By Paul Grna Jr.
The Akron Beacon Journal lost another long-time employee to retirement in January. It was probably no big deal to most of the folks still here. But it was special to me.
My father, Paul Grna Sr., called it a career after 35 years as a mailer.I am now the last of three generations of Grna's to draw a paycheck from the Beacon Journal. And I guess there are not many of us left from the days when the Beacon Journal was really a family newspaper - families making up a good number of its work force. But, in many ways, I'm proud to be a part of that unique heritage.
Grandpa Joe Grna Sr., began here in 1922, officially. But prior to that he had been a "bulk delivery man" for several years. Even before that he had worked for the old Akron Times shortly after coming to America from Yugoslavia. He became a truck driver for the Beacon Journal back when drivers provided their own transportation. In his case it was a Model-T Touring car and an open-cab Ford truck. By the time the BJ began providing trucks for its men, Grandpa Joe had two other men working for him helping to get the papers to the suburban counties.
I can remember Grandpa telling me how John S. Knight had, on several wintery occasions, climbed on Joe's truck to help him get the "Night Finals" to the newsstands in West Akron. Grandpa Joe drove between 90 and 100 miles a day to get the papers out and he was proud to call himself a BJ man.
Before he retired in 1955, his two sons had long decided that if this place was good enough for their dad it was good enough for them. Joe Jr. (my uncle), and Paul Sr.
(my dad) were mailing room employees a number of years before they saw their father park his BJ truck for the last time and move to sunny California.
My Uncle Joe chose to retire in 1972 after 42 years service as a mailer. His service interrupted only during World War II.
So, for the second time, my dad saw a part of his family leave the BJ's "nest." But now I know some of the thoughts my father must have been thinking as he watched them go. My feelings are mixed, now that Paul Sr. is enjoying the good life. I'm happy for him, but I feel a little sad for myself and the BJ, too.
It's like a little bit of Akron's history has been pulled from this old institution. The good years of a "boom town," the not so good years of a town in a state of change, the men and businesses that came and went as the Beacon Journal and Akron grew, the news and events of a lifetime - those guys took a part of all that out the door with them. But at the same time Grandpa Grna's family grew with the town and the newspaper and I'm proud and thankful for that.
As I was going home from my Dad's retirement party, a single thought went through my mind several times. Grandpa Grna, in one of his last conversations with me, talked about his days at the Beacon Journal. One of the last things he said was, "Paul David, stay with the Beacon Journal they were good to me and they will take care of you. It's a good company."
Well Dad, you're out now, and I'm still here. The Beacon Journal was good to the first two generations - hopefully, I'll make it three. Still, I'm gonna' miss you around here.
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Paul Grna Sr. died February 2, 1987
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