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In the 1960’s he married Kathleen and she helped to push him into renting his first store (Jiffy Food Mart) in Roebuck, Alabama. The rent was only $30.00 a month; but back in the 60’s this was a lot of money. He and Kathleen lived outback of the store in a silver travel trailer that they purchased; this would be home for a couple of years.
The store was doing well, but J D had to get a second job. He and Kathleen had hired too many family members to work at the small convenience store. J D found himself back at Liberty Supermarket as a market manager and butcher. He got up in the morning and went to work as a butcher, while Kathleen opened the store. Then once he got off of work with Liberty Supermarket, he would work at his Jiffy Food Mart until closing. He then opened another convenient store in Mt.Olive as Jiffy Food Mart #2. Not long after that he would open Jiffy Food Mart #3 in Hillview.
Friends told him about a store (Winn Dixie) in Pleasant Grove that going to be closing.
He was convinced to open the store the same month that Winn Dixie closed. This location had been a Hill’s Grocery before Winn Dixie bought them out in 1964. J D got his sister Helen and brother Wallace to invest in the opening of Hill’s Food Center in Pleasant Grove. He opened the store in May of 1972 with very little on the shelf and the help of Margaret Watson and others of Associated Grocers of Alabama. They all helped with the Grand Opening Sale in July 1972. J D was the owner and general manager, his son David was the market manager, John Baggett was the grocery manager and Roy Thornberry was the produce manager. The store did not turn a profit the first year, nor the second year.