300 block of North Cedar was one big happy family Posted: Sunday, October 26, 2008 12:00 am We’ll do some reminiscing in this week’s column… talking about some things that may spur some memories of your own. When I came to Owatonna in 1959, our radio station was located in the Klemmer building at the corner of Cedar and Pearl, where Kristi’s is now located. We were at the head of the block of business folks that really made up a family. As I look back on my early days in Owatonna I can remember those folks… each who had that special personality. I’ll touch on some of those folks as I remember them. Across the street on the west side of Cedar we began with the Rolling Star Café. Vera Meixner ran the café, which I remember had the thickest, juiciest hamburgers in town. I’d put on a long play record, order a burger, run across the street to get it and then get back before the song ended. After the Rolling Star closed in 1967, John Fogal opened a TV shop there. As we proceed north, it was George Olson’s floor covering store. Then it was Dawes Our Own Hardware. George Dawes was a great friend and his easy going personality fit that of a hardware store owner. He always made sure that he ordered two of the latest Tonka toys each Christmas season so that I could give each of my sons one of their own. George was quite an historian and was always proud that one of his distant relatives was a rider with Paul Revere. Next was Gorman Cleaners. Frank and Bev Gorman would greet customers at the counter. Frank always bragged about how many times he had crossed Cedar Street to go to coffee and hadn’t been struck by a car. Gorman’s neighbor to the north was Robinson Paint and Glass. Ross Robinson was known as the paint expert in town. He featured Lion Brand paints and often appeared on the air with us and answered paint questions from listeners. He would often co-host the Party Line show with me when my partner, Pink Allen, was unable to be there. I always kidded Ross about his toupee, and in later years he finally got rid of it. Across the alley was Ringhofer Meats. It was there that I first met my very close friend, Ted Ringhofer. He worked in the family store and we had great times together. I’ll always remember when Ted invited me to witness the killing of hogs in the slaughter room. It was the one and only time I wanted to be a part of that. There were some great personalities in that store including Bill Ringhofer, Mike Mason, Duelloyd “Cappy” Casperson, Donna Webster, Marshall Webster, Jim Hegell, George Pfeifer and Mabel Kasper. The memories of others down the block are somewhat faded, but I can visualize Biff Barret’s Bottle Shop, and Lloyd Guthier’s Owatonna Insurance Agency. You talk about unique personalities… they were there in full form at the Owatonna Insurance Agency. There was Almira Oberstein, Len Wendorff, Don Bruzek and Lloyd Guthier. There was always something crazy going on there and Bruzek, being a magician, added to the fun. We had a lot of laughs together. When I first came to town, Ressler Brothers dry goods store was on the corner of Cedar and Rose. I didn’t get to that store very often, but I can remember the smell of the oiled floors and the candy bins. Across the street on the east side was Ev’s Kitchen. I can still see Ev Green sitting at the lunch counter and smoking a cigarette. She would always greet me with “Hello Dear” when I walked through the door. Both Ev and Chuck Green would be at the café most all day. Ev always said she hated vacations and it was a real challenge to get them to take some days off. Next door to Ev’s Kitchen was Gasner and Mac Plumbing and Heating. Who doesn’t remember Merle Gasner as he challenged everyone to flip a coin for a quarter? He had his special coin that he used and it was always a satisfaction to match and rid him of a quarter. The east side of the 300 block of North Cedar also housed the offices of Drs. Roetman and Feyereisen. Vic’s Radio and TV, operated by Nick Klapperich, was in the middle of the block. It was a great place to stop and get the latest news on the street. Armond Rezac worked there as a TV repairman. Selvik’s Café, known for its homemade donuts made by Grandma Selvik, was next to the alley. Dick and Ruth Selvik greeted customers six days a week. Across the alley was Owatonna Savings and Loan. Asa Carpenter and his small staff were good neighbors. Don and Mary Jane Reigel operated the Photo News weekly newspaper. I would often stop in there to visit with the Reigals and Evelyn Slezak, one of their sales staff. George A. Klemmer and Son implement dealer was next door to our radio station. In the early days, Klemmer’s sold Kaiser-Frazier automobiles but when I came to town, they were strictly selling Oliver tractors and implements. The business was run by Bill Klemmer and the Nass brothers, Irving and Ralph. I certainly can’t leave the 300 block of North Cedar without mentioning Johnson’s Phillips 66 on the corner of Rose and Cedar. Ray Johnson operated the service station and both his sons worked there. Ray served as both an alderman and as mayor for the city of Owatonna and who knows how many city matters were hammered out in the front office of Johnson’s service station or across the street at coffee at Ev’s Kitchen. There are those that I have no doubt missed, but these folks meant a lot to me personally as we did business in the 300 block of North Cedar. Ulrich and Hale delighted radio listeners One of my greatest friends in my broadcasting career was George Ulrich. George was one of over a dozen kids in the Ulrich family. George and I produced a radio show we named “Ulrich and Hale.” It was part of my early morning radio show and corny as it was, it was a program that enlisted quite a following. The program was taped at locations all over Steele County. Each week George would pick me up in his little gray Ford pickup and we’d head out. George was handicapped. He was paralyzed on one side due to a well drilling accident, but his affliction never kept us from going anywhere or doing anything we planned. We’d tape our programs at the Litomysl Summer Festival, the Steele County Free Fair, Art and Crystal Anderson’s Steam Show, and we’d often enter into the area George dearly loved, the barn on someone’s farm. I will always remember when we went to one farm (the owner’s name escapes me) and Dr. Gute was in the barn doing eye surgery on a cow. When George and I strolled