Kathryn
Krause Smetana
Built
the first condominium in Charlotte in 1970. With great care she built Gaynor Arms in
Randolph Park at Cotswold. This is her story.
She was born
September 15, 1910 in Philadelphia, Pa. Her parents were Michael and Catherine Krause.
She went to
school in Philadelphia until she was fourteen years old. Then she went to work with Apex
Hosiery Company in Philadelphia. She went to Continuation School to complete her high
school education while she worked. At sixteen years of age she left Philadelphia and came
south. She worked several years in the Greensboro area and became quite proficient in all
of the production jobs associated with the manufacturing of women’s hosiery. Soon she
became an instructor, and it was not long before she was quite in demand to teach her
skills. Whenever a new mill opened, Kathryn was hired to train the women in production.
And her jobs took her to the Concord area and to Gastonia. As soon as the manufacturing
plant was up and running smoothly, she would go to another start-up mill.
In the late
thirties, Otto Smetana opened a new mill in Monroe, NC and hired Kathryn to train the
staff in production. This time she stayed and married Otto.
After World War
II the hosiery business changed drastically. The stocking that had the seam up the back
was called full fashion. Rather than convert the plant to make hosiery as it is today,
Otto Smetana sold the mill and retired from the hosiery business. He and Kathryn traveled
extensively throughout the USA.
Otto and Kathryn
built a bowling alley, Park Lanes, near Park Road Shopping Center. They later sold it, but
Kathryn and her brother in law ran The Wash Bowl Laundry in the basement of the bowling
alley. Otto and Kathryn lived in a home on Ferncliffe Drive during this time. Otto passed
away in the early sixties.
Kathryn got the
building bug and decided to build a condo. The plans and specs were started in the late
sixties and Gaynor Arms was started in 1970. Kathryn gave thought to every detail
including security, storage, elevator, central laundry, clubroom and covered parking.
After completing
Gaynor Arms, she moved to Florida and built four houses there.
She stayed on in Florida
for seventeen years, but in 1986, returned to her condo at Gaynor Arms.
Kathryn passed
away January 23, 1998.
A
long and cherished friend of Kathryn’s, Al Busedu, was kind to write this story in
memory of his friend.
Thanks,
Al…another Angel!
