Crane Rescue

Pete Cox was a friend to everyone. Like my dad, I talk fast—especially for a Mississippi boy. Sometimes when Pete introduced himself people thought his name was Peacock because he ran the two syllables of his name together.

My earliest memories of Pete were when he worked for Wonder Bread. Many of his customers were either first- or second-generation immigrants including Chinese, Italians, Syrians, and Lebanese. The brother of one of these customers approached Pete about managing a new food vending company called M & F Vending Company. The “M” was for Malouf and the “F” was for Fratesi. Abe Malouf bought out his partner and he was the sole owner when Pete was hired to run the company.

At that time, Pete was the only employee, but in twenty-six years he built the company to four truck routes and other staff that included repairs, stocking, and an onsite kitchen that prepared food for the vending machines.

During those 26 years my dad asked the owner about a retirement plan, but the owner always told him, “Pete, don’t you worry about retirement because I will always take care of you.” Pete trusted Abe Malouf just like he trusted most people. He always looked for the good in everyone. I never knew anyone who did not like my dad. He was a friend to all regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic status.

In his 26th year of running the company, the owner announced to Pete that he was selling the company to a large vending company. However, he told Pete not to worry about that because they planned to retain him as manager of the company.

A representative of the company worked alongside Pete, and Pete introduced him to all their customers—mostly factory plant managers and other commercial and professional businesses. After one year the new company fired my dad. Pete was 57 years old, and he still had no retirement program.

Our family was serving as missionaries in Burkina Faso in West Africa in 1984 when my dad became unemployed, and we learned about this shocking news in an international air letter which had taken two weeks to arrive in the village where we lived. As soon as possible, I traveled four hours to the capital city to have a telephone conversation with my dad. I felt so helpless because I was so far away, but I knew that my two brothers who lived nearby would be there for him and my mother.

Not only had my dad lost his job, but my mother ran the kitchen that prepared food for the vending machines, so she also lost her job. Pete was a hustler, so I knew he would soon find another job. But I did not imagine that he would have a problem with depression. He faltered for 18 months while having jobs in a fast-food restaurant, selling automobiles, checking cotton, and trying to sell insurance.

They rented a one-room building on a country road, and my mom opened a small store to help provide food and other necessities. It was a challenging time for my parents. However, they both grew up on small Mississippi farms where they scratched a living from the infertile red clay hills of one of the poorest counties in the poorest state in the USA, but they never had a need that the Lord did not provide for them.

 Ferguson Machinery was one of the plants where Pete had vending machines, and like all his customers, Pete had developed a friendship with the plant manager. The manager called Pete and asked him to come to visit him. During the visit, he offered Pete a job managing their tool crib where all tools were housed and checked out.

Pete worked ten years for Ferguson Machinery, and they were good to him and good for him in restoring his self-respect. Finally, he had a retirement program.

Crane Company, founded in 1855, acquired Ferguson Machinery. Not only did Crane help my parents with the small pension, but they also augmented their income from The Crane Fund to help them in their retirement.

When Pete passed away, Crane continued the retirement income for my mother, and recently The Crane Fund has also helped my legally blind mother with some unusual medical expenses. I am grateful for Richard Teller Crane, the founder, and for his passion for helping widows and children as the Bible has instructed us to do. I am thankful for The Crane Fund’s present leadership who continue this legacy.