News
2003 Annual Honorees Biographies
GLORIA BALLARD
A native of Seattle, Mrs. Gloria Ballard has been a barber for over
40 years. One of ten siblings, she practiced cutting hair at home at
an early age. Although she has spent almost all of her adult life as
a barber, she once worked in Harry’s Grocery Store at 28th and So. Jackson.
Harry Croswell was the owner. She graduated from Moler Barber College
and was licensed in 1964. She has worked with Carl Floyd at Floyd’s
Barber Shop; Walter Wilkens at Walt’s Barber Shop and; Randy Holt at
Randy’s Hair Salon. In 1985 she became the owner of Gloria’s Barber
Shop located on 57th Ave So. in the Rainier Valley. She remained there
until 2000. Currently, she works at Stephens Barber Shop with Elease
Stephens, owner.
TYREE FLEEKS
Tyree Fleeks was born in Willis, Texas. After joining the United States Navy, he came to Seattle, WA in 1944. When he was discharged he remained and found work at the Troy Laundry and the Harbor Island, shipyards. While attending school at Edison Technical School, he learned to chef and bake, which provided him employment at Fort Lawton and later at the Marine Hospital. During the late 1940s he enrolled at the Molar Barber College located at First and Yesler in Seattle and was licensed to cut hair in 1950. By 1969 Mr. Fleeks had established and owned his own barbershop. First, at 6th and Maynard and later in 1979, The Fleeks Cherry Street Barber Shop located at 30th and East Cherry Street. Now retired, he stays busy by cutting hair for nursing homeless residents and others who are unable to visit barbershops. He has been a deacon at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Seattle, WA for approximately 60 years and currently has the distinction of having the longest tenure in that capacity. He enjoys going to church and the fellowship it provides.
BERTHA JOHNSON
Bertha Johnson was born on April 25, 1926 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In 1944, she went by train to Vanport (Portland), Oregon, to accompany a friend who had never ridden on a train. Mrs. Johnson’s father had worked for about 48 years on the railroad, so she was use to traveling by train. In Oregon, Mrs. Johnson worked in the shipyards. She was married while in Oregon, and she and her husband moved to Grand Coulee to work with the government on a project that year. She moved to Seattle in 1947. In 1950, she moved with her husband to Adak, Alaska where they remained for 14 months, and then returned to Seattle to the home that was built during their earlier residency. In Seattle, they lived near Mrs. Scott who had a barber shop on 19th and Yesler and who cut her husband’s and son’s hair. As she watched Mrs. Johnson thought, “I can do that.”
Inspired, she went to Molar’s Barber School at 1st and Yesler, finished her training with one other Black student, and took the barber exam in Tacoma. Mrs. Johnson bought her own barber shop even before she had finished school. She has the same barbershop at 23rd and Marion. The last time she had a barber working with her was in 1974…Ralph Minisee. She still has three chairs, but she prefers working alone. She lives next door and cuts hair by appointment.
RANDOLPH “Randy” HOLT
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mr. Holt’s first experience with cutting hair was on his back porch at the age of nine (9) years old when he was taught by his father. Later in life, he lived in Boston Mass. He received his barber license from the Mass. School of Barbering. While in Boston, he owned his own band, worked as a free lanced photographer; was a disc jockey at the Harvard Radio Station; and was a licensed barber at Al’s International Barber Shop for over eight (8) years. After moving to Seattle in the 1970s Mr. Holt worked at Cook’s Barber Shop at Jackson and Maynard and another shop at Rainier Ave. in the Columbia City area from 1982 – 1983. In 1984 he founded and owned Future Look Barber Shop on Wells Street in Renton, Washington where he was located for 18 years. Currently he is the owner of Major League Barber Shop on So. Grady Way in Renton. His business is “by appointment only” and many of his clients are well known sports celebrities with the Seattle Sonics and other NBA players.
In April 1997, Renton Youth Day was started by him and co-founder, Marlena Rose of Future Look Hair Salon. It is a day for Renton Area youth to interact with celebrities and motivational professionals. It is also an inspirational day dedicated to recreation, free haircuts, food, and lots of fun. Mr. Holt has also produced two videos. The first one titled, “The Art of Natural Hair Cutting,” and the other, an instructional video for the Andis Clipper Company.
EUGENE NESBIT
Although born in Stuteart, Arkansas, Mr. Eugene Nesbit went to high school in San Petro, California where he studied welding. After graduating, he found employment at California Ship Building Corp in Termna Island, near Los Angles, CA. He was also a welder for the United States Navy. In 1942 he moved to Bremerton, WA and worked in the Navy Yard. Later, he moved to Seattle, enrolled in Molar Barber College and received his barber’s license in 1946. In 1949 he did an apprenticeship at Murphy’s Barber Shop at 23rd and Cherry. He also worked at Shannon’s Barber Shop on Madison and finished his apprenticeship at Welcome Barber Shop at 6th and Jackson which was owned by Walter Jefferson. When Mr. Willie Murphy left the shop to pursue a career in the ministry, Mr. Nesbit took over the shop and became the owner of Gene’s Barber Shop in 1949. His fondest memories were the jokes that were told in his shop.
ELEASE STEPHENS
Mrs. Elease Stephens was born in Canfield, Arkansas and raised in Gilliam, Louisiana. She moved to Washington State, Duwamish Bend, in 1946. She worked about 20 years as an LPN Nurse at Firland Sanitarium. She attended Moler Barber College in 1965, took the Washington State Board in 1966 and received her Master license in 1967. For seven (7) years, she worked at Bollock Barber Shop on Yesler. The first barber shop that she owned was Stephens Barber Shop located on Rainier Avenue, near Oberto’s and Massachusetts. Currently she is owner of Stephens Barber Shop on Genesee Street. She is the mother of 4 children, 18 grandchildren, 50 great grandchildren and 5 great, great grandchildren. At 82 years old, she attends “Follow the Light Connair Church” in Renton, sings in the choir and loves living her Christian life.
LARRY WOFFORD
Otha “Larry” Wooford was born and reared in Gary, Indiana. In 1955 he and his new bride honeymooned in Seattle and they never returned to Indiana. He was employed at Harborview Hospital in the late 1950s. He attended Moler Barber College where he received his barber’s license in 1961. Although he was a licensed barber, he also worked for Chevron from 1968 to 1986. He started barbering when he was a shoeshine boy on 19th and Yesler at Payton’s Barber Shop owned by Ozella Payton. In 1961 he had his own shop “Royal Barber Shop” in West Seattle. In 1987 he worked at Porter’s Barber Shop on Jackson. He left Porter’s to go across the street to Royal Barber Shop where he currently serves as manger. He recalls that once an unnamed customer came into his shop and paid for services and gave $100 dollars to each barber in the shop.