Herman and Lucille Jean came to Longwood in the early 1930s. Herman became the manager of the Longwood Service Station on the southwest side of Molnar Ave (434) and East Lake Dr (427). He was also a bus driver for Longwood Memorial School (Milwee). The Jeans’ bought out the owner and took over the service station; business boomed.
They ran out of room by 1950 and bought a lot directly across the street to expand their operation. It took them a year to build the new building, which was mostly their own handiwork (apparently, Lucille was the better carpenter). It was a three-story service station, garage, and convenience/grocery store–called Jean’s Service Station. The couple lived on the second floor; the third floor was another apartment they rented.
When they first opened the location, 434 was called Molnar Avenue, and it did not extend westward past 427. To continue to Sanlando Springs, you had to turn right and left onto Warren Avenue. The Jeans ran that location until 1968. Jean was also one of the earliest volunteer firefighters in town before they had a motorized engine. Herman would ride in the truck, while Lucille drove the horse! After they retired, they moved to North Orlando (Winter Springs). There they raised chickens and had a horse. Herman died at 88 in 1997, and Lucille passed in 2007. The photo is from their relative, Audrey Griffith, who posted it on Find A Grave. The Jeans are buried together in Longwood Memorial Gardens.