Major Valerie

COLLECTORS OF OUR AREA
By Marie Morrell

Meet Valerie Major

Valerie Major has been collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia for more than 20 years. She had no idea she would own a collection until a friend from Massena, New York, gave her for her birthday Coca-Cola memorabilia, from Wal-Mart. Then, friends and family added to this new collection for all kinds of occasions or just because.

Major’s passion for collecting grew over the years and she started purchasing Coca-Cola Barbie dolls on E-Bay, since as a little girl she was very found of Barbie. Major’s believes she has all the Coca-Cola Barbies that were produced.

Major’s most prized possession, is a Coca-Cola bottle, given by a friend, in commemoration of the Atlanta's Olympics. However, her most interesting piece is a replica of a Coca-Cola tray. So what is so special about it? It depicts a woman, from Lancaster, Ontario.

Who is this woman? Milly Read (nee Schnaufer), Cornwall’s very own model who almost hit the big-time in Hollywood, in 1940, and who stuck around with some big stars like Bill Crosby and Clark Gable. She was the daughter of Bertha Legault of Cornwall and George Schnaufer, a son of President Frederick Schnaufer of the St Lawrence Breweries Ltd. When working in a store as a department clerk, in Montreal, a local photographer hired her as a model for $20.00 a week. Eventually, her pictures made their way to various soft drink and cigarettes companies.

Valerie’s dream is to own an original tray. So people, if you know of the where about of the real McCoy, drop the information at Pat’s Home Cooking, located at 229 Pitt Street, Cornwall.

Major has been working at Pat's Home Cooking for the many years. At one time, it was called Tunker’s Café. Valerie is also a breast cancer survivor and also collects Breast Cancer Society of Canada memorabilia.

Thanks, Valerie, for sharing your Coca-Cola passion with us and happy collecting.