Personal narrative by Darrel Toler Sr, 2025
NO ALTERATION
I grew up on Leeton Avenue 591 Leeton and I remember the same plant very well when I was a kid I used to take my wagon down to the cement plant and collect soda bottles from the workers that used to eat lunch and walk up to the corner store gingers we called it And would get a bologna garlic bologna sandwich for five cents and a bottle of soda for $.10 and that was their lunch some got a bag of chips or a fruit pie anyway, I live there from the day I was born until I was 18 years old when I was drafted and went to the army My parents live there until 91 on my father passed away. My father worked at CertainTeed Pipe plant, which is right next-door on Saint Cyr he retired from there they made asbestos pipe. I remember the cement dust that used to fall out of the sky like snow and if you didn’t wash your car weekly, it would turn to cement. It was terrible, but nobody was concerned about our lungs. We just didn’t know any better, but I found out later when I was in my 40s that I have asbestosis in my lungs being a veteran. They check it every year and I get disability for it thank God.



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