It’s been a long time since I wrote on this blog. Although I haven’t had time for genealogical research, I found something in an old box I was sorting that I wanted to post.

This is about Murray Scheshko (later, Castle), my father-in-law, and his career after the military. I’ve written other blog posts about his military service.

Murray was hired in the apparel industry (garment district; schmatta business) at Derby Sportswear in Manhattan. The executive offices, including design, of Derby Sportswear was located at 1333 Broadway. They were an important garment manufacturer in the Garment District, manufacturing sportswear. The company was in business from the 1930s until 1983.

Murray was first a cutter, the person who cuts the fabric by the guidelines of the pattern. Then he became a pattern maker. The gardener remembers his father taking him to the office to watch the Macy’s parade go past the building in 1960 or 1961.

After a few years Murray was hired by his brother-in-law who owned Dr. Denton Mills that made baby pajamas in Centreville, Michigan, and Lamb Knit Goods Co. (sweaters) in Colon, Michigan. Murray and Diana moved with their two young children to St. Joseph County, Michigan, from NYC.

Murray became the general manager of the plants, but continued to keep his hand in the pattern making. Before too long, pattern making involved a Kodak machine and computer rather than the manual method Murray had learned to begin with.

I found these books that belonged to Murray that were kept at the mill in Centreville. They are from the 1960s or before.

Murray learned on the job. He did not finish high school before he joined the military in WWII. When the gardener and I were first together, Murray studied for and earned his GED.

He was a very intelligent man who dreamed his whole life of being an attorney like F. Lee Bailey. (Note: F. Lee Bailey later got in trouble for misappropriating client money, but that was decades after Murray died, thank goodness. Murray was a very honorable person and would have been very saddened).

Murray owned Black’s Law Dictionary and tried to keep learning about law, but it wasn’t to be for him. After he passed away suddenly at the age of 62, the gardener went to law school as if he was doing it for his dad. He hated it and never practiced though he put his education to good use in business.

If you’re from my generation you might remember when lots of movies and television shows showcased the garment district and apparel businesses. One that is vivid in my memory is Seventh Avenue, a 1977 mini-series.

By leaving NYC and taking over management of plants in rural Michigan, Murray significantly changed his own life and that of his family. For one thing, the gardener and I would not have met otherwise.