"Where There's A Helpful Smile......

in every aisle...." (Or as Bud said during his brief HyVee career - "Where there's a smirk on every jerk.)

When Kenny and I were married in 1961, I was the chief bread-winner. I had a 40-hr per week job which paid $1.00 per hour. That's right kiddies, my gross paycheck each week was $40.00. Out of that I bought groceries, paid for health insurance for both of us, and paid $30.00 a month for rent. I had purchased used furniture and appliances before our wedding. We drove Kenny's 1949 Mercury when it ran. Our entertainment was an occasional movie, mostly we got together with other young couples and played cards.

It was a happy day when Kenny got a job at Miller Chevrolet. Unfortunately it only lasted a few months, but helped get us through the winter. Then he got some work helping farmers during spring planting. Before Doug was born in August, Kenny got a job with Hy-Vee; a job with benefits and employee bonuses! Yay! When he began working there, the store was in the old Turner building at the top of main street where the antique store is now. Later they moved into the current location - a similar-sized building but a much bigger parking lot.

Kenny worked for Hy-Vee the rest of his life with the exception of a brief time working for Turner's in Bedford. From the Corning Hy-Vee he went to Villisca. From there to SE 14th in Des Moines and then to Perry which is where he was working when he died in 1980 at the age of 37.

Now it looks like he has a grandson following in his footsteps - Doug's son, Zach, has been working at the Hy-Vee in Muscatine for more than a year. After his Mother died and his sister moved back to West Des Moines, it left Zach without any family near-by. He began looking at the possibilities of transferring to a store nearer to Des Moines. Yesterday he called with the good news he is transferring to the Newton Hy-Vee. It will be a homecoming for him as Newton is where he grew up and attended school.

Zach never knew his grandpa Kenny, of course, but I hope he feels a connection as he continues his career with Hy-Vee.