Photos from 1994 and 1929 of Mary Petro, 70-year employee of W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery.

The community of Bradford, Pennsylvania is saddened by the news that a dear friend, Mary Petro, passed away on July 25, 2007.  To the associates at W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company, Mary was more than a friend.  She is a Case Legend whose presence will be felt for many years to come. 

Much of Mary’s childhood was spent at the Case factory.  Her mother was widowed when Mary was just seven years old. At the time, child care was not an option, so she would often bring young Mary to work with her.

Mary’s own employment at Case Cutlery began on July 1, 1924, when she was 14 years old. She had graduated from St. Bernard’s Parochial School and was looking for a summer job.  At the suggestion of a friend, Mary applied for a job at Bradford Laundry.  She got the job, but was forced to quit after suffering burns to her hands.  While recuperating, a supervisor at the Case factory offered her a job in the packaging department. 

Russ Case was more than an employer to Mary; he was a friend of the family.  Russ was so touched by her family situation that he arranged financing of a home for her fatherless family-of-four.

Mary would work for Case for 70 years in all three of Case’s Bradford facilities; Bank Street, Russell Boulevard, and Owens Way.  She endured several job changes, ownership changes, management changes, even company bankruptcy, yet her loyalty to the company never wavered.  Many say she considered Case to be her second home.

This Standard Jigged Mary Petro Green Bone Grand Daddy Barlow (G6143 SS) was produced to honor Mary’s 70 years of service at Case and her retirement in 1994.

Long service with the Case Company became a Petro family tradition.  Mary’s mother would work for Case for more than 50 years.  Mary’s brother, sister, and brother-in-law would also become Case associates, helping to produce the fine knives that have made our American company world famous.  Collectively the family would log 225 years of knife making at Case! 

Even in her later years, Mary was a pleasant, unassuming lady whose warm smile accentuated her younger-than-her-years look.  She loved to reminisce about her days at the Case factory, and her memory for the company’s product list was just as acute.  When Case was assembling its “Factory Collection” of old and rare knives, it was Mary who provided model numbers to identify pieces for which records had been lost. 

In a very real way, Mary symbolized the indomitable spirit of the American worker.  She was a genuine lady with a humble spirit whose legacy lives on at W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company.