[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

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                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 3, 2020

  Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Pilgrim's 
Progress Clothing, a family run business in Plymouth, Massachusetts as 
they close their doors after 42 years.
  Founded by Laura Brigida and her children in 1977, the story of 
Pilgrim's Progress is the story of determination and family. The tragic 
passing of Laura's husband, Peter, in 1962 placed the family in 
precarious situation. Laura went to work for the postal service and was 
forced to raise their children on her own. Years later, a family 
meeting was called, and it was decided that together the family would 
purchase a local clothing store that was for sale in downtown Plymouth. 
Laura took out a second mortgage on her home and launched a new 
business.
  Over the decades the family run business would evolve and expand to 
include men's clothing, women's shoes and accessories. Weathering 
economic turns and an ever-shifting retail landscape, Pilgrim's 
Progress continued to thrive. Customers came to know their store not 
only for the fashionable clothing they offer but also for the one-on-
one service and advice they received once there.
  In 2018, the Brigida family's beloved matriarch, Laura, passed away 
at the age of 94. Upon her passing, her five children, Jayne, Marie, 
Joyce, Carol and Peter, took it upon themselves to continue the store 
that they had created with their mother. The five siblings have 
continued to strengthen their incredible bond by working together in 
their family business for so many years. Recently, however, it was 
decided that it was time to close the family owned store and enjoy a 
much-deserved retirement.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Pilgrim's Progress Clothing 
and the dedication of the entire Brigida family as a Plymouth landmark 
closes.

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