Bob Hollingsworth learned the shoe shop business from his brother-in-law in Eric, Okla. He bought the shop in about 1941 and was in business in Eric for about one year. He moved his shop to Hollis, Oklahoma in 1942.
It was first located next to Coley’s Hardware and Hub Stanley’s Grocery Store. He later moved the shoe shop to the south side of Broadway next to the Watt Theatre.
During the War years he also had a restaurant on the south side of the street just west of his shoe shop. Vera’s niece and her husband ran the café.
Bob was drafted in 1944 and served in the Navy for a short time. He was discharged for health reasons a few months later and had surgery for ulcers.
When the Forducey’s moved to Lawton, Bob moved his business into the location beside Matlock's Barber Shop. He ran a shoe repair, boots, saddles and leather goods. He also made saddles and hand tooled them.
Bob retired in about 1977, he sold the contents of the shop. Claud remembers shining shoes for his dad for several years. He bought a lot of bicycles from O.L. Church with the money he earned.
