55 AND COUNTING
REYNOLDS SHATTERS FIELDCREST'S EMPLOYMENT RECORD
Greensboro News & Record
June 6, 1990
Author: FRANCES M. WARD Staff Writer
Ray Reynolds may forget things now that he's on the shady side of 70. But he'll never forget the day the first air conditioners were installed at Fieldcrest Mills.
"Them summers were hot back then. We had people falling out. But when they turned that air on, everybody was tickled to death,'' said the Eden man, who was working the evening in the early 1960s when the cool air wave swept through the plant. ``That was the best thing that has happened as far as working conditions."
Reynolds, 71, has been employed at Edens' Fieldcrest Cannon Mills, Karastan division, as a rug weaver for more than half a century. He celebrated his 55th anniversary at the plant in February. Not only is he the first Fieldcrest Cannon employee with such longevity on the job, he's compiled an outstanding attendance record, too.
According to personnel files, Reynolds has only missed a few days of work during the 55 years.
"If I missed one, it was due to sickness or a funeral" he said. Reynolds can't actually recall any day that he was absent but says there probably have been a few.
More than 100 employees attended a breakfast held recently in his honor. Reynolds was presented a Ridgeway mantle clock by Fieldcrest Cannon officials.
He's been here 55 years, and the plant itself has only been here 60 years. He's almost been here as long as the facility has been here, said Scott Mair, Karastan Rug Mill supervisor.
He takes a great deal of pride in his work and is looked upon as a father figure by the young weavers and other employees. He's certainly respected for his contributions to the company.
Reynolds began working at the carpet mill located in the Leaksville area in 1935 at age 16.
"Back then it was called Marshall Fields until a bunch of people got hold of it and changed the name", the grandfatherly-looking man said during a recent interview at his Eden home.
Millions of people were out of work when Reynolds was searching for a job. The United States was rebounding from the lowest point of the Great Depression. It was more than luck when he landed a position at the plant, he said.
"When I went to work there it was a family deal. My father, aunts, uncles, brothers, all worked there. Hardly anybody from out of town. Now you can hardly find two in there from the same family" he said.
Reynolds learned to operate a loom his first day on the job. He liked it so much he has never sought another position. He has woven carpets for 55 years.
"Back then, rug weaving was a good job. Still is" he said.
A Rockingham County native, Reynolds started out making $12.50 a week. In the 1950s, pay climbed to $25 a week. Now, he can make up to $75 a day on the production job.
"Twelve dollars and 50 cents would go a long back then. You can't go nowhere with it now," he said.
Reynolds never imagined he would spend more than half of his life working at Fieldcrest Cannon. But he insists it is the pleasant work environment that kept him from seeking other jobs.
"I've seen a lot of them move on, thought the grass was greener somewhere else and ended up coming back. Then they had lost their seniority," Reynolds said.
He may not have sought another job, but someone came looking for him in late 1941. It was Uncle Sam. Reynolds was drafted into the U.S. Army in November of the same year.
"Like everybody else, I didn't want to go, but I knew a letter was coming," he said.
Reynolds served four years in the 3rd Army Infantry Division, fighting in World War II in Germany and France.
"When you got on the battlefield, you were scared to death all the time. Always thinking the next bullet would be for you," he said.
But he was never injured while serving his country. He was discharged in February 1946 and returned to Rockingham County. He went back to his job at Fieldcrest two weeks later.
"I didn't lose any seniority or anything. I even got my same machine back and everything," Reynolds recalled.
The bespectacled, gray-haired man has witnessed a lot of changes at the rug mill. In 1953, an explosion of fashion innovations occurred. Reynolds was one of the first weavers to produce carpet utilizing the new Kara-loc method in which Jacquard attachments were added to machines to produce multicolor designs. That's the same year Karastan became a division of Fieldcrest Mills.
Another change Reynolds has seen is the increase in the number of women working at the plant.
"When I came they didn't hire women to work at the looms. But now they're all over the place," he said.
Some turns of events have not been welcomed by Reynolds. Plant layoffs within the last year have given him a sense of uneasiness about carpet mills and their place in the future.
"I'm making wall-to-wall carpets and we haven't run much of that since last year. We were laid off for two days last week. I never know from one day to the next when I'm going to work. It ain't certain like it used to be," he said, adding that the majority of buyers lean more toward the multicolor, designed throw rugs.
Though work is slow, Reynolds isn't ready to throw in the rug yet.
He said he may give up his position in a few years if his wife, Sallie, who is an auditor at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, retires. Then again, he might not.
