In this series, I am remembering the Penn Dixie Cement Company when its three Bath-area plants made it one of the largest cement plants in the Lehigh Valley and the United States. I am sure a number of my readers had family and friends employed by Penn Dixie.

One of the oldest employees was the late Mr. Raymond Houser, of Bath, whose memories have been found in previous columns. He retired from Penn Dixie with more than 50 years of service. His memories take us back to another era — a time when cement was “king” in the Valley.

Houser recalled, “One day, I was given a new assignment. The plant needed a first-aid man, so I was selected. I was surprised because I was no doctor, so I took courses from the Red Cross, the Bureau of Mines and read as much as possible about first aid.”

He remembered sad memories of accidents that snuffed out the lives of dedicated cement workers. With profound respect, he remembered Roy James, 26, who went to work one cool November day. Stone was pulled out of the quarry in steel cars. A cable tore and a breakaway car took the life of the young cement worker. In another accident, Arthur Eberly fell from a crane. Mr. Houser and men ran to help him, but it was too late; a good man was lost.

Houser continued, “One worker was hit by a broken piece of machinery almost severing his nose. I quickly drove him over to Dr. Seyfried in Nazareth for treatment. It was bloody, but the doctor made me help while he stitched the fellow’s nose. We also stabilized a man who had a broken pelvis. He was taken to the Easton Hospital. Later, the hospital sent us a letter commending us for how we handled the situation.”

Raymond enlisted in the Army in World War II but was ineligible because of his leg. During the war, he taught first-aid courses in Bath, Bangor and Pen Argyl.

Mr. Houser enjoyed his 50-plus years at Penn Dixie, saying, “I never felt I had a boss. No one looked over my shoulder. I loved my job and never hated to go to work. All the people I worked with were nice.”

His voice lowered, and his eyes glistened when he said, “We had good plants at Penn Dixie and good workers, but in my last years there, I saw the days were numbered — the kilns were warped, the clinker mills worn. It was a far cry from the days when I started.”

Houser retired in 1975 with his friend Charles Manning. There was a dinner at the Gourmet Inn. Do my readers remember the old inn on Cherryville Road?

Raymond lived to see another sad day. In 1979, the last of the three Penn Dixie plants shut down, thus closing the book on another Lehigh Valley cement plant.

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In two weeks, another former Penn Dixie employee will share memories with us. We will be purchasing a Penn Dixie company home, so I invite you to visit with me.