GLEN'S PLUMBING

by Glen Tompkins

Entry B7 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

July 30, 1951, Glen Tompkins bought the
Plumbing Business, the inventory of fixtures,
tools, and supplies from Lester Beeler of
Mullen, Nebraska. The business was named
Glen's Plumbing and was housed in a build
owned by E.E. Wadlow, just south of their
store, formerly the Campbell Merchantile.
Rent was payable each month for $10. The
need for a vehicle to carry the bath fixtures
and supplies for plumbing contracts, resulted
in the purchase of a 1952 Ford station wagon
from Bob Blakely, Ford Motor Company of
Mullen. Later an old used Ford panel-wagon
was also purchased to carry materials.

The Ranch-wagon served more than the
plumbing business, it was used many times
as an ambulance. It was the first of it's kind
in town that the back seats closed down and
a full sized mattress could be laid in for
transporting a patient. One of the most
serious cases was Keith Boyer, when he was
severely burned from an explosion. Dr.
Walker gave him first aid and wanted him
rushed to the Alliance Hospital. Glen's
station-wagon was always used for top prior-
ity over any job, if it was needed for a patient
of Doctor Walker's or Doctor Melvin Hoyt's.
It was used for many trips to Omaha for the
Tompkins twins, Cheryl and Daryl, when
they contracted polio in October of 1952 and
needed therapy treatments.

One of the first plumbing jobs was in the
new J.E. Macke home that was being built.
A few of the other plumbing contracts were
with Lee Boyer, Johnson Furniture, George
Marshall, Carol Pound, Jessie and Frank
Shimmin, Pullman Ranch, Clifford Huddles'
new motel cabins, Maud Nelson's Apartment
building, and many more remodeling jobs,
heating systems, and of course those after
hours for repair of plumbing and clogged
drains.

January 1, 1954, J.E. Macke bought in as
a business partner in Glen's Plumbing. In
1956, Dell Slattery bought out Glen's interest
in the business. The Tompkins family moved
to Gooding, Idaho where Glen worked with
a building contractor and also worked for the
Idaho Gas Company.