Marx Toy FAQs and Facts Blog

Over 25 employees from the Glen Dale Marx Toy Factory gathered on Saturday, May 14th at the Marx Toy Museum to be recognized for their years of dedication at the Marx factory and to reminisce and share stories with co-workers and friends from years past.

The employees represented nearly every trade at the factory including assembly line workers, press and mold operators, machinists in the tool room, and office workers.

Virginia Earnest, 1965-80, shared her stories of Marx with her daughter, Jean Stevey, also a factory employee from 1972-73, and her great-granddaughter, Marie. Virginia and daughter Jean became overwhelmed with emotion when they unexpectedly discovered a photo of David Ernest, Virginia’s late husband and Marx employee, within the museum displays.

Mary Lou Green, 1953-63, shared stories of working “the Oven”, assembly lines, and lithograph; in each story, she commented on the many nice people and friends she had at the Marx factory and the “good bosses” that supervised the workers – specifically mentioning Mr. Herbert Birch.

Husband and wife, Lewis and Mary Gump worked at the factory for many years – Lewis in maintenance as a mold setter and Mary on the assembly lines. Ann Niciforos worked in quality control as an inspector on the assembly line. Gene Gray remembers the fire at the McMechen warehouse on his second day of work with Marx.

In attendance were “ware boys” and “buggy drivers” including Jim Whorton, 1966-74, Sid Raper, 1966-67, Danny Fritzman, 1968-73, and Bill Fritzman, 1965-71. Lester Mercer described his responsibilities as an assistant supervisor in the plastics department. Terry Wellman, 1970-74, remembered loading the cargo trucks on the night shift. Janie Craig Klinec, 1971-77, remembers the Big Wheel assembly line being her first assignment at the factory.  

Additional workers in attendance included Cloreen Mitchem Lewis, Elizabeth Ramser Bowman, Charles Rine, Peggy Dayton Stanley, Lynn Butterworth, Jane Grondalski Krupica, Elizabeth Rutan Yoho, Jay Knapp, Robert Kutis, Joyce Kutis English, Jack Mason, Ed Tomlinson, Sally Gunto McElwee, Dawn Kinder Corbin, Tom Gayvont, Richard Reed, and Sam Oelschlager.

Over the years, thousands of workers, spanning multiple generations, found their employment at Marx Toys. Throughout the Ohio Valley, retirees of Marx continue to reminisce fondly about their years of labor as ‘Santa’s Helpers.’

After years of historical preservation for the local community, and vintage toy collecting aficionados everywhere, the Marx Toy Museum’s physical location, in Moundsville, West Virginia, will close its doors permanently, on June 30th, 2016. Until then, the Marx Toy Museum offers guided tours of the Marx Collection from 11 am until 5 pm – Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit MarxToyMuseum.com or call (304) 845-6022.