Dexter barber ends five-decade career

DEXTER, Mo. -- When Charlie Parrish turned the lock at Parrish's Barber Shop last Thursday afternoon, it was not the end of his usual work week. After 51 years at 8 N. Locust St. in Dexter, Parrish retired April 29.

"I came to Dexter in 1970," Parrish recalled, "and I've been in this same spot all that time. I even still have the same barber chair I bought used when I first opened."

Parrish said barbering was not something he had aspired to as a youngster, but a career he chose out of necessity.

"When I got out of the service in the mid-60s," he explained, "I was living up in the Chicago area. I wanted to come home to Southeast Missouri, but in those days, if you came back here, you had to make your own job. I decided to use my GI Bill to go to barber college. I went to school during the day and worked at a General Mills factory at night. I was making Wheaties and Corn Flakes and rolling in the money," he says with a laugh. "$3.50 an hour was good wages back then."

Once he finished classes, regulations required that he complete an 18-month apprenticeship with a licensed barber.

"I came home and finished my training with Harold Lloyd Stafford in Bernie," Parrish explained. "After that, I had to go to St. Louis to take a written and practical test. When I got my license, I decided to open a shop in Dexter. I charged $1.25 for a haircut, which is what we charged in barber school."

Parrish said he has enjoyed his chosen career, and that it has brought him a great deal of satisfaction.

"Some of my customers are generational," Parrish laughed. "That means I have been cutting the same family's hair as the family has progressed through the generations. Some of my customers have been coming to me the entire length of my career. Lawton James, who turned 100 a few weeks ago, is one of them."

Cardinals fan

The walls of Parrish's shop are adorned with vintage St. Louis Cardinals' posters and wildlife trophies from fishing and hunting. Parrish says retirement will allow him more time to pursue those interests.

"I'm pretty much of a homebody," Parrish pointed out. "I don't like to travel, so my retirement will be spent doing the things I enjoy close to home--like fishing and hunting. I also put out a good-sized garden."

As a youngster, Parrish spent his early years at Trailback,in the Gray Ridge area. He attended high school at Bernie before enlisting in the service.

"I left high school and joined the Army in November of 1961," says Parrish. "I was in Germany for two years, working in transportation. I was able to finish high school while I served. Joining the service was one of the best decisions I ever made," Parrish continued. "I went to school on the GI Bill, bought my first house with a GI loan and use the VA for my medical needs."

In addition to his barbering career, Parrish has long been active in the Dexter community. For many years he was involved in the Little League and Junior Babe Ruth baseball programs and is a member of the Elks. He also participates in the Monday Night Bowling League.

Friends

Many of Parrish's customers have become friends, who will miss their regular visits to his shop.

"Charlie gave me my first haircut," said Jordan Blunt of Essex, who came to the shop for one last trim. "I'm not sure who brought me that first time. It might have been my dad, but Charlie says it could have been great grandpa. Five generations of us have gotten our hair cut here."

Terryl Almond of Dexter will miss the conversations he and Parrish shared. Almond was among the many long-time customers who dropped by the shop during Parrish's last week of business.

"Charlie is an interesting guy," observed Almond. "He is knowledgeable on a variety of topics and particularly enjoys talking about hunting, fishing, and the Cardinals."

Friends, Cathy and Gene Kirby of Dexter, decided they could not let Parrish's retirement pass without some sort of fanfare.

"We are long-time friends with Charlie and Dottie," Cathy said. "We used to bowl against them in league. We couldn't let him get away without a small celebration. Gene and I provided the cake and I made the sign. He is a wonderful man."

Parrish and his wife Dottie, who live outside Dexter, will celebrate 50 years of marriage this month. They have two daughters--April Cox and Amanda Fortner--five grandsons and one great-grandson.