"I'm going to stop, I just don't know when," he said.
Edition: ROCKINGHAM
Section: LEDGER
Page: 1
Copyright 1990, 2001 Greensboro News & Record
Record Number: 9006020005
*******
EDEN Ray Sam Reynolds, 85, of 319 Pearson Circle, formerly of Newport, N.C., died March 6, 2004, at the VA Hospital in Durham.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2004, at Reynolds Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will be in Ridge-View Memorial Gardens.
A native of Rockingham County, Mr. Reynolds was retired from Karastan Rug Mill with 57 years of service. He was a World War II Army veteran and a member of Leaksville Moravian Church.
Mr. Reynolds was preceded in death by his parents, Luther Neal and Lucy Benton Reynolds; sisters, Tippy Carter and Frances Ravinah; brothers, Emory "Inkie" Reynolds, Berkley Reynolds, Bob Reynolds, Charlie Reynolds, Howard Reynolds, and twin brother,Roy Reynolds.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society or to the Leaksville Moravian Church.
REYNOLDS SHATTERS FIELDCREST'S EMPLOYMENT RECORD
Greensboro News & Record
June 6, 1990
Author: FRANCES M. WARD Staff Writer
Ray Reynolds may forget things now that he's on the shady side of 70. But he'll never forget the day the first air conditioners were installed at Fieldcrest Mills.
"Them summers were hot back then. We had people falling out. But when they turned that air on, everybody was tickled to death,'' said the Eden man, who was working the evening in the early 1960s when the cool air wave swept through the plant. ``That was the best thing that has happened as far as working conditions."
Reynolds, 71, has been employed at Edens' Fieldcrest Cannon Mills, Karastan division, as a rug weaver for more than half a century. He celebrated his 55th anniversary at the plant in February. Not only is he the first Fieldcrest Cannon employee with such longevity on the job, he's compiled an outstanding attendance record, too.
According to personnel files, Reynolds has only missed a few days of work during the 55 years.
"If I missed one, it was due to sickness or a funeral" he said. Reynolds can't actually recall any day that he was absent but says there probably have been a few.
More than 100 employees attended a breakfast held recently in his honor. Reynolds was presented a Ridgeway mantle clock by Fieldcrest Cannon officials.
He's been here 55 years, and the plant itself has only been here 60 years. He's almost been here as long as the facility has been here, said Scott Mair, Karastan Rug Mill supervisor.
He takes a great deal of pride in his work and is looked upon as a father figure by the young weavers and other employees. He's certainly respected for his contributions to the company.
Reynolds began working at the carpet mill located in the Leaksville area in 1935 at age 16.
"Back then it was called Marshall Fields until a bunch of people got hold of it and changed the name", the grandfatherly-looking man said during a recent interview at his Eden home.
Millions of people were out of work when Reynolds was searching for a job. The United States was rebounding from the lowest point of the Great Depression. It was more than luck when he landed a position at the plant, he said.
"When I went to work there it was a family deal. My father, aunts, uncles, brothers, all worked there. Hardly anybody from out of town. Now you can hardly find two in there from the same family" he said.
Reynolds learned to operate a loom his first day on the job. He liked it so much he has never sought another position. He has woven carpets for 55 years.
"Back then, rug weaving was a good job. Still is" he said.
A Rockingham County native, Reynolds started out making $12.50 a week. In the 1950s, pay climbed to $25 a week. Now, he can make up to $75 a day on the production job.
"Twelve dollars and 50 cents would go a long back then. You can't go nowhere with it now," he said.
Reynolds never imagined he would spend more than half of his life working at Fieldcrest Cannon. But he insists it is the pleasant work environment that kept him from seeking other jobs.
"I've seen a lot of them move on, thought the grass was greener somewhere else and ended up coming back. Then they had lost their seniority," Reynolds said.
He may not have sought another job, but someone came looking for him in late 1941. It was Uncle Sam. Reynolds was drafted into the U.S. Army in November of the same year.
"Like everybody else, I didn't want to go, but I knew a letter was coming," he said.
Reynolds served four years in the 3rd Army Infantry Division, fighting in World War II in Germany and France.
"When you got on the battlefield, you were scared to death all the time. Always thinking the next bullet would be for you," he said.
But he was never injured while serving his country. He was discharged in February 1946 and returned to Rockingham County. He went back to his job at Fieldcrest two weeks later.
"I didn't lose any seniority or anything. I even got my same machine back and everything," Reynolds recalled.