into the barn, Dr. Jim was well into removing the eye from the cow. We both gulped, but took a deep breath and did our shows right there. I can also remember strapping George into a helicopter at Art and Crystal Anderson’s Steam Show where he broadcasted during the flight. And speaking of helicopters, I will always remember George and I flying in a National Guard copter to Camp Ripley where we did our shows midst Steele County guardsmen who were there for training. Due to his injury, George was susceptible to dizziness at times. You can guess what happened when we did our program on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the Steele County Free Fair. Ulrich had to be helped home and was sick all the next day. Both of us looked forward to our weekly get-togethers. George loved the land and the people of Steele County. He had an infectious laugh and people loved him on the air. Cancer took George’s life. I went to see him at the Ulrich farm on the Merton Township corner on the day before he died. Somehow I know that he’ll be waiting for me at the pearly gates in his pickup truck ready to produce another adventure of “Ulrich and Hale.” When Lorne Greene came to town In over 30 years of broadcasting in Owatonna, I met lots of notable personalities that visited Owatonna. It was 1974 when the granddaddy of all western ranches came to town. Lorne Greene was at his peak in the “Bonanza” TV series and his appearance in Owatonna marked one of the highlights of the John McGaheran mayoral era. I always said that McGaheran put more power into a powerless office than any other mayor I worked with. I still remember the day when McGaheran called me at my office and said, “Todd, I have to rely on you to keep this one under your hat. I’ve received a call from a production crew filming a commercial for Toro. Our Central Park and the First National Bank building is what they want for a background. They’re bringing Lorne Greene to town to film the commercial.” McGaheran stressed that the film company didn’t want any advance publicity on his arrival because of crowd control. They were just going to set up unannounced and do the work. So, all of the media in town kept the event a secret and the warm June day came. I was on the air early in the morning, so I couldn’t be there from the beginning, but when I arrived on the scene, I realized that it didn’t take long for the word to get out. The police department, headed up by Chief Ken Nissen, held back the crowds watching the filming featuring one of television’s most popular personalities. “Extras” were selected from Owatonnans who were there. They were to casually walk down the sidewalk as if it were a normal day. I think the mayor was one of those selected. It was a proud moment for his honor McGaheran, who loved the Owatonna spotlight. It was a long time ago, but I remember that Greene was a gracious man and was appreciative of the hospitality offered him by the people of Owatonna. He visited with those behind the police lines when there was a break in the filming and a number of us had the pleasure of dining with him at the Elks Club in Owatonna. Following that eventful day, Mayor McGaheran received a letter from David T. McLaughlin, president of the Toro Company in Minneapolis. “Dear Mayor McGaheran: Upon returning to the office today, I heard about the enjoyable experiences our people had a few weeks ago in Owatonna while filming “Grassroots USA.” From all reports we could not have selected a more congenial location for the filming and I am only sorry I was unable to participate. I did, however, want to express to you and all the citizens of your community my sincere thanks to you for the warm hospitality extended to our people while there and for making this a memorial occasion for all of us.” It was indeed a great day in Owatonna and I enjoyed meeting Lorne Greene. It was just another in the colorful chapters of John McGaheran’s political life and he pulled this one off without a hitch. Leo Schoaf… a special person When I arrived in Owatonna in 1959 and my voice became familiar over the airwaves of KRFO, there was a very special personality that became a great friend fan of my broadcasts. Leo Schoaf was one of the first people to come and introduce himself to me. I must admit, I was taken aback at Leo’s appearance. His physical problems, as well as his inability to communicate well often caused people to shy away from him, but I found him to be a caring, loving and courageous man. He did not allow his physical affliction to shut him in a room. He loved being where things were happening in Owatonna and he would ride his three-wheeled bike around town, flanked by the long flag standards to protect him from passing traffic. He relied on generous mechanics in town to keep his bike going. He often went to activities in town with no knowledge of how he was going to get back home. I remember seeing Leo standing on a cold winter night outside the high school auditorium. I asked him if he had a ride home and he admitted that he was hoping that a party might surmise his plight and inquire as to his status. I happened to be that someone and he graciously accepted a ride home with Mary and me. If no one had come along, he no doubt would have walked in the sub zero night to his apartment. Despite his affliction, Leo was an excellent wood carver. Pink Allen and I would often give him a plug on our Party Line show which resulted in some business for him. When Leo’s father, Al Schoaf, died, I feared for what might happen to Leo. Those fears were unfounded. Leo Schoaf overcame what I considered insurmountable obstacles to lead a productive life and to become a legend in Owatonna. Boo for Food You may just have a youngster in costume at your door a couple of days before Halloween. They will be identified as representatives of “Boo for Food,” a community food drive event sponsored by Owatonna churches to be held from 7-8 p.m. this Wednesday, Oct. 29. Youth from community churches will be collecting food for the Steele County Food Shelf to help them stock shelves before holiday time. They will have a note identifying them as “Boo for Food” representatives. Be generous when they come to your door. Todd Hale can be reached at [email protected] or write him at 632 14th St. S.E., Owatonna, MN 55060.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 05:41:27 +0000
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