After 52 Years at Roses, Alice Allen is Set to Retire

The Burlington Times-News offers this human interest story about Alice Allen, a longtime employee of Roses who is about to retire after 52 years on the job:

As a senior in high school, when Alice Allen was hired part-time at Roses to assemble Easter baskets, working her way up through the company over the next five decades was never her intention. But 52 years later, Allen is ready to retire.

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Allen has weathered some uncertain times with the company, including the company filing for bankruptcy in the 1990s before Variety Wholesalers took over the Rose family’s chain.

“That saved everybody’s job,” she said. “There wouldn’t be a Roses if they wouldn’t have bought the company.”

And it’s a good thing they stayed afloat, at least for all the workers she’s given jobs over the years.

“I’ve hired a lot of people throughout my time here,” she said. “I’ve hired people, then hired their children — and I’ve gotten a few of their grandchildren. Three generations of people.”