Mary Jean Bublitz’s Diary
1966
Jack gave me a worried look when we woke up this morning in Grants, New Mexico to a dusting of snow. We were thinking the same thing: Is our little yellow 1964 Chevy going to make it? I said a Hail Mary as Peggy and Dwayne excitedly shrieked upon seeing the snow outside our motel window. Peggy and Dwayne played quietly in the backseat of the car and sometimes they spent hours looking out the window, entranced by the scenery. Brian on the other hand, screamed and wailed for most of the day. They are 6,4, and 2 years old. As the afternoon dragged on, Peggy asked every fifteen minutes how much farther we had to go. We were all anxiously watching for the San Francisco Peaks, because that’s when we knew we’d finally be home.
Seeing the Peaks was an emotional moment for Jack and me. We left Germantown, Wisconsin three days ago so it’s been a long time coming. We lived in Flagstaff once before, but moved back to Wisconsin after a year. Although we were back with family in Wisconsin, Jack and I couldn’t stop thinking about that little mountain town in Arizona. When Jack and I finally told my parents we were moving back to Flagstaff, Papa said, “Once you get that Arizona sand in your shoes, you can’t shake it out!”
Jack drove slowly down Route 66 and we soaked in the scenery of the welcoming neon lights that flashed in all colors of the rainbow. Dwayne pointed out the drive-in movie theater which would be vacant until May when the warmer weather rolled in. My mouth was already watering upon seeing A&W Root Beer; I was tempted to tell Jack to stop so we could all enjoy the delectable soda in frosted glasses, but I decided we should keep driving. Jack pointed out the pink steeple of Nativity Church, tucked away behind downtown. A train whistle sounded and the ground shook as the Santa Fe diesel train whizzed by adjacent to us. Granny’s Closet Restaurant came into view, a huge lumberjack statue welcoming guests who ate there, and welcoming us to this side of town that called Northern Arizona University home. Instead of following Route 66 as it curved to the right, Jack continued straight for about a quarter mile on Milton and turned into the Time Motel.
The Time Motel seemed so large and grand compared to the Geronimo Motel that we owned a few years ago. The 42 cannery yellow motel unites were arranged in a u-shape and the peaked rooves looked so inviting. A covered pool was in the center of the units, which we’d uncover and learn to manage when the warmer months rolled around. I noticed that our motel was only one of about five in Flagstaff that had swimming pools. I hope this will be great business for us. A grassy area was in front of the pool, with gas lamps surrounding the area. This time of year, the grass appeared a brown and yellow color. I’d be sure to tell Jack to turn the water on right away to get it looking green so it’s welcoming for guests. The front office was the first little building on the left. Flower boxes under the windows and flower pots scattered around the area were empty now but I was already excited to fill them with flowers in Spring. Our view across the road was a sea of Ponderosa Pine trees and to the right stood the majestic Peaks. I stole a glance at Jack and he seemed to be holding in the excitement that I was containing.
Rollin Van Der Vart, who we bought the motel from, showed us the living quarters behind the front desk. Oh how grand it was! So much more space compared to the living quarters we had at the Geronimo. There was a full kitchen with a window looking out to the pool. I could already picture myself and my mother rolling the dough for stollen pastry and anise cookies during Christmas time. There was a modest living room with furniture and two bedrooms. Raising Peggy, Dwayne, and Brian here would not be a problem.
Rollin got Jack and me acquainted with everything that first day: front desk operations, the switchboard, and the AAA affiliation. The magical feeling that fluttered in my stomach the first day was gone after being bombarded with so much responsibility and information.
Our first day running the motel without Rollin’s help, was a nightmare. I walked Dwayne to elementary school at NAU and drove Peggy to Nativity School and when I returned, I found Jack deep cleaning one of the units. “Those football players left a mess. It’ll be a miracle if we get all these rooms cleaned,” he said. There had been a college football team staying at the motel and they left every room a disaster with pizza boxes on the floor, stains on the carpet, and toilets clogged. It was already nine o’ clock in the morning, so we had about five hours to clean the rooms before guests started arriving to rent them out. Like Rollin warned, Jack and I had maid shortage, so we were left cleaning the rooms by ourselves, doing laundry and taking care of the office work in between. Miraculously, we got it done and rented out all the rooms later that day.
