DQ Purser's Office Personnel

Thanks Keith for finding that photo. 31 years ago!! That's more than half my lifetime but in many ways seems like last week. I wonder if anyone knows if Bret and family are still in New Orleans.

Keith- The Puser in the mustache kinda looks like the old guy that was the organ grinder at the Howard earlier this spring. 🙂

Yep! Where do old steamboat pursers go??? They become organ grinders!!!!

Gee Whiz. Thanks guys,,,,I think.

Ted and Margaret

Here's Ted and Margaret Simonton in the Purser's Office:

Willie and Buster's Whirlwind Tour of the World - The Seventies

Shipyard, Margaret and Henry rode the DQ sometime in thbe late '90's while I was there, they had a great time. I think they were on along with NOri Muster's group but I may be wrong. They lived in Ojai, CA at the time, Henry was runnning the country club there.
I sure envy all you who were on the DQ in the 60's and 70's , I didn't discover the boats until 1988 and it was the best 20 years of my life... sure hope at least 1 or 2 boats return to the rivers.

More '78 Pursers photos

OK, Mr. Grind and Bind, here are some more of you in your previous life:
1)Getting a quick meal by the room keys and room occupants list. That list was wonderful - in the days before all the personal secrecy issues. You could just stand at the counter and look at the room numbers and who was in each room. It was a great way to match a name to a face you had just seen coming out their door.
2) No comment necessary, or possible.
3) Outside on the Cabin Deck - Is that David Martin on the end? Were those passengers friends of yours, Ted? (or did they become friends???)
And Keith T.: yes, it was great to have been a passenger in the 70s and 80s, but I would have liked to have been one in the 50s and 60s of the Greene era too. As we've said many times on here, each era has its own memories. I loved all the daylight cruising we did, and allowing the common folk from town aboard at shore stops. The DQ was the People's Boat back then, not a part of a Corporate Conglomerate, and the Captain was in charge. It was a steamBoat.

Not do:ne yet, Ted!

More pix of the Pursers Office crew in 1978

Not done yet, Ted!

More pix of the Pursers Office crew in 1978:
1) Terry Severns, Cruise Director; Ted, Faith Downs Gift Shop Purser. This was taken during boarding after a particularly rough charter trip. My caption: "I hope .... charters a whole WEEK next year!" ( It had been a weekend trip that SEEMED like a week to the crew!
2) Margaret Simonton and Bret Clesi
3) Faith Downs in the Gift Shop after a HUGE turnout of local people touring and buying during a shore stop. My caption: "You mean visiting hours are over?" Faith later went to the MQ, and was in the beauty shop I believe.

Schmoozin' the ladies! That's Jim Sedgwick on the end.

Thanks for the Pics Judy. Now if I can just my walker moving, I'll have my nightly Geritol and head on to bed. Those people are my contemporaries and I never looked that young, even in the 70's. Anyone with any more of this time period?

DQ crew pix

Yes, I've got plenty more, but I think I've overheated this computer with all my postings this afternoon. I'll gather some more to post tomorrow.

Those 70's

Here's a link to 46 pics of "The Seventies". I have several hundred slides of those glorious days, but yet to try and transfer them to the net. Capt. Jim Blum should have a very extensive collection of photos. Jim?

Willie and Buster's Whirlwind Tour of the World - The Seventies

John Lewis, a contributor to these pages, was a Purse of renown during the 6-0's. He was on the DELTA QUEEN, along with Chief Purser, E. P. Hall, who followed Captains Wagner and Hawley over from the AVALON. Was Mr. Hall on the ISLAND QUEEN II?