Today in this continuing series, I am speaking with Eric Eberhardt, president of Eberhardt Motors, Egypt, in Whitehall Township.

The popular dealership is observing its 90th anniversary.

With the end of World War II, the Eberhardt boys, Ferdinand and Theodore, returned from their service in the U.S. Army.

They joined their father, Theodore F. Eberhardt, founder of the business, to meet the demand for new automobiles.

Automobile production had abruptly stopped with the advent of World War II. Now, customers were lined up to purchase a new Plymouth.

"Teddy" joined his father in sales while "Ferdie" supervised the service department at the dealership.

Business prospered as automobiles rolled off the Chrysler assembly lines to Plymouth dealers throughout the nation.

Teddy's two sons would follow in their grandfather's and father's footsteps at the landmark Egypt dealership.

Eric was reared in Egypt with his twin brother Errol. They spent many a happy day at the Egypt Memorial Park playground.

They both attended Whitehall Elementary School and were in the same class but, at the high school, they followed different tracks.

Eric enjoyed his years with the Whitehall-Coplay Senior High School band with his trusty drum. Errol was active in the school's choral groups.

"My favorite teacher was Mr. Kaligis," Eric recalled.

This teacher involved all the students in his class, Eric says. His sense of humor made learning fun. "You really looked forward to each class."

Today his former teacher is a loyal Eberhardt customer. I guess the student changed his role, providing service to Mr. Kaligis. Numerous Whitehall teachers continue to make Eberhardt's their auto service center.

I asked about his youth at the garage.

"We spent considerable time there with our grandfather, Theodore F. Eberhardt, who started the garage, and with our father, Ted, and Uncle Ferdie," he said. "I think I was 10 years old when I pumped gasoline for customers.

"My brother Errol and I graduated from Whitehall-Coplay High School in 1979. While in high school, I enrolled in a Chrysler-sponsored automotive program at Lehigh Carbon Community College. Upon graduation with a degree in automotive technology, I started at the garage as an auto technician.

Errol also graduated, with a degree in business.

"This education was extremely valuable when we were given the opportunity to operate the family business," Eric said. "I continued my automotive education evenings at Northampton Community College. The college had facilities which prepared you to work on Chrysler, General Motors and Ford products."

The Chrysler Corporation furnished new automobiles to work on to understand the current technology.

"The cars were brand new, they were not fugitives from a salvage yard!" he said.

I asked him who supervised him at the garage.

"Uncle Ferdie was a task master,:" he replied. "He would look over your shoulder and make certain you repaired a car 'The Eberhardt Way.'

"As a result I was able to combine proven old-fashioned methods with current technology I learned at Lehigh Carbon Community College."

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More memories soon.