The bespectacled, gray-haired man has witnessed a lot of changes at the rug mill. In 1953, an explosion of fashion innovations occurred. Reynolds was one of the first weavers to produce carpet utilizing the new Kara-loc method in which Jacquard attachments were added to machines to produce multicolor designs. That's the same year Karastan became a division of Fieldcrest Mills.
Another change Reynolds has seen is the increase in the number of women working at the plant.
"When I came they didn't hire women to work at the looms. But now they're all over the place," he said.
Some turns of events have not been welcomed by Reynolds. Plant layoffs within the last year have given him a sense of uneasiness about carpet mills and their place in the future.
"I'm making wall-to-wall carpets and we haven't run much of that since last year. We were laid off for two days last week. I never know from one day to the next when I'm going to work. It ain't certain like it used to be," he said, adding that the majority of buyers lean more toward the multicolor, designed throw rugs.
Though work is slow, Reynolds isn't ready to throw in the rug yet.
He said he may give up his position in a few years if his wife, Sallie, who is an auditor at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, retires. Then again, he might not.
"I'm going to stop, I just don't know when," he said.
Edition: ROCKINGHAM
Section: LEDGER
Page: 1
Copyright 1990, 2001 Greensboro News & Record
Record Number: 9006020005
*******
EDEN Ray Sam Reynolds, 85, of 319 Pearson Circle, formerly of Newport, N.C., died March 6, 2004, at the VA Hospital in Durham.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2004, at Reynolds Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will be in Ridge-View Memorial Gardens.
A native of Rockingham County, Mr. Reynolds was retired from Karastan Rug Mill with 57 years of service. He was a World War II Army veteran and a member of Leaksville Moravian Church.
Mr. Reynolds was preceded in death by his parents, Luther Neal and Lucy Benton Reynolds; sisters, Tippy Carter and Frances Ravinah; brothers, Emory "Inkie" Reynolds, Berkley Reynolds, Bob Reynolds, Charlie Reynolds, Howard Reynolds, and twin brother,Roy Reynolds.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society or to the Leaksville Moravian Church.
55 AND COUNTING
REYNOLDS SHATTERS FIELDCREST'S EMPLOYMENT RECORD
Greensboro News & Record
June 6, 1990
Author: FRANCES M. WARD Staff Writer
Ray Reynolds may forget things now that he's on the shady side of 70. But he'll never forget the day the first air conditioners were installed at Fieldcrest Mills.
"Them summers were hot back then. We had people falling out. But when they turned that air on, everybody was tickled to death,'' said the Eden man, who was working the evening in the early 1960s when the cool air wave swept through the plant. ``That was the best thing that has happened as far as working conditions."
Reynolds, 71, has been employed at Edens' Fieldcrest Cannon Mills, Karastan division, as a rug weaver for more than half a century. He celebrated his 55th anniversary at the plant in February. Not only is he the first Fieldcrest Cannon employee with such longevity on the job, he's compiled an outstanding attendance record, too.
According to personnel files, Reynolds has only missed a few days of work during the 55 years.
"If I missed one, it was due to sickness or a funeral" he said. Reynolds can't actually recall any day that he was absent but says there probably have been a few.
More than 100 employees attended a breakfast held recently in his honor. Reynolds was presented a Ridgeway mantle clock by Fieldcrest Cannon officials.
He's been here 55 years, and the plant itself has only been here 60 years. He's almost been here as long as the facility has been here, said Scott Mair, Karastan Rug Mill supervisor.
He takes a great deal of pride in his work and is looked upon as a father figure by the young weavers and other employees. He's certainly respected for his contributions to the company.
Reynolds began working at the carpet mill located in the Leaksville area in 1935 at age 16.
"Back then it was called Marshall Fields until a bunch of people got hold of it and changed the name", the grandfatherly-looking man said during a recent interview at his Eden home.
Millions of people were out of work when Reynolds was searching for a job. The United States was rebounding from the lowest point of the Great Depression. It was more than luck when he landed a position at the plant, he said.
"When I went to work there it was a family deal. My father, aunts, uncles, brothers, all worked there. Hardly anybody from out of town. Now you can hardly find two in there from the same family" he said.
Reynolds learned to operate a loom his first day on the job. He liked it so much he has never sought another position. He has woven carpets for 55 years.
"Back then, rug weaving was a good job. Still is" he said.
A Rockingham County native, Reynolds started out making $12.50 a week. In the 1950s, pay climbed to $25 a week. Now, he can make up to $75 a day on the production job.
"Twelve dollars and 50 cents would go a long back then. You can't go nowhere with it now," he said.
