Jon Dates recounts family’s car dealership

If the legendary Dates Chevrolet Company were still standing at 308 Main St. in Groton today, it would be 105 years old this year. Many still remember it fondly — particularly Jon H. Dates, whose grandfather, John Dates, opened the automotive sales and repair establishment in 1917.

John owned, operated and grew the business from then until his death in 1946, after which his son and daughter, Karl and Helen, jointly took over and continued their father’s legacy for the next 36 years. Karl had served in the United States Air Force in WWII and gladly stepped up upon his return to join forces with his sister to keep the family business going.

While Karl and Helen worked together at seamlessly and successfully building on the foundation their father had laid, the good reputation of what became known as Dates Chevrolet — and in later years, Dates Chevrolet-Oldsmobile — spread throughout Tompkins County and beyond.

Karl also established another family legacy with his wife, Irene, when they welcomed their twin boys, Jon and Joe, in June 1947.

Both boys attended Groton Central School for the greater part of their young lives until Jon transferred to Austin-Cate Academy in Center Strafford, New Hampshire. Jon was educated there in 1965 and 1966 and then graduated.

“Austin-Cate was basically a private prep school,” Jon said. “And it wasn’t uncommon in those days for some kids to go there or somewhere like it. After I graduated in 1966, I came home and worked selling cars at the dealership until I got drafted into the Army later that same year.”

Going in as an A-1 infantryman, Jon was sent immediately to serve in Vietnam, where he spent the next two years in service to two different Army colonels as their driver.

“I had no boot camp or training,” Jon said. “I just drove them around every single day to different battlefields or wherever they needed to go because it was their job to see what was happening all over the area.”

When Jon finished his tour of duty, he did so with a medal of commendation for saving the life of one of those colonels.

“One day out of nowhere, a shot came through the ignition switch and blew off the shift lever,” Jon said. “It killed the engine, and we weren’t going anywhere, so I just got the colonel out onto the ground and waited.”

As it happened, that shot that incidentally missed Jon’s knee by less than 2 inches was thankfully heard by U.S. troops in an Army tank that had been traveling ahead of them, who then came back and rescued them both.

“I didn’t think I did anything to deserve a medal,” Jon said. “But they gave it to me. Then they asked me to re-up, but I said ‘no’ and came back to selling cars at the dealership.”

Jon attended Tompkins Cortland Community College part time to take business courses while working full time at the dealership. He met and fell in love with his wife, Lucy, in his last semester at Tompkins Cortland. They married in June 1971 and welcomed their daughter, Kim, to the family in August 1973, followed by their son, Brian, in June 1977.

In those early years of their marriage, Jon also earned his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification and worked on the ambulance crew for the Groton Fire Department (GFD), but as he became more and more involved with the dealership, he realized that he “couldn’t do it all” and had to step away from his involvement with the GFD.

In 1982, Karl and Helen sold the Dates dealership to John Walters, after which it became Walters Chevrolet, but Jon continued to work there, finishing his career with two years at Stafford Chevrolet in Dryden before he then retired in 1991 — the same year his father, Karl, passed away.

Jon and Lucy now have four grandchildren, who bring them tremendous joy, and Jon has remained active in many things such as serving on the Groton Rural Cemetery Board since 2004, and he will mark being a member of the Groton American Legion for 55 years in 2023.

He is also a member of the Groton Historical Society, along with Lucy, and in recent months, he spends his Saturday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. assisting with tours and answering questions of guests who visit the Groton Historical Museum.

Despite living a full life since his retirement, Jon still has nostalgia for Dates Chevrolet, and his fondness for the years he spent serving his customers is almost palpable.

“To this day, everywhere I go, I see old customers who are still happy,” Jon said. “I enjoyed selling cars very much.”

Recalling his time of service in Vietnam, Jon said he went there because he had to, knew he had to do what he was told to do and just did it. Perhaps that actually helped to fuel his fervor to please his customers.

“I listened to what people had to say about what they wanted and did my best to accommodate them,” Jon said. “It’s all about how you treat people. I go a lot of places and do a lot of things now, but everywhere I go, people I haven’t seen in years — they recognize me and remember me and that is a very good feeling.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.

In brief:

Groton Senior Club

The Groton Senior Club will hold its monthly lunch and meeting at the Center Village Court housing complex Sept. 28 beginning at 12:15 p.m. All are welcome, and the event is open to senior citizens from anywhere, not just Groton.

Everyone is asked to bring a dish to pass and their own place setting for the meal. Lunch will officially begin at 12:30 p.m., followed by a very special presentation by representatives of Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management. Come and learn about the latest tips and tricks for effective recycling techniques.

Free cooking classes

The Groton Public Library (GPL) is hosting Happy Meals, Happy Families free cooking classes from 5:30 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday through Oct. 25. Parents and their children can prepare and share a meal with provided ingredients, cookware and child-safe utensils. Classes are taught by Tina Snyder, community nutrition educator from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County.

Register for one or all of these classes either through GPL Director Sara Knobel at director@grotonpubliclibrary.org or through Snyder at tmf8@cornell.edu.

Food scraps recycling

The Groton Drop Spot is now open for food scraps recycling. Staffed by an attendant, this will operate every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Town Clerk’s Office, 101 Conger Blvd. The program accepts all food scraps — including meat, bones and dairy products — as well as food-soiled paper towels and napkins. Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags are also accepted.

Visit tinyurl.com/2p5hhxb3 for more information.