“Doc” Julo

(Valley Gazette, April 1978)

It’s a safe bet that virtually nobody looks forward to a trip to the dentist with glee and we’re not any different. However, we always enjoy a session about bygone days around the Panther Valley with Dr. George Julo when we get out of the chair, and that makes our visits to the dentist a lot easier to take.

“Doc” Julo, a former major and Army dentist, established his practice in Lansford after he was discharged from active duty in May, 1946, just about 32 years ago, and that’s an excellent example of how time flies.

Rolling back the calendar, Dr. Julo, a native of Coaldale, told us his first patient was “Chas” Gorka of Lansford. Gorka, who has gone on to greater things with Eastman-Kodak in New York, was just a teenager then, working as a dishwasher in the old Rialto Restaurant, not far from Dr. Julo’s office in downtown Lansford.

“I wasn’t quite set up yet but Chas developed a real bad toothache and I brought him over from the restaurant and took care of him,” Doc recalled.

He said his second customer was Tom Raymer, who built some of the mightiest football teams ever to take the field under a Coaldale High School banner.

On the way home, we met Dr. Martin Nichols, whose office is housed in the same building as Dr. Julo’s. Doc Nichols told us he’s been practicing in Lansford since 1948. That’s another example of how fast 30 years can fly by.