Reynolds never imagined he would spend more than half of his life working at Fieldcrest Cannon. But he insists it is the pleasant work environment that kept him from seeking other jobs.
"I've seen a lot of them move on, thought the grass was greener somewhere else and ended up coming back. Then they had lost their seniority," Reynolds said.
He may not have sought another job, but someone came looking for him in late 1941. It was Uncle Sam. Reynolds was drafted into the U.S. Army in November of the same year.
"Like everybody else, I didn't want to go, but I knew a letter was coming," he said.
Reynolds served four years in the 3rd Army Infantry Division, fighting in World War II in Germany and France.
"When you got on the battlefield, you were scared to death all the time. Always thinking the next bullet would be for you," he said.
But he was never injured while serving his country. He was discharged in February 1946 and returned to Rockingham County. He went back to his job at Fieldcrest two weeks later.
"I didn't lose any seniority or anything. I even got my same machine back and everything," Reynolds recalled.
The bespectacled, gray-haired man has witnessed a lot of changes at the rug mill. In 1953, an explosion of fashion innovations occurred. Reynolds was one of the first weavers to produce carpet utilizing the new Kara-loc method in which Jacquard attachments were added to machines to produce multicolor designs. That's the same year Karastan became a division of Fieldcrest Mills.
Another change Reynolds has seen is the increase in the number of women working at the plant.
"When I came they didn't hire women to work at the looms. But now they're all over the place," he said.
Some turns of events have not been welcomed by Reynolds. Plant layoffs within the last year have given him a sense of uneasiness about carpet mills and their place in the future.
"I'm making wall-to-wall carpets and we haven't run much of that since last year. We were laid off for two days last week. I never know from one day to the next when I'm going to work. It ain't certain like it used to be," he said, adding that the majority of buyers lean more toward the multicolor, designed throw rugs.
Though work is slow, Reynolds isn't ready to throw in the rug yet.
He said he may give up his position in a few years if his wife, Sallie, who is an auditor at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, retires. Then again, he might not.
"I'm going to stop, I just don't know when," he said.
Edition: ROCKINGHAM
Section: LEDGER
Page: 1
Copyright 1990, 2001 Greensboro News & Record
Record Number: 9006020005
*******
EDEN Ray Sam Reynolds, 85, of 319 Pearson Circle, formerly of Newport, N.C., died March 6, 2004, at the VA Hospital in Durham.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2004, at Reynolds Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will be in Ridge-View Memorial Gardens.
A native of Rockingham County, Mr. Reynolds was retired from Karastan Rug Mill with 57 years of service. He was a World War II Army veteran and a member of Leaksville Moravian Church.
Mr. Reynolds was preceded in death by his parents, Luther Neal and Lucy Benton Reynolds; sisters, Tippy Carter and Frances Ravinah; brothers, Emory "Inkie" Reynolds, Berkley Reynolds, Bob Reynolds, Charlie Reynolds, Howard Reynolds, and twin brother,Roy Reynolds.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society or to the Leaksville Moravian Church.
REYNOLDS SHATTERS FIELDCREST'S EMPLOYMENT RECORD
Greensboro News & Record
June 6, 1990
Author: FRANCES M. WARD Staff Writer
Ray Reynolds may forget things now that he's on the shady side of 70. But he'll never forget the day the first air conditioners were installed at Fieldcrest Mills.
"Them summers were hot back then. We had people falling out. But when they turned that air on, everybody was tickled to death,'' said the Eden man, who was working the evening in the early 1960s when the cool air wave swept through the plant. ``That was the best thing that has happened as far as working conditions."
Reynolds, 71, has been employed at Edens' Fieldcrest Cannon Mills, Karastan division, as a rug weaver for more than half a century. He celebrated his 55th anniversary at the plant in February. Not only is he the first Fieldcrest Cannon employee with such longevity on the job, he's compiled an outstanding attendance record, too.
According to personnel files, Reynolds has only missed a few days of work during the 55 years.
"If I missed one, it was due to sickness or a funeral" he said. Reynolds can't actually recall any day that he was absent but says there probably have been a few.
More than 100 employees attended a breakfast held recently in his honor. Reynolds was presented a Ridgeway mantle clock by Fieldcrest Cannon officials.
He's been here 55 years, and the plant itself has only been here 60 years. He's almost been here as long as the facility has been here, said Scott Mair, Karastan Rug Mill supervisor.
He takes a great deal of pride in his work and is looked upon as a father figure by the young weavers and other employees. He's certainly respected for his contributions to the company.
Reynolds began working at the carpet mill located in the Leaksville area in 1935 at age 16.
