Curtis and Caroline Deal's Westside Grocery holds a special place in the hearts of many who grew up in or ever lived in the Westside Community of Bulloch County.
Although Curtis died at the age of 82 in 2021, his death and the subsequent death of his locally famous Westside Grocery continues to impact this community.
"The Store"
Known simply as "The Store" to the regulars, Curtis and Caroline Deal created a place in the Westside Community that can never be replaced. If you wanted to see anyone in the community, all you had to do was to be at the store around 9:00am or 3:00pm as the farmers took a break and gathered there.
In fact, before there were telephones, community members would leave messages for others at the store.
It was a place where people brought extra produce from their fields or gardens and shared with their neighbors for free inside the store. Curtis would also put up signs in the store alerting everyone to a neighbor who had extra free vegetables, along with their name and address -- like the one below from Dorothy and Garris Hotchkiss:
Family business began in 1929
Although Westside Grocery has nestled in the fork of Westside Road and Pat Mock Road for as long as most of us remember, this store actually had its humble beginning in 1929 across Pat Mock Road on the far-right side of what became Westside School. This tiny one-room, wooden building was already in place close to the school’s swing sets when Pat Mock sold the land for Westside School in 1929. Pat and Verna Mock (Curtis’s father’s uncle and aunt) then built a new store across the road from Westside School in its present location in 1929, and it opened in 1930. Pat Mock owned the store from its inception until Curtis Deal purchased it in 1975.
Westside Grocery best sellers in the Olden Days
What were the best sellers in the olden days? Vienna sausage, canned sardines, honey buns, and cinnamon buns with raisins slathered with thick white frosting were tops. The most popular drinks in old days? RC Cola, Pepsi, Coke, and NuGrape were all big sellers at the store, especially on hot summer days! The Coke products came packed in crates of 24 small 8-oz bottles.
When Curtis first ran the store in 1958, he paid 80 cents for the crate of drinks and sold them to customers for 5 cents each. He made a profit of 20 cents on the entire crate of Cokes! No bottled water for sale then -– just help yourself to some water straight out of the spigot. Curtis laughed when remembering that Leroy Bird and his son Richard often shared a small bottle of Coke!
Other best sellers for Westside Grocery in days gone by were crackers and peanuts that were kept in large glass jars with metal lids. Penny candy such as Mary Janes, Double Bubble Gum, Peanut Butter Bars, Jaw Breakers, Hershey Kisses, and Tootsie Rolls were all popular items.
Community of helpers
Curtis had helpers in Westside Grocery for many, many years. While he took care of the myriad of transportation-related, back-bending repairs that came into his repair shop each day -- tire changes and repairs, tractor repairs, transmission overhauls, etc. -- and his outdoor farm tasks, his wife Caroline ran the store.
Curtis, however, if he possibly could, got out from under the tractor or auto and came into the store, even for only a moment, to share a smile and make each customer feel personally appreciated and welcomed. Curtis’s children, Lisa and Chris, assisted with re-stocking, straightening, and dusting shelves, and other store housekeeping tasks. After his wife Caroline died, the Lord sent Curtis another angel assistant in the form of his neighbor, Tonza Varner.
Westside Therapist, News Hotline
Curtis cherished his role as being the unpaid counselor of the community throughout the years. As the primary Westside therapist, he always had a few regular clients that talked with him and confided in him daily. For years, he was the community hotline for news. He was often the first in the community to be told, sometimes via early morning phone calls, of thrilling engagement plans, of babies being born, of loved ones dying, of heart-rending break-ups, and of tragic accidents occurring.
Other confided tales of loved ones being led astray by alcohol, drugs, mental illness, or other personal challenges. He was often the one confidant that even virtual outsiders trusted with secrets or gossip that they felt a need to share. His tendency was to follow the Christian mantra of giving everyone, especially those who have gone astray, a whole lot of grace by ending with the conversation with, “But, you know what, _____is really a very fine person.”
Loss of his wife Caroline counted as his most difficult part of the journey
When asked what had been the most difficult thing about owning and running his store for over six decades, Curtis answered promptly without having to ponder the question. “The most difficult thing has been the passing away of my wife, Caroline, in July of 2016.” While his two children, Lisa and Chris, were so very good to him and ensured that he was well taken care of, “There is nothing that can take the place of your wife each and every day of your life.”
However, Caroline not only left him many fond memories, she also left Curtis an abundant stash of his favorite vegetables in the freezer. He loved simmering and savoring the five-year-old packages of white acre peas and butterbeans on his stove, all the while reminiscing about Caroline and about his life: a life that was blessed with the love of family and the sincere comradery of good friends and neighbors.
Westside Community remembers Curtis's impact
"Our goal in helping you with this story will allow Grice Connect in "painting" the true picture of Curtis Deal and true southern hospitality. Curtis brought so much more to the table than just a 'community grocery store.' It was something that could never be replaced by a modern convenience stores. It is something that will be totally lost on future generations," said Frank Davis, M.D. "As someone who has always been enamored with the latest and greatest technology, walking into Curtis's store radiated something so much more important. People from all walks of life sharing stories from the heart, solving problems, and totally unhindered (for the most part) from all the disruptions of modern technology. Westside Grocery was one of the last places people actually communicated with each other and not with their 'glass slates.'"
"Curtis set the atmosphere by demonstrating his love for others by being generous and encouraging others to use his store to demonstrate their generosity," said Lavonne Deal
"It was very common for neighbors to call upon Curtis when help was needed to get their vehicle out of a ditch, start their car, or fix a flat tire at their house. When an elderly person had fallen at home, Curtis was called to help," said Billy Nessmith, D.V.M. "He would leave the store with Caroline and go to assist in helping his neighbor. He probably never received payment because of not asking."
Special thanks to Lue Healy, Billy Nessmith and Frank Davis
Special thanks to Lue Healy, Billy Nessmith, and Frank Davis for encouraging us to write this story and assisting us in telling this remarkable story. The pictures and much of the story comes from actual interviews with Curtis by Lue Healy and from text for a book she wrote in 2020 on her family history in the Westside Community.