Peggy helped me plant carnations, daisies, and geraniums when April rolled around and Jack was busy learning how to manage the pool. After three days of struggle, Jack decided to call the previous pool manager; who knew there was even such a title as “pool manager”? Our pool was extremely small for the number of bodies that used it in a single day, so it had to be cleaned in a special manner that I still don’t understand, even though Jack has explained it to me multiple times. Jack learned the proper percentage of chlorine that should be added to the pool each day and he scrubbed the tile with a cleaning solution that he mixed every day. When May rolled around Jack had become, in my eyes, the best pool manager in Flagstaff. I was very proud of my guy. The kids were proud of him too, although they didn’t say it. They swam in the pool every day after school let out. The children’s noses were always red and sunburnt but they didn’t mind.
My parents moved to Flagstaff in June and Peggy, Dwayne, and Brian rushed out of the pool to hug their grandparents once they saw their blue Chevy pull into the parking lot. I was thrilled to see my parents; it meant we had more help to run our busy motel! My siblings, Lee and Doreen, also came along. Lee only stayed one day in Flagstaff and had come only to help my parents and Doreen move. Goma took charge of the front desk and she cooked us elaborate, authentic German meals while Papa did the switchboard and laundry. Doreen, thirteen at the time, ran extra towels to guest rooms and was our kiddie’s favorite playmate. Jack and I could finally catch our breaths with the extra help.
On summer nights around 7, Jack and I would take a drive through town to see how business was at the other motels. Somehow, this quickly became known as “going ranching” and the kiddos were itching to come along with us. Before long, we’d all pile into our Chevy and count the cars in the other motel lots. The drive-in movie theater was full every day this time of year and Jack always drove extra slow as we passed by so the kids could get a good look at whatever movie was playing. If the children were on their best behavior, we’d swing by A&W Root Beer for some floats.
If the kiddos weren’t in the pool or helping Jack reload the soda machine or helping the few maids clean rooms, they’d play tag and football in the grassy area and would frequently bump into the surrounding gas lights. This was a big headache for Papa. Those lights were so sensitive to any sort of contact and they would immediately burn out. Papa cursed under his breath whenever the kiddos ran into the living quarters, declaring that another light had stopped working.
I didn’t sleep well those first few months in the motel. Not only was I constantly going through the ‘to do’ list in my head, making sure we completed all tasks for the day, but I’d be worried sick about Jack. Jack’s and my bed was against the front door, adjacent to our office, and he would get up at all hours of the night at the sound of the bell on the front desk. Guests came to the front desk at night to request more towels,ask for the plunger, or ask for our assistance with an appliance that wasn’t working in their room. Sometimes guests would check in late at night. I always listened intently to Jack’s conversations with the guests because I was terrified that someone could shove a gun in Jack’s face at any moment. Thankfully, our Lord was taking care of us and this never became a reality.
1967
December 9, 1967 was Dwayne’s eighth birthday and Goma made beef roast and vegetables along with eclairs, Schaum Torte, and apple pie upon his request for the celebration. Brian asked that we don’t draw the shades as the sun set that night so that we could see the snow as it kept falling as it did all day. The next morning, we heard on the radio that schools were cancelled and the kiddos shrieked with excitement.
Jack and Papa shoveled off our carport while Goma and I called to hire someone to plow the parking lot. The kids came back inside for lunch, covered in snow after playing outside for hours. With flared nostrils Papa exclaimed, “They’re wet up to their ass!” The kids were in seventh heaven and only laughed at their grandpa’s comment.
By December 11, we had 36 inches of snow accumulation. As Goma and I rolled Christmas cookie dough, I frequently looked out the window, distracted by the piling snow outside. I kept a close eye on the children as they had snowball fights and tackled each other, making sure that they didn’t get buried in the snow piles. We didn’t have any snow removal equipment except shovels and needless to say, Papa and Jack always returned inside with sore shoulders and arms.
Some guests stayed with us during this snowstorm. The guests were impatient with us because their vehicles were snowed in because we had still not been able to get a plow to come by our lot. Goma even baked pastries for them and delivered them to their rooms as a peace offering.
