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Granton's Losing a Bit of
History
2023
Roger Nitschke has owned Roger’s Grocery in Granton for 30 years.
April 29,
the doors will close permanently, and he will retire.
Edward DuBois/Clark Count Press.
By Edward DuBois
Roger’s Grocery in Granton has operated for 30 years, and the closing of its
doors will shut the doors on a piece of Granton history many of the town have
spent their lives around.
After all, nothing can last forever.
Designed, built and opened without financial support by owner Roger Nitschke in
1992, the grocery has been a staple of Granton life, offering the conveniences
popular in Granton.
Nitschke himself started in the grocery business Sept. 2, 1971, working for
Spaete’s, just down the street from Nitschke’s store.
“There was competition from the bigger towns,” Nitschke said. “But there
was no competition from [Granton].”
When Nitschke first opened, Spaete’s was a grocery store/meat processing plant.
Up to that point, he had worked at the grocery end. Spaete’s gave up the grocery
when he opened his store.
Nitschke elaborated on some of the problems his store had recently faced.
“It’s getting kinda hard,” Nitschke said. “Of course, when COVID hit, it was a
challenge to get some product[s].
“Now, too, some of these companies don’t want to deal with smaller stores. They
want big stores. They have a minimum set, and a small store can’t buy that
much.”
However, the difficulties and challenges were not factors into why the store is
closing, the reason being much simpler and more understandable.
“I’m just ready to retire,” Nitschke said.
At 70 years old, working 70-80 hours a week is not an appealing prospect for
Nitschke, and such a workload would be demanding on men even in their prime.
“Business has been good to me,” Nitschke said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have
good employees through my 30 years and all the support of my customers and the
community.”
Last summer, Nitschke decided it was time to retire.
Also saying goodbye to the store are employees Kathy Vine and Sharon Buettner,
who work the front end’s register.
Vine has worked at Roger’s Grocery for 25 year, and said she had always gotten
along with Roger.
Buettner is also employed at Roger’s, and has seen nothing but goodwill from
customers to each other, and described some of the things she has seen customers
do, like helping each other get groceries out to each other’s cars, as “only in
Granton.”
“It’s very rewarding,” Buettner said, “talking to people and hearing their
stories.”
Roger’s Grocery’s doors will close at 223 Maple St. Granton. Nitschke has the
store property listed through Century 21, and the last day of business will be
April 29.
Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI
April 19, 2023
Transcribed by
Dolores
M. Kenyon, April 21, 2023.
Web page by
James W. Sternitzky PhD,
April 22, 2023.
Return to Granton
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