Mark J. Jacobs published his first book about his uncle’s grocery store in The Heights of Wilkes-Barre during the 1950s and 1960s.

Photo Credit — Mark J. Jacobs

<p>”The Quirky Heart of Ted the Grocer” by Mark J. Jacobs will be released this weekend on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google, Kobu, and other book platforms.</p>
                                 <p><em>Photo Credit — Mark J. Jacobs</em></p>

”The Quirky Heart of Ted the Grocer” by Mark J. Jacobs will be released this weekend on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google, Kobu, and other book platforms.

Photo Credit — Mark J. Jacobs

<p>A photo of Mark J. Jacobs’ Uncle Ted, who inspired his new book.</p>
                                 <p><em>Photo Credit — Mark J. Jacobs</em></p>

A photo of Mark J. Jacobs’ Uncle Ted, who inspired his new book.

Photo Credit — Mark J. Jacobs

Mark J. Jacobs, long-time resident who grew up in Wilkes-Barre, just published his first book. In Jan. 2025, he released his memoir about his Uncle Ted’s store in The Heights, entitled “The Quirky Heart of Ted the Grocer.”

The city of Wilkes-Barre and specifically The Heights section inspired Jacobs. He’s had a long, rich history in Luzerne County. Jacobs went to school at Bishop Hoban High School then attended Wilkes University. He was born on Grant Street in Wilkes-Barre and lived in the area for about 47 years.

“I partially retired in March, but I always wanted to write a story about my Uncle Ted’s store,” said Mark J. Jacobs in an interview with The Weekender.

The book chronicles humorous and heartwarming tales about his Uncle Ted’s small-town grocery store on Hancock Street during the 1950s and 60s. The book is set in the backdrop of significant cultural and societal shifts, including big events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the sugar shortage. Meanwhile, Jacobs captures the eccentric charm of Ted, whose store was more than just a place to buy groceries—it was a stage for quirky interactions, oddball customers, and unconventional ways of running his business.

“My Uncle Ted was a very big part of my life and my siblings. I come from a very big family of nine children,” said Jacobs. “My Uncle Ted’s store was a refuge of sorts.”

Uncle Ted was a unique character throughout Jacobs’ life, and he wanted to recognize him both as a dear uncle and a fixture of the neighborhood. The book introduces Uncle Ted and how he came into the grocery store business, as well as incorporates his many time-tested catch phrases that Jacobs still remembers.

Through a series of vignettes, the book explores themes of family, community, and the fading era of local businesses while blending nostalgia with insight to reflect on major shifts reshaping America during this period.

Although the property of the former grocery store in The Heights was converted into a house in the 1970s and many residents have since moved away, the area holds a lot of history for Jacobs’ family and all the others who grew up there.

“It’s sort of shame the past is lost, but maybe some of the people who lived up there today can still remember then,” said Jacobs.

Many kids in the neighborhood would stop at the store after school, and there’s even a story about “Pizza Day” up on The Heights. Other stories address Uncle Ted going to church at St. Mary’s, warehouse runs to pick up supplies, and doing the annual inventory.

The book wraps up with a cultural shift on Hancock Street and a melancholy ending with Uncle Ted’s passing and the devastating Agnes Flood that destroyed much of the city in 1972. “The Quirky Heart of Ted the Grocer” brings all that Wilkes-Barre history back to living color with the memorable characters and vibrant nostalgia that define small-town America.

“Many people aren’t still around, but when they read it — they’ll remember it,” said Jacobs.

Mark J. Jacobs grew up in Wilkes-Barre, working in healthcare and healthcare technology, including Wilkes-Barre General, Blue Cross, and others, for many years until moving to Lancaster to accept a job in York, Pennsylvania. Now coming off his first major literary publication, he’s fully embracing the retired life and currently living by the beach in Ocean City, Maryland.

New book, “The Quirky Heart of Ted the Grocer,” will be published on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google, Kobo, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor this weekend. The memoir is now available for purchase on Mark J. Jacob’s author website.