The roads were not improving and many businesses had closed. I drove carefully to the grocery store across from us and Goma helped me load up a cart with essential food. Thankfully we did because the next day, the radio reported that trucks could no longer drive the roads into town to deliver food to grocery stores.
By December 13, we were up to more than 60 inches of snow. The radio station was on emergency broadcasting only and they were telling people with flat roofs to begin shoveling them. There were already a few businesses whose roofs had collapsed under the weight, the grocery store across the street being one of them.
On December 17, the last day of the snow blizzard, there were 83 inches on the ground. Jack, Goma, Doreen, Peggy, Dwayne, Brian and myself went on a walk to see what the city looked like. We bundled up like Eskimos and walked down the middle of Milton Road all the way to the underpass and never met a car. The Peaks were still hidden behind layers of clouds and piles of snow as tall as buildings lined the street. It was a very eerie sight.
We finally got help plowing our lot two days later and guests were released from their captivity. Thankfully our relationship with the guests had smoothed over after they realized how massive this storm was and that we were doing all that we could do. We spent many nights with them in the living quarters, playing rounds of Sheepshead, our favorite card game, and sharing family stories. I was a little sad to see our guests go and their hearts seemed to ache a little as the children waved to them when they drove out of the parking lot.
A few days later, as the snow began to melt off the peaked roofs , water seeped inside the units, saturating the carpet and baseboards and flooding the bathrooms. Jack had the idea to use extra bedspreads to soak up the water. We continued soaking the water up for a month, as the snow continued to melt. Then, we finally had enough of the nonsense so Jack and Papa shoveled all the roofs, piling the snow even higher on the ground. Then, Goma and I used hair dryers to dry the carpet in the units for good. With the snow off the roofs, we realized that there were several leaks on some of the roofs and many shingles had come down with the snow. Thankfully, business was slow so we had time to make any repairs before the busy season of summer started.
It was a memorable winter, no doubt. Good thing we had family helping us. They were always such a blessing.
1981
I can’t believe that my little Peggy is already graduated from NAU with an art degree. The graduation ceremony was held at the newly built Dome which looked like a huge white snowball amidst the sea of Ponderosa Pine trees. Goma clapped and screamed the loudest at the ceremony when Peggy’s name was called and I helped Goma cook and bake a feast for the special day.
Dwayne is 20 and Brian is 18; they work full-time at the Quality Inn Hotel, which Jack and I have owned and managed for eight years now. The Quality Inn is just down the street from our old Time Motel, and it’s the last building as guests drive out of Flagstaff towards Phoenix. Of course I think this will change in the future, with how rapidly Flagstaff is expanding. Goma and Papa are also in the motel business in Flagstaff and own the Blue Spruce on the other side of town.
Freddy, our cook, seems to call in sick or he oversleeps at least once a week and in that case, Dwayne takes over the breakfast room, cooking ready-to-order eggs, pancakes, and waffles for the guests that stay with us each night. Dwayne takes the graveyard shift frequently and sometimes works two shifts in a row when Freddy can’t come in.
Nevertheless, the extra stress doesn’t seem to bother Dwayne. He’s quite the jokester and once covered our handyman’s desk with sticky notes of absurd tasks he had to complete the next day.
Brian has turned into quite an athlete and is training for his first marathon. On days when he works in the mornings, as soon as his shift is over at 3, he’ll lace up his running shoes and run all the way up the Peaks or even up to Mount Elden. I worry about him that he’ll run into a bobcat one of these days. When he’s at work, Brian helps Jack take care of the financial side of things and he keeps all of us entertained with his easily aggravated temper. The slightest of annoyances can set Brian off; I’m glad he took up running to let out some of that steam.
My brother, Lee, finally moved to Flagstaff from Wisconsin and bought our old Time Motel in 1976. Jack and I sent him our overflow from the Quality Inn whenever we can. Peggy, Dwayne, and Brian are thrilled to finally have their favorite uncle in Flagstaff. They take motorcycle trips every summer now, visiting the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Old Faithful in Yellowstone. Lee and Brian go hunting in the fall and bring home delicious deer meat that Goma cooks up.
These days I’m busier than ever on the International Operators Council for Choice Hotels. I remember feeling very unqualified to be on the board when I was asked to join. It’s not normal to see a woman on any board as it is very male dominated. Goma has been encouraging me to “use the voice that God gave me” and now I’m not as scared to do so. We recently had a meeting in Washington DC and I decided to voice an idea that has been brewing for months now. I proudly stood and said, “It’s about time that we start providing non-smoking rooms.”
