​Kincardine waitress marks more than 50 years of serving her community

Marg Morton of Point Clark has been a waitress for more than 50 years, the past 45 of them in Kincardine.

And the 80-year-old doesn’t see any point in retiring since she enjoys the work, likes visiting with the customers, and she wants to stay busy, working at Jean’s Family Restaurant in Kincardine.

Born and raised on Highway 86, east of Amberley, Marg is the daughter of Emile and Rhetta MacLennan. She went to Toronto to become a nurse but lasted only a week before she was homesick and came back home.

She worked in the wood products factory in Lucknow where she met her children’s father. She then moved to Sarnia in 1973 and started working as a waitress in three different restaurants. At that point, she was a single mom with two young children.

In 1980, she moved back to the area, found a place in Point Clark and started waitressing at Dino’s on the west side of Queen Street in Kincardine.

“I was looking for work and they hired me right away,” she says. Later, Dino’s became the Sunrise Restaurant and then Huron Family Restaurant.

“The owner, Dino Tesseris, was Greek and when you walked in the back door to start work, you said ‘Good Morning’ to him first or you had to go outside and come back in again,” recalls Marg. “This was his house and that’s what he expected.

“He was difficult to work for. He had his favourites and I wasn’t one of them! He told other people I was the best waitress he’d ever had, but he’d never tell me that!

“Dino and his wife, Soula, had a pretty interesting relationship. The things I’ve seen and heard, I could write a book about working at Dino’s!”

Marg worked there for 29 years, as well as the Knotty Pine and The Embassy. Dino’s was sold to Emily MacGregor and became Emily’s, and later, it was Cravings. It is now an office building for Worley.

In 2012, she started working at Jean’s Family Restaurant, located across from the Sutton Park Inn, Kincardine. She worked briefly at Gilley’s Feed Lot in downtown Kincardine, and at the New Seasons at the south end of Queen Street, and for many years, she also cleaned houses.

GREAT MEMORIES

After 52 years as a waitress, Marg has some great memories.

“We always had the regulars who came in just about every day,” she says. “They became like family, although some of them could be difficult. At Dino’s, we had Hank Goodwin, Bob Wittig, Norm Dunsmoor, Wes Giesz, Ralph Pollock and Arthur McCormick – they were regulars and they were always good to me; they were wonderful to wait on.

“Bob Chapman was hilarious. He stopped in at Dino’s and Dino would have him doing odd jobs. He’d always say, ‘I fix’.”

“There was one lady, her name was Jean and she had to be 90 years old. She’d come into Dino’s in her pajamas, smoking a cigar!”

Smoking was allowed in restaurants back then and it was awful, says Marg. “It was so smoky in there, it was like a cave.”

Marg has seen many changes over the years. The major ones have been the increase in food prices and the introduction of new technology.

“Back when I worked at Dino’s, breakfast was $2.99 and my wage was 79 cents/hour,” she says. “We certainly relied on our tips.

“We used to memorize the orders, write them on a notepad and send them to the kitchen. Dino had a great memory for orders. I’m still writing orders in a notebook, and Jean’s is still a cash-only business. I’m not sure I could handle all the new gadgets out there.”

CHANGES ON THE MAIN STREET

While working at Dino's in downtown Kincardine, she also saw many changes on the main street.

“I remember Dave Walsh had the butcher shop and fruit stand, there was Henry’s Gift Shop, Fincher’s used to be across the road where HuronTel is now and Lois was the manager,” she says. “We had men’s clothing shops – Kiltie’s and Pickett’s. There was a car dealership where Dairy Queen is now. Dave Shewfelt had the IGA, and Walter Mole had the Crust ‘n Crumb.”

She says that years ago, people were a treat to serve at the restaurant. “They were kinder, more generous, and they talked to each other while they ate their meal. Now, they don’t communicate, they just sit there on their cell phones. The attitude toward servers is so different; I find the young people are nicer.”

Marg likes morning work and enjoys the breakfast and lunch shifts. Over the years, she has had some health issues, including two spinal fusions, as well knee replacements and shoulder surgery. Recently, she suffered a stroke and had brain surgery.

“But I keep going,” she says. “I’m like the Energizer Bunny.”

She remembers working at the Knotty Pine when Elaine came to Kincardine to marry the owner, Danny Chau. Now, Elaine owns and operates Jean’s.

“You know, I never imagined I’d be waitressing this long,” says Marg. “But I wanted to beat Myrtle Anderson’s record when she quit waitressing. She worked at the Sunset Restaurant on the main street in Kincardine.

She turned 80, March 19, and her family held a birthday party for her in the Miller Room at the Davidson Centre, the Sunday before (March 16). About 150 people attended, including family, friends, neighbours, co-workers and customers.

“I had to laugh because I received lots of beautiful birthday cards, but I should have had the people write their breakfast order on their cards,” she says. “I recognize the customers more from their orders than their names!”

She plans to continue working at Jean’s for as long as she can.

“I have to work unless I win the lottery,” she says, with a laugh. “I never take much time off work. My doctor wants me to have my right knee replaced and says I’ll be off for three to four months. He doesn’t know me very well!”

At her home in Point Clark, Marg has a little zoo in the backyard, including skunks, raccoons and squirrels, as well as an indoor cat and a night-time cat. “I don’t have to go anywhere for entertainment!” She also enjoys reading and going for walks.

She has two grown children: Tina Watson who lives in Kincardine and works as an educational assistant at Kincardine District Senior School; and Jason Morton and his wife, Wendy, who live in Point Clark; he is a retired RCMP officer. She also has four grandchildren.