Merrimack Historical Society
BOSTON POST
CANE
Louis Sperry was born in Lincoln County, Kansas on March 16, 1908. He was the second of eight children (five boys, three girls). Sperry attended Sylvan Grove High School in Kansas, where he participated in football, basketball, and track. He would have liked to play baseball, but the school did not have a team. His first year of high school, his father would not permit him to play football because he was too small and worried he would get hurt. During his second year of high school, the football coach sat down with his father and convinced him Louis could play. The football team had a shortage of pads, so he had to use the pads of the players sitting on the bench. In some cases he used pads from some of the larger guys on the team, which made the pads stick out past his body on each side. He graduated from Sylvan Grove in 1927.
He married his first wife Pauline, with whom he later had one child who died at birth.
His first paying job was working for his uncle Lynn driving horses. For 10 days worth of work he received 3 stacks worth of quarters, with each one totaling $2.00 at his best guess. His first impression was the great amount of money it represented.
Louis took a job on a three-square cattle farm in Kansas, which equates to three square miles of territory he had to cover. He worked through the dust bowl. Mr. Sperry recalls dust storms so severe, someone lighting a cigarette 3 feet away looked like a flicker of light miles in the distance. Mr. Sperry also worked odd jobs for the railroad, which included track repair and worked in a rock quarry. He then moved to Washington State, where he took a job shucking oysters.
During the depression Louis would often catch animals to sell their furs for extra money. When he'd catch skunks he would keep them in a pit until mid december when their pelts would be at their thickest before claiming their hides.
In 1939, Mr. Sperry moved to New York City, where he sold pharmaceutical supplies to treat asthma. He then took a job in construction on Long Island, NY. He also worked at this time in restaurants as a cook.
In 1942, Louis Sperry enrolled in the Marines to serve his country. His troop was being prepared to be the fifth wave to invade Tokyo. However, the bombing of Japan by U.S. forces cancelled this mission. During his time in the Marines, he also served as a cook.
After World War II, Mr. Sperry moved to New Hampshire while he courted his second wife Bessie. When he first settled into Merrimack, he lived in a rooming house most recently known for being Hannah Jack's Tavern. At this time he worked for Bessie's family selling pharmaceuticals. He and Bessie married and had four children together. Around 1949, Louis, his brother-in-law Bob Snapp, and family friend Lenny Berry built the home he still lives in today on D.W. Highway.
After selling pharmaceuticals, Louis took a position with Hood manufacturing ice cream in their plant in Manchester,NH. When Hood closed the plant, Hood reassigned all of its workers. When asked what position he wanted to transfer into, Sperry decided he wanted to take a position repairing refrigeration units. Hood asked, "Do you know how?" and Sperry responded "No, but do any of your employees come through the door with refrigeration repair skills?" Hood replied "No, so you can have the job." The new job took Louis to Boston, where he commuted for a number of years from Merrimack daily. One day, he was called in and transferred back to Manchester, where he completed his career with Hood until age 65, when he was forced to retire.
He continued to work in refrigeration repair through agencies for several more years. He then went on to work as a cook in a restaurant in Pembroke. He finally retired in 1995 after working at Alexandria's supermarkets (now Hannaford) collecting shopping carts.
When asked what Merrimack has become in his time here, he recalls watching D.W. Highway grow up around him. When asked what is the one thing he wants Merrimack to know from him, he replied "Merrimack is full of really nice people."
For all of Louis Sperry's hard work and loving life, he had much to show for it. He enjoyed his gardens and made wind chimes. Also In addition to his four children with Bessie, he left behind eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Written by the Merrimack Historical Society, June 6, 2004 - Louis passed away November 10th 2004.