I wish I could have captured the look of those men’s faces that day. They all said, “Oh, Mary Jean, sit down. That’s a dumb idea.” Despite their hesitancy, they decided that Jack and I could test it out at the Quality Inn so we started out with seven non-smoking rooms. In the blink of an eye, more than half of our guests were asking for non-smoking rooms and we took extra steps to deep clean more rooms and convert them to non-smoking. By the next board meeting, the CEO of Choice Hotels exclaimed that all hotels will be jumping on the idea and from there, the idea of non-smoking places exploded and was being incorporated not just in hotels, but at restaurants and on airplanes. Jack and I accepted an award from the American Lung Association because of our accomplishment and it was one of the proudest moments of my life.
In all the commotion about non-smoking rooms, Lee decided to join the Choice Hotel franchise. The Time Motel became the Comfort Inn and it underwent a huge renovation. Gone were the welcoming little cannery yellow units and the grassy area in the center of the property with those finicky gas lamps. Two of the wings of the motel were turned into two stories. I tried not to dwell too much on the change that was occurring. If there is one thing consistent in life, it’s change. It was evident with how much had changed already in our short time in Flagstaff.
I try to remember the good that has come from change. How I got to meet Gene Kelly when he stayed with us at the Quality Inn and I requested that he sing a verse from “Singing in the Rain” while atop our banister in the lobby. That moment wouldn’t have been possible if Jack and I never decided to sell the Time Motel and buy the Quality Inn. I remember the time that Jack, Goma, Papa, the kiddos, and I went up to the Peaks with nuns from the Catholic school to cut down Christmas trees for our motel and the Catholic school. Little did we know that we cut down the trees in a prohibited area. We were “caught” but once the forest service gentleman saw we were with harmless nuns, they let us go. That moment that I still laugh about wouldn’t happen if we never moved west to this Ponderosa Pine forest. A lot of good has come from change. Jack and I kept pushing forward and trusting in the Lord to direct us.
1988-1991
Bob met Peggy three years ago through mutual friends and kept in contact via letter while Bob lived in Alaska and Peggy in Flagstaff. The couple was married a year later and now, they’ve given Jack and me our first grandbaby, precious Mason. He’s a chunky little guy with reddish blond hair and freckles. Although his squishy cheeks got sunburned at Lake Powell, Mason loved spending time at the lake with the rest of our family. One day his uncle Brian will be teaching him how to drive our loyal SeaRay Boat.
Our new Quality Suites opened this year. It’s right next to our old Time Motel, that Lee still owns. We still own and managed the Quality Inn. Jack thought I was crazy when I told him we should take on another business but with all of the kiddos grown, and now with Bob taking on more responsibility at the Quality Inn, I felt confident that we could do it. I quickly regretted my decision to build the Suites almost immediately as we started the process of contacting contractors and talking to the city about our ambitious dream. There were so many hoops to jump through and Jack and I spent many afternoons in the Newman Center chapel, asking St. Joseph to watch over the construction. From the floor-to-ceiling windows in the chapel, we could see our hotel slowly being built, the ground often shaking from the heavy machines working so close by.
One of my many headaches during this time was due to the armoire furniture that we ordered to be placed in every one of the 102 rooms. Once the furniture was delivered and ready to be moved into the rooms, we quickly realized that they were too large to go through the walls. How could we have forgotten to measure the doorway before ordering 102 armoires? I still can’t believe how idiotic we must have been to forget that detail! After much deliberation, we decided to use a crane to skillfully hoist the armoires into each room through the window. Mind you, there are three floors of the hotel, so this of course was not the desired way to get this furniture into the rooms, but it got the job done.
Finally, the Quality Suites opened for business! Jack took charge of managing the Quality Inn while I took full control of the Suites with help from the children. Dwayne was hired as the manager of housekeeping and the kitchen while Peggy was hired to manage all front desk operations. Brian continued to be our bookkeeper for both properties. Bob was our go-to guy for the gift shop, something that Dwayne gave him a lot of slack for. Bob was always busy entertaining Mason and Mallery, our newest grandbaby. Dwayne would understand when he had children someday.
