57 varieties of memorabilia

Harriet Evans Hunter says the H.J. Heinz Co. was a generous place to work, and she has the souvenirs to prove it.

Hunter, 80, said the company gave employees Christmas gifts every year. Since Hunter worked as a secretary for H.J. Heinz for 45 years, she was around to receive lots of gifts.

Hunter's new apartment in the retirement homes at Concordia Lutheran Ministries is liberally decorated with objects bearing the Heinz logo, from the red-and-white afghan draped over the back of her sofa to the snow globe with a Pittsburgh street scene that, naturally, includes Heinz Field.

To display her collection for a reporter, Hunter covered her kitchen counters with tins, pins, magnets, coasters, key chains, decorative plates and spoons, coffee mugs, postcards, note cards and playing cards all featuring Heinz products.

She even has a turtleneck shirt and wrapping paper covered in ketchup and pickle bottles.

Hunter said her set of drinking glasses painted to resemble Heinz product containers is probably one of her favorite gifts, although she had a hard time choosing.

She thought her can opener shaped like a classic Heinz tin was one of her oldest items.

"It was a great company to work for," Hunter said.

As a retiree, she still receives a Christmas gift from the company every year.Hunter said she's given some of her Heinz memorabilia away over the years and had to downsize when she moved from her house in Ross Township to Concordia last September.

Hunter said she asked a friend to decorate her new apartment for her and was pleased with the tasteful paintings and knickknacks. But Hunter worked her Heinz items into the decor.

She was sure to make room for the large grandfather clock the company gave her when she reached her 40th anniversary at Heinz.

The gift for reaching her 45th year with the company was easier to accommodate: She wears the diamond ring on her pinky finger.

Hunter said during her 4{1/2} decades with the company, she only had three different supervisors.

Hunter began working at Heinz in 1943 and retired in 1988. She continued donating her time with volunteer efforts the company sponsored until last August.

"When I started working, you figured when you started a job, you'd stay there for your career," Hunter said. "I certainly did."