"Back then it was called Marshall Fields until a bunch of people got hold of it and changed the name", the grandfatherly-looking man said during a recent interview at his Eden home.
Millions of people were out of work when Reynolds was searching for a job. The United States was rebounding from the lowest point of the Great Depression. It was more than luck when he landed a position at the plant, he said.
"When I went to work there it was a family deal. My father, aunts, uncles, brothers, all worked there. Hardly anybody from out of town. Now you can hardly find two in there from the same family" he said.
Reynolds learned to operate a loom his first day on the job. He liked it so much he has never sought another position. He has woven carpets for 55 years.
"Back then, rug weaving was a good job. Still is" he said.
A Rockingham County native, Reynolds started out making $12.50 a week. In the 1950s, pay climbed to $25 a week. Now, he can make up to $75 a day on the production job.
"Twelve dollars and 50 cents would go a long back then. You can't go nowhere with it now," he said.
Reynolds never imagined he would spend more than half of his life working at Fieldcrest Cannon. But he insists it is the pleasant work environment that kept him from seeking other jobs.
"I've seen a lot of them move on, thought the grass was greener somewhere else and ended up coming back. Then they had lost their seniority," Reynolds said.
He may not have sought another job, but someone came looking for him in late 1941. It was Uncle Sam. Reynolds was drafted into the U.S. Army in November of the same year.
"Like everybody else, I didn't want to go, but I knew a letter was coming," he said.
Reynolds served four years in the 3rd Army Infantry Division, fighting in World War II in Germany and France.
"When you got on the battlefield, you were scared to death all the time. Always thinking the next bullet would be for you," he said.
But he was never injured while serving his country. He was discharged in February 1946 and returned to Rockingham County. He went back to his job at Fieldcrest two weeks later.
"I didn't lose any seniority or anything. I even got my same machine back and everything," Reynolds recalled.
The bespectacled, gray-haired man has witnessed a lot of changes at the rug mill. In 1953, an explosion of fashion innovations occurred. Reynolds was one of the first weavers to produce carpet utilizing the new Kara-loc method in which Jacquard attachments were added to machines to produce multicolor designs. That's the same year Karastan became a division of Fieldcrest Mills.
Another change Reynolds has seen is the increase in the number of women working at the plant.
"When I came they didn't hire women to work at the looms. But now they're all over the place," he said.
Some turns of events have not been welcomed by Reynolds. Plant layoffs within the last year have given him a sense of uneasiness about carpet mills and their place in the future.
"I'm making wall-to-wall carpets and we haven't run much of that since last year. We were laid off for two days last week. I never know from one day to the next when I'm going to work. It ain't certain like it used to be," he said, adding that the majority of buyers lean more toward the multicolor, designed throw rugs.
Though work is slow, Reynolds isn't ready to throw in the rug yet.
He said he may give up his position in a few years if his wife, Sallie, who is an auditor at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, retires. Then again, he might not.
"I'm going to stop, I just don't know when," he said.
Edition: ROCKINGHAM
Section: LEDGER
Page: 1
Copyright 1990, 2001 Greensboro News & Record
Record Number: 9006020005
*******
EDEN Ray Sam Reynolds, 85, of 319 Pearson Circle, formerly of Newport, N.C., died March 6, 2004, at the VA Hospital in Durham.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2004, at Reynolds Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will be in Ridge-View Memorial Gardens.
A native of Rockingham County, Mr. Reynolds was retired from Karastan Rug Mill with 57 years of service. He was a World War II Army veteran and a member of Leaksville Moravian Church.
Mr. Reynolds was preceded in death by his parents, Luther Neal and Lucy Benton Reynolds; sisters, Tippy Carter and Frances Ravinah; brothers, Emory "Inkie" Reynolds, Berkley Reynolds, Bob Reynolds, Charlie Reynolds, Howard Reynolds, and twin brother,Roy Reynolds.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society or to the Leaksville Moravian Church.
Family Members
Siblings
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John Berkley Reynolds
1906–1981
-
![]()
Ralph Neal "Bobby" Reynolds
1908–1964
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![]()
William Charles "Charlie" Reynolds
1910–1959
-
Frank Reynolds
1913–1913
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![]()
Roy Hugh Reynolds
1918–1994
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![]()
Eliza Frances Reynolds Ravagni
1918–1981
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![]()
Lillian "Tippy" Reynolds Carter
1921–1986
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![]()
Emory Casteen "Inky" Reynolds
1921–1961
-
![]()
Howard Earl Reynolds
1926–1991
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