The Suites was given a 4-Diamond Award only a year after we opened, and it became the second biggest accomplishment in my life. Little America Hotel was the only other in the town that received this same award, and Peggy used her art degree from NAU to help us create a brochure that got the word out about our new 4-Diamond rating. The brochure highlighted the three hotels in the family: Quality Suites, Quality Inn, and Lee’s Comfort Inn, our old Time Motel. At the ceremony where Jack and I received the award, I think I saw a tear or two in Goma’s eyes. I held back my tears that day, too.
Only a few years after this, Lee’s Comfort Inn was changed to the Econo Lodge by the franchise. Econo Lodge is a step down from Comfort Inn, which seemed to be more of a disappointment for me than it was for him. It was heartbreaking seeing our Time Motel being downgraded.
I tried to focus on all the good that the Lord was doing in our lives instead, one of those good things being a recent relationship that’s blossomed between Dwayne and one of our NAU front desk employees. Peggy hired Cindy nearly two years ago but Dwayne didn’t ask her out until a few months ago. Dwayne said that he couldn’t sleep for days because all he could think about was asking her out, and he finally did, although he was nervous for what Cindy might think, since Dwayne is 12 years older than her. I didn’t think Cindy would say “yes” to going out with him; she’s such a cautious, timid young woman but the Lord must have prompted her to give Dwayne a try. The two are inseparable now and I think it’s only a matter of time before he gets down on one knee.
2003
Jack and I keep counting our blessings. Mason comes golfing with us occasionally and someday I think he’s going to be a pro. Mallery is a budding artist and loves her pet cat, Maxie. Kirsten, Dwayne and Cindy’s daughter, is three this year and is starting to warm up to her sister, Faith, who was born a couple years ago.
I finally admitted that Jack had been right all alone, that two hotels would be too much for us to handle, and we sold the Quality Suites soon after Dwayne and Cindy married. Shortly after selling the Suites, I got a terrible call from Lee on New Year’s Day. Goma and Papa had been traveling in southern Arizona to see family when Goma suddenly had a heart attack, crashed, and they both died on impact. I’ve never been so devastated and I’ve never cried in front of family before, but I couldn’t hold back the tears. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye or get a chance to thank them for all of their encouragement over the years, for Papa’s comedic relief in times of stress and his willingness to always fix those awful gas lamps, and for Goma’s encouragement to use my voice and for her German cooking that kept all of our bellies full. Jack reminded me one night that Goma and Papa always said that they wanted to die together, because they couldn’t picture life without each other. “The Lord answered their prayers,” Jack said. “How can we be mad at that?”
Shortly after Faith was born, we made the difficult decision to sell the Quality Inn. So much had changed recently in the family and it just felt like it was time. The children left the business with us and Lee sold the Econo Lodge soon after. It was a bittersweet moment for me. That was where it all began for Jack and me all those years ago. I still remember that long day of traveling from New Mexico, stepping outside to Flagstaff in 1966 at the Time Motel. And now our children are grown and our businesses, the reason for coming to Flagstaff in the first place, are sold. It’s crazy to look back and realize how quickly time flies and to think of the change we’ve endured. The one thing that has held constant in our lives has been the love between all of us. Although I don’t voice it to Jack, my children, and grandchildren how much I love them, they know.
Jack and I still keep busy and we are thankful to be close to all of our children and grandchildren. Flagstaff will always be home to us. Friends have told us to move to Phoenix, especially in the winter months when the weather is so much nicer there, but we can’t even think about leaving this town. Flagstaff holds the memories of our family. Leaving would be like leaving a family member.
Kirsten Bublitz
TUES 10/8/19 8:27 PM
To: bublitz781@hotmail.com < bublitz781@hotmail.com >
Hi Mary Mom,
I’m sure Dad already told you what happened today. Of course I had to be at work at the Newman Center today of all days when they were tearing down the old Time Motel. The Newman Center is so close to the motel that I could hear every rip and tear in the building as it went down. I felt like I was losing a family member. I’m glad that you didn’t have to hear the awful noise. How ironic that Pappy and you used to pray in the Newman Center chapel for the building of one of your hotels and today I was at the Newman Center, hearing one of your old motels being torn down?
