Ernie's Party Store

 

Ernie's Party Store

© by Bud Lemire on July 28, 2022

Long before it was a Pub, it was Party Store

I remember those days, and so much more

Ernie Bernard started the store in the late fifties, here

You could go in there for candy, cigarettes, comics, or a beer

Art Messier took over, for seventeen years he was there

I remember the buck stopped there, it was quite an affair

Among those who worked there, these I will name

There was Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Cass, and Jerry Mongrain

After Art owned it, a LaFave owned the place

Then came Hank, who took up the base

Time passed, and before long it became

An Irish Pub, but it carried Ernie's name

Ernie, the man who started it all, was my friend

I kept in touch with him, until the very end

I remember his wife Mina saying “If only Ernie could see”

“They made it an Irish Pub, there's no Irish in his family tree”

The memories I have, of going in that store

Every time I bought something, and came out the door

The comics, the candy, and the cream soda too

Now it's an Irish Pub, the time really flew

I lived on North 14^th Street back then. I use to go into

Ernie's Party Store many times as I grew up.

It'll be a big part of my childhood memories,

for the rest of my life. Great memories!

I honor all the workers and owners, who

kept the store going. I honor the man

who started it as well.