On Friday, August 8, the community came to the Old School gym to hear stories told by Bill and John Conzemius and Dale and Mark Amacher and to remember when Ray’s Variety and Amacher’s Tradin’ Post served the community’s needs.
Bill Conzemius began by saying his parents Ray and Kathryn bought Ray’s Variety in 1939. They raised five kids above the store. His bedroom window was only 13” from the bar next door and was right above the window to the men’s room in the bar, so they got quite an education from bar talk. Bill started school at Holy Rosary, then went to junior high in Withee and high school in Owen. He shared his memories of his English teacher, Mrs. Haselton, telling them that President Kennedy had been shot. Bill was part of the first class to spend the entire school year in the “new” high school.
Bill shared his memory of walking down main street recently and visiting all the businesses. When he was a kid, there were 20-25 kids living above those businesses. Now there are none. He had a job changing the sign at the movie theatre, for which he was paid 50 cents and a free movie ticket. He spoke of the people who owned the businesses near his parent’s store. He also shared a memory of unlocking the bathroom windows in the gym so they could sneak in and play basketball on Sundays. His brother John remembered propping the back door open to play basketball.
John Conzemius talked about the bulk candy that was delivered to the store by Brach’s. They got it 600 pounds at a time. He said his mother used to make Easter baskets that were sold at the store. He also recalled that the jewelry counter was made from the front window of an old DeSoto. The store sold records, clothing, and school supplies, among many other items. Part of his job was to hang decorations and wrap Christmas gifts.
John said they were told not to extend credit to the women who “worked” on the third floor of the Fremont Hotel. He also recalled having to get permission from the priest so they could wax the wooden floors in the store on a Sunday.
Dale Amacher said that he and his wife Nancy owned the Tradin’ Post for 15½ years. The grocery store was an addition attached to the house. There was a concrete slab under the walk-in cooler. The building was eventually torn down after heavy snows collapsed a portion of the roof one winter.
Dale thought the house was probably built by the John S. Owen Lumber Co. His father, Fred, bought the store in 1956. Dale and Nancy bought it in 1967. They made changes, adding a walk-in cooler and freezer space, a bedroom became office space and a produce prep area and they replaced the front window. When they first moved back, they rented a house on 5th Street. They moved into the house by the store when his parents bought the house next door. Dale also mentioned the large garage that his dad built and that he acquired when his dad passed away in 1994. He still owns it. He said it took them three years to pay off the purchase price of the store and the additions they added.
Dale said back then they bought sides of beef. He had to learn what could be cut from each side and meat was priced accordingly. A lot of the local restaurants bought their beef from the Tradin’ Post back then. They also processed meat for some of the local residents. Meat eventually could be purchased by stores and restaurants pre-packaged and the state wanted the meat processing area covered in stainless steel, so they got out of the business of cutting the meat in the store.
When Dale decided to sell, he checked with his employees to see if any of them wanted to purchase the store. Eventually, he sold the building to Dairyland Silo for $10,000. Dale’s dad then rented the store. Dale sold the stock to his dad for $24,000.
Mark Amacher said that Joan Amacher and Marian Ridpath ran the grocery side of the business. Eventually, Colleen’s video store moved into the building in the area where the meat had previously been. In later years, Indianhead used the building, but it was in poor repair for the last 25 years that it stood.
Dale said that the warehouse area still had the pit from when it was a garage. He also talked about cutting down a tree branch that was causing issues for the semi drivers. He realized that he was standing on the branch that he was removing.
When they said there was going to be a toilet paper shortage, they bought a half a semi load of toilet paper. The store never ran out of that item. When there was going to be a coffee shortage, they bought a huge supply before the prices went up. They also bought inventory from the grocery store in Withee when it went out of business.
Dale recalled a time when there was flooding in Owen and the water went under the building. He didn’t immediately realize that two compressors were under water.
Mark recalled that every time he went into the store, his grandfather, Fred, would find dirt behind his ears and pull out a quarter. He still has the journal from the first six months that the store was in business listing all the accounts.
Nancy talked about an ad from a time when you could purchase 10 grapefruit for 39 cents and four dozen eggs for $1.
Everyone enjoyed the evening of memory sharing. Another storytelling event is being planned for November.