Mom and I decided to walk over there to watch what was happening. I wanted to get a few last photos before it was completely gone. It wasn’t the smartest idea, because it only made the pain more real. Mom wrapped her arm around me as I cried on Milton Road; I’m sure all of the people passing by in their vehicles were wondering why I was so emotional.
Seeing them rip it to shreds seems like they don’t care. I felt my heart being ripped out along with it.
I guess it’s a perfect example that time is always changing. Maybe it’s time for the family and me to start trusting in the Lord, that He will carry us through this difficult time.
Love,
Kirst
588-bed, student focused Uncommon Flagstaff development replacing hotels on Milton
ADRIAN SKABELUND Sun Staff Reporter Oct 24, 2019
A rendering of the development Uncommon Flagstaff by the Chicago-based company CA Student Living, an off-shoot of the company CA-Ventures. The development is planned to open in 2021.
This month saw the demolition of two hotels on Milton Road to make way for a new 588-bed, student-focused housing development.
The two-acre area at 910 S. Milton Road, which was previously home to the Econo Lodge and the neighboring Travelodge, will now see construction of a development being called the Uncommon Flagstaff.
Mary Jean and Jack Bublitz
FRI 10/25/2019 5:17 PM
To: askabelund@azdailysun.com < askabelund@azdailysun.com >
Subject: DESTRUCTION OF MILTON RD. MOTELS
Hi Adrian,
I read the story about the new development with a TERRIBLE SADNESS!
The Econo Lodge, formerly Time Motel in 1966, when we purchased it, remained in our family with pride and hard work through 2006. It was always one of the best small Flagstaff hotels. It was an attractive building doing great business, until the day the destruction equipment moved onto the site. I cried along with my children and two granddaughters to watch this happen.
WHY???......We don’t need more UGLY HIGH-RISE STUDENT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN FLAGSTAFF.
I would suggest our present city council/management “wake up” to the wrong direction they are taking Flagstaff. I find it terribly troublesome as a citizen of this “ONCE UPON A TIME” wonderful town. Just take a drive on Milton and visualize how ugly things are changing. What a shame to watch these things happen.
Mary Jean Bublitz
November 28, 2019
Dear Lord,
Jack and I just finished the dishes from this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. My stuffing was a success as always, although I felt bad that I had to serve burnt pecan pie. I hope the family didn’t mind. I’m completely exhausted and I try not to dwell on the fact that each year it’s getting harder and harder for me to cook a Thanksgiving meal for the family. I don’t even want to think about the Stollen and anise cookies and other pastries I’ll be making for Christmas in just a couple short weeks. I wish Goma was here to help me.
I was able to talk to Mason today and he had a nice Thanksgiving in Seattle with some of his work friends, while Mallery enjoyed the holiday with Sarah, her roommate, and others that they’ve met recently in Chicago. I miss them terribly and it still saddens me that Mallery won’t be here for Christmas this year. It’ll be the first year that we won’t all be together as a family. What’s happening to us?
Faith and Kirsten are still attending NAU and Kirsten is a senior this year. She just got back from being interviewed in Denver to be a Catholic missionary. She hears back from them next week and if she’s accepted, she’ll be at a college campus somewhere in the country, serving as a missionary for the next two years. I never thought that Kirsten would leave Flagstaff, but it looks like I was wrong. I try to be excited for her, but how can I see her go when her home is here? Faith hasn’t said anything about moving in the near future; she still has two more years of school left. She has a little of Mallery’s adventurous personality and I could see Faith moving somewhere exotic for an extended period of time.
Our family is slowly being disassembled before my eyes and I can’t help but be weighed down by the sadness of it all. If anything, I know that you are still there, Lord. I still see you working through every member of the family. You are still loving us through all of this change, aren’t You? Can you please help me rely more on you during this time? I need you more than ever. Please remind me that You’ve been with me, even when I can’t see You. You are the one thing that never changes, that’s what I’m starting to realize.
Yours,
Mary Jean
Kirsten Bublitz was born and raised in Flagstaff and graduated from NAU in May 2020 with a degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in journalism. She is a freelance reporter for The Catholic Sun Newspaper; blogger on her site, “He is Pursuer”; and author of "Safe to Shore."
Comments