Toppy Walling's Bicycle Shop

Thursday 9-28-1967
Hartford Day Spring

Toppy Walling's Bicycle Shop
Hartford Michigan

Toppy Walling's Bicycle Ship - Hartford Michigan 1967

2-2008 Original photo contributed by Scott and Kim Sinclair - Sinclair Graphics,
formerly known as the Hartford Day Spring.

Death recalls Hartford landmark

Death of Glenn (Toppy) L. Walling (b 6-17-1884) at Hartford last week (d 9-21-1967) recalled a colorful era of history, marked by this landmark which for many years was Walling's bicycle shop on N. Center St. The building was torn down a few years ago to make room for a parking lot. In this shop, Walling fixed "wheels," as he called them, for children and grandchildren of his earlier customers. He had one of Hartford's first tire repair shops and at one time also sold motorcycles. Until the last year or so, he rode a wheel himself.

Bicycle man Walling dies

HARTFORD - Glenn L. Walling, 83, of 18 Hilliard street, Hartford, died at his home Thursday (9-21-1967).
       He was born June 17, 1884, in Hartford, the son of Frank and Ada Walling. On Aug. 14, 1907, he married Esther Jones who survives.
        Also surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Walter (Mildred) Floate of Paw Paw and Mrs. Frank (Camille) Truman of California; and one son, Dr. R.F. Walling of California; 10 grand children and nine great-grandchildren.
       Mr. Walling was owner and operator of a bicycle shop in Hartford for many years.
       Private funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Calvin funeral home, Hartford, with the Rev. William Draper of Seventh-day Adventist church, Hartford, officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill cemetery.
       Memorial may be made to the Seventh-day Adventist church building fund.

1-2007 - Newspaper articles submitted by Doris Ann Rorick (grand-daughter of Glenn and Esther Walling) via Dorla Shafer Weeden. Clyde and Ruby Shafer, and their children Brian, Clayton, Dorla, Avis, and Phillip, lived next door to the Wallings. Glenn and Esther's daughter, Camille Walling Truman, married Clyde Shafer after both of their spouses passed away.

Glenn Walling's (Toppy's) Bicycle Shop was located on North Center Street (between Bachman's Welding Shop and Conklin's Furniture Store - now Huffman's Furniture Store). The location where Toppy's Bicycle Shop was is now the entry and parking lot of Hardings Market.

Doris noted: As a kid, his shop wasn't significant; to me, it was dirty and greasy. Grandpa read a lot of Western paperback novels and a few of his "cronies" dropped in occasionally. He never ate grandma's good cooking, but always ate day-old bakery sweet rolls, bacon and eggs just about every meal! I remember when grandma bought a new couch, he remarked must've set you back $50.00! He never drove a car, always rode his bike around town. Was 83 and just fell asleep on the couch.

Other memories about Toppy Walling & his Bicycle Shop

Dorla Shafer Weeden (HHS 1958)
Dorla stated that he always wore a small soft hat, like the kind horse jockeys wear, and I never saw him without it on. She thought that may be how he got the nickname, Toppy. Notice the parking meter in the lower right area of the picture next to the "Firestone" sign. 1-2007

Emma Thornburg Sefcik (HHS 1966)
Whenever I talk with anyone who grew up in Hartford, before the 1960s, one topic of conversation is usually Toppy's Bicycle Shop. I got my first bike there, as well as almost every kid in town. I tagged along with my dad, who went there to get tire patches or to have Toppy fix flat tires for my bike. I can still remember the smell of rubber, the old dark-dingy-poorly lit shop with a wooden floor. Not a fancy shop, but it will always be engrained in my mind as the place to go with my dad, because conquering my bike and keeping it running was one of the most important things in my childhood. 2-2007

Larry Blyly (HHS 1946)
My personal experience I will never forget: I went in for a bicycle rear axle nut, and I got a "sermon!" Really, he very tactfully explained how many different sizes there were, then sold me the nut. I ended up doing the same thing with the kids that came in our store.

(Larry and Lois Patterson Blyly owned Riverview Equipment & Bait until 2006, where they also sold new bikes and repaired old ones for the next generations of Hartford kids).
1-2007

Lois Kussmann Latus (HHS 1947)
I was glad to see the "old bicycle shop" picture. Toppy renovated a bike for me that I bought from Jean Slattery. New paint job, tires, etc. I had that bike for a long time, but what I remembered most about the deal was that Toppy never called bicycles by that name, he always referred to them as "WHEELS". We tee hee'd about that a lot! 4-2007

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