I grew up in Morton, a small town in midwestern Minnesota about 100 miles

west of Minneapolis.

        I had always admired the local pharmacist, Grover Jennings.  He was well-liked

by everyone in Morton, and owned the pharmacy there for decades.  When I reached

my senior year at Morton High School, I pondered what I would study in college and

settled on Pharmacy (I forgot about Grover's long hours).  I spent one year studying

pre-pharmacy at St. John's University, and was accepted into Pharmacy College at

the University of Minnesota.

        After graduation, I worked at Moudry's Apothecary Shop in downtown St. Paul.

After my apprenticeship was completed in July 1954, I was drafted, and entered the

U.S. Army.

        After serving two years, I returned to Minnesota with my wife Rita and son

Thomas, and worked for two and one half years at Eckland Drug in Mankato. It was

the kind of store I wanted to have, and I enjoyed working there.  But I was ready to go

out on my own.  After much searching, I found a potential location in Rochester

through a Walgreen salesman.

        My father-in-law looked over the situation and said he would loan me the money.

Honest, I didn't even ask him.  He was always urging me to go into business for myself.

         I left Eckland Drug and firmly planted myself in Rochester at the end of January

1959.  I did not want to miss a payday!

        We opened around the 15th of March, 1959 with 3,200 square feet of store space.

Delores McDermott and Joyce Niles were my first two employees.  After the Grand

Opening things were a little slow, so I had to cut Delores' hours.  But by spring Delores

was working full time.  I worked about 82 hours a week for three years, but business got

better and better and finally I was able to hire another pharmacist.

         After five years we were doing quite well and needed more space, so we added

1,600 square feet to the back bringing the total to 4,800 square feet.

         In December of 1959, two Hallmark salesman walked into the store and asked if

I had any interest in Hallmark Cards.  I said yes and signed on that day.  It was the easiest

sale any salesman ever had!  Hallmark has been a major part of Hunt Drug for 49 years.

         Although I had a Walgreen franchise, I did not get along with Walgreen.  I did not

like to stock some of the merchandise they wanted to sell me.  And except for

Walgreen-labeled merchandise, I could buy at much lower prices from my co-op pharmacy

wholesale house in Minneapolis.  Eventually, after about ten years, they solved my problem

by discontinuing the Walgreen Agency program.

         Pharmacists were in short supply and hard to find in the late 1960s and twice I had

to work all summer alone.  At about that time I decided my goal of having several stores

was just too risky, and I would settle for making Hunt's Silver Lake Drug the best store I

could.  Eventually I found a pharmacist (Jack Wittren) who stayed for 13 years, so I had a

home life again.

         We remodeled again in the early 70s and added to the right.  It was a peculiar

addition.  It was 17 feet in front and 70 feet in the back.  That remodeling is what is now

the Hallmark Card and Gift Department.

         Dave Kohler, present owner, arrived in 1976.  He came to Hunt's Silver Lake as

and apprentice.  I had no intention of making him a permanent member of the Hunt's

clan, but when his time was up and he wanted to stay, I was happy to let him.

        Dave's staying let me work in other departments.  I have always loved to buy,

(and to sell).  I think I have a knack for buying and didn't make poor decisions very often.

Of course, we always had the sidewalk sale!

        From 1976 on, we had the necessary help to give me more freedom.  I could spend

more time with the operation of our Hallmark Card and Gift Shop at Miracle Mile.  In

over 30 years, I had only two managers, Donna Stanton and Betty Klingerman.

        Another loyal employee is Pat Majerus.  She is still working at Hunt's, and has

worked there more years than I did.  I remember the day I hired her.  She asked me if I had

and opening, and although I really didn't need anyone just then, I hired her on the spot!

          In the middle 1980s, we had a chance to add more space.  Ralph Danielson wanted

to downsize his dry cleaning business, so we added about 2,000 square feet, to a total of

11,000 (3,200 in 1959!).  Dave Kohler has since added a major addition, with more storage

and upstairs bookkeeping, and a little more retail space for a total of about 12,000 square

feet.

           In 1993, I left Hunt Silver Lake Drug when Dave Kohler bought the store.   Dave

wanted a store, and had a chance to buy another one, but I decided a better solution would

just be to sell Hunt's Drug to Dave.  By then I also owned the Ace Hardware at Silver Lake,

and the Hallmark Card and Gift Shop at Miracle Mile.

          I have always loved my career as a pharmacist!  I enjoyed talking to people and

helping them with their problems.  After many years I did not mind getting out to the front

of the store, but my heart was still in the pharmacy.  It is not an easy occupation.  You must

be precise.  You must be fast.  And you must have empathy for your customers.

         I've seen a major revolution in medicine.  When I took my apprenticeship,

cortisone had just come on the market, as well as the early antibiotics.  There were no

effective pharmaceuticals for high blood pressure, mental illness, or cardiac diseases.

         Medicare has been a boon also and has given millions of older people a chance to

correct major health problems.

          So those of my generation have seen a great improvement in the longevity and

quality of life for both young and old.

          Pharmacy has changed a lot also.  But one thing I am sure of- where pharmacists

do their work may change, but there will always be a need for them.

          And by the way, it took me six years to pay back my father-in-law.