING OUT OF BUSINESS album for $25 from a used Book Store Website.
The album has about 50 photos (of employees, the inside of the store as well as the exterior of the store), Newspaper
clippings of GEMCO and other Ephemera.  Some of the photos were taken by me around the time GEMCO announced
that they were going out of business, October of 1986.  These are Exterior shots of the STOCKTON,
CALIFORNIA GEMCO. Thanks...Floyd."
THANK YOU FLOYD.
Stockton employees- we NEED YOUR HELP IN NAMING THESE PEOPLE. These are great photos and we need
names to go with them. If you know anyone just email me at
Roy at RoyHooper.com
UPDATE- A BIG thanks to Cindy Gooding Wagner who knew the names of
a lot of the people and to Greg Waddell and to the "guest".
Added in 2010-"I have some names for some of the photos for Gemco 518.
Again... thanks for all the great photos and info.. many great memories.
For many years Gemco 518 had anual BBQ's/ reunions with many of the people in these photos.
All the best. Tim Bonuccelli"
Gemco Guards at Stockton
Gemco Guards at Stockton 		Stockton Employees
Stockton Employees 		GEMCO Christmas Party
GEMCO Christmas Party
Newspaper Articles
Newspaper Articles

comment | share
Scott Grafius 12-Feb-2013 01:10
Hello, this is Scott Grafius. My family moved to Stockton in 1968 from San Jose. My dad Bud Grafius opened up the Stockton Gemco as the store manager. I feel like I was practically born at Gemco. What a great idea Gemco was and is. Gemco was very profitable for the Lucky corporation. They closed Gemco in 1986 because of a hostile take over bid by a guy I believe is named Asher Edelman. What a tragic end to such a great compnay. I felt like all of the employees were family. In Stockton Gemco we had a softball team called the Kamikazees. We had so much fun! I have so many fond memories of the Stockton Gemco and its employees. There are so many stories to be told. We used to a lot of pranks on each other. Some were classic. I met my wife at Gemco and so did my brother. He married Cindy Perry in one of your photos and I married Renee Giordano. When we got married I transferred to the South Sacramento Gemco #809 on Mack Road. My brother Gary transferred to Modesto Gemco #542 after getting married. Our families are doing great and I hope everyone else is too! I have kept in touch with several former Gemco employees. I miss those simple times at Gemco. We had it great! My e-mail address is sgrafius@steeleinsuranceagency.net. If you know me then please e-mail me. Roy, these photos are great. You did a great thing here.
Tim Bonuccelli 20-Sep-2010 04:56
Hi Roy,



I have some names for some of the photos for Gemco 518. Again... thanks for all the great photos and info.. many great memories. For many years Gemco 518 had anual BBQ's/ reunions with many of the people in these photos.



All the best. Tim Bonuccelli



Guards..

#13 Danny Greico and Ray Muse
#7 Ray Muse

# 5 Danny Greico and Annette B.

#4 Danny Greico, Not sure and Ray Muse

#1 Paul Barbour



Stockton Employees

#16 Is 100% NOT John Kalush. I do not remember this persons name but it is not John K

#17 Ceile and Dave Brewer
Guest 28-Jul-2010 00:02
Roy,

I was a Gemco 518 employee for 11 years and was one of the last people to leave the store when it closed. I know almost everyone in these pictures. I will be in contact to help update the missing names. I have many great memories of all the great people I had the pleasure of working with for so many years. My home is in Elk Grove CA only about 30 minutes from what is now a Target store. My email address is Liquidateforyou@aol.com. Thanks again for posting so many great photos and articles. Tim Bonuccelli
Roy05-Sep-2009 00:01
Thanks for the info Annette.
Annette Widrig 17-Apr-2009 01:39
Roy, I don't know you but I worked at the Gemco in San Diego on Balboa Ave, and then at the Oceanside store; from about 1978 - 1983. Thank you for creating this site. Did you know that facebook.com now has a "Gemco, the store remembered" group too? Still haven't found any names I recognize, but going to keep watching. Thanks again. Thought you might want to join it.
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