Andre Mckay feels immense pride when he thinks about the achievements of his great-great-grandmother, Mildred Mckay, and he believes her story is an inspiring piece of Black Iowa history.
Mildred Mckay and her spouse, George Mckay, a formerly enslaved man from Tennessee, moved to Des Moines in 1918. By 1920, Mildred Mckay began operating her own in-home laundry business. Her husband, George, also worked in the cleaning industry. More than 100 years later, Mildred Mckay’s heirs are still in the cleaning business — operating Reliable Maintenance Company, which is situated on the city’s north side at 2525 Douglas Ave.
Mildred Mckay’s legacy is also on display at the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. Her family donated the laundry equipment she used in the 1920s to the museum. Mckay’s great-great-grandmother had contracts to clean linens and sheets for businesses and homes, and she also operated a dry-cleaning business, he said.
“When we went through her house, my dad found a ledger with all of the transactions she did throughout the years,” he said. “That was pretty fun to see.”
Her business used a 1920s Maytag Gyro washing machine and other equipment, Andre Mckay said. He said family members are excited about the prospect of taking their children to the museum to see Mildred Mckay’s laundry legacy recognized.
Her work allowed her to travel and see the world, he said.
“She was going to Hawaii. Doing cruises,” he said. “I actually have (her) 20s travel trunk . . . Like you see in Titanic.”
Her accomplishments are a source of pride for Mckay, who works in business development — managing contracts, meeting with clients and cleaning — at Reliable Maintenance, the company founded in 1973 by George McKay III.
Reliable Maintenance performs commercial cleaning, routine custodial work, construction cleaning, hard-floor cleaning, carpet cleaning and dry cleaning. The company, which is more than half a century old, employs about 80 people statewide. Andre’s father, Keith, also owns a car lot, K & M Auto, located on the company’s property. His dad also operated a dry cleaning business for 22 years. He credits Mildred Mckay.
“I think that’s where I get my entrepreneurship — from them and my dad,” he said.
Today, Andre Mckay enjoys bringing his 11-month-old son, Andre Mckay Jr., to work with him and his dad. It’s possible that one day his son will run the company, furthering the family legacy.
Until then, Mckay is busy handling the family business.
“I always tell people I might be in a suit today, but I’ll be out cleaning — waxing floors or something,” he said, with a laugh.
This story appears in the May edition of the Black Iowa Newspaper.
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