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Longtime employees in Jan. 21, 1970, Republican:
Merf Johnsen, 36; Art Clark, 36; Russ Watts, 23; Don
Dickey, 22; and Ron Helvick, 19. *Numbers indicate
years employed |
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09/08/2005
Times have changed
Marilyn Dodgen
A recent
article in the Humboldt Independent announced the selected site of
the new U.S. Post Office building in downtown Humboldt. This will
mean the demolition of two historic buildings that have housed a lot
of Humboldt history.
The one-story glazed brick building, located south across the alley
from the Gazebo Park's Sumner Avenue corner lot (formerly occupied
by the A.B. White and Johnson Department Stores, Gibson's and Pamida),
extends from the alley south to the corner of 1st Avenue South and
South 6th Street.
The north half of that building was erected by Homer "Dutch"
Bjornson in 1939, to house his Humboldt Implement International
Harvestor business, allowing him more room to display farm machinery
he had for sale. He had been located on Sumner Avenue, in the
building east of the Humota Theater, that is now occupied by the
Abens / Marty / Curran Agency.
In 1934, Bjornson had hired young Merle "Merf" Johnsen, who was to
become a valued employee. Due to his father's ill health (he lost a
leg to diabetes), Merf had dropped out of school his senior year to
run the creamery/egg business his father owned. One of his teachers,
Alma Johnson, came to their house to tutor him, so he could keep up
on his studies and remain eligible to play basketball. He graduated
with his class in 1933.
He worked for a while in the local bakery, planning to learn that
trade. In April of 1934, a former teacher introduced him to Dutch
Bjornson and his partner and mechanic, Fred Hesser, who were looking
for a parts man and bookkeeper. Dutch asked him what he could do and
Merf assured Bjornson that he knew nothing about either parts or
bookkeeping, but he was sure willing to learn, so he got the job. In
an interview years later, Merf said he figured he had the best job
in town for a young kid, and he was making $12 a week.
In 1939, the business was moved to the new building Bjornson had
built, south across the alley from the Johnson Department Store. By
1943, Hesser had left, and Dutch Bjornson offered to sell Murf a
half-interest partnership in the business, but Merf had no money.
With his fine reputation for being a hard worker, a local doctor,
Dr. Jensen, offered to co-sign a loan so Merf could advance his
career in the business world.
The business was growing, so they soon built an addition onto the
building, doubling their space and hired more men. They built an
overhead door in the end of the new addition, to allow room for
bringing large machines inside for repair. Merf used the lot across
the street, to the south, on the west side of the corner lot, where
the Northwestern Bell/Quest Telephone building now stands, for
machinery display.
Humboldt County Supervisor Romaine Lee (a former Sumner Avenue
hardware store businessman) remembers when the lot Merf used for
machinery display was the site of traveling shows every summer, in
the early years prior to the 1940s. He remembers when a big tent
would be set up there for events, such as the Sawdust Trail
Evangelistic meetings, and at other times for the Toby Shows,
featuring a redheaded clown who traveled and performed on the summer
circuit in this area.
There was a small house on the east side that belonged to Merf's
parents, Louis and Martha Johnsen. It was eventually moved across
the street to the west, allowing more space for implement display.
In 1947, Dutch sold his half of the business to Merf.
Humboldt Implement always promoted parts and service for their
International tractors, and for years, they ranked in the top 10
percent in sales and service in the state of Iowa. In an interview
for an article in the Independent back in 1987, Merf commented on
the good cooperation between the local implement dealers back then
being so important in a smaller town.
Dutch Bjornson and Merf also created life-long customers by treating
them right, according to one of them, Leonard Kirchhoff, of rural
Humboldt.
Employees were furnished many fringe benefits, including health,
medical and life insurance, sick leave, vacations, and an attractive
investment program, so most of them became longtime employees. Some
of those included: Art Clark, Russ Watts, Don Dickey, Ron Helvick,
and Chet Edwards. Watts, Jim Knutson and Wes Gochenour were in
parts; Helvick, Ron Aure and Brian Johnsen (when he was still in
high school), did set up; Chet Edwards, L.B. (Loire) Davenport, Ed
Thielen, Art Clark, and Don Dickey did repairs.
Chet Edwards was a dedicated worker who died of cancer at age 54. He
had a wife and seven children, and when he realized his condition
was terminal, he worked extra hours at night to earn enough money to
buy the family a refrigerator. Three of his five daughters, Donna
Grebner, Jean Watts and Marilyn Torgerson live in Humboldt.
In 1950, Humboldt Implement moved to a new location, out on Hwy.
169, where Syntex Industries is now located. Merf remodeled, and as
the business grew, he enlarged the building in 1965. This building
had been the Hoops Sale Barn prior to their move north of town on
Hwy. 169 in January of 1950. It had been built by Clyde Hoops and
his son, Charles, in 1947. Bill and Vernice Hoops joined his dad and
brother in the business in 1949.
Kent Knight said, that back in the late 1950s, Merf was one tractor
short in sales to qualify for winning a trip to Hawaii, sponsored by
International Harvestor. His dad, Harold Knight (who was a good
friend of Merf's), heard about it and offered to buy a tractor so
Merf would win the trip. As it turned out, Merf sold two more
tractors on his own and won the trip.
Larry Lenning said he remembers purchasing his first fender-mounted
radio from Merf back in 1963.
Merf had a metal storage building that ran parallel to the east of
his downtown building, formerly a warehouse for Hastings Feed
Company, used by Les Hastings, who ran a hatchery located across the
street south of the present Backseat Diner. This metal building was
later used as storage space by Merf.
Several years later, he had it moved to the back of the lot at his
new location, where it stands today, a reminder of the early years.
A picture in the Jan. 21, 1970, Republican showed the moving of that
building.
The downtown Humboldt Implement location was remodeled over the
years, to house several businesses, and the west end was made into
three apartments. Merf's son, Brian, and his wife, Barbara, lived in
the west corner apartment for a year when they were first married in
1972. Larry and Judith Vander Maten purchased the building in 1977,
and operated Vic & Van Data Processing and Accounting Services
there.
On Feb. 1, 1972, Leon "Butch" Kleiss and his wife, Georgena,
purchased half interest in the Humboldt Implement business, becoming
Merf's partner.
Six years later, Merf and Ethel Johnsen sold their entire interest
in the Humboldt Implement, Inc. and the building on Hwy. 169, to
Kleiss. Merf continued to work for Kleiss until his retirement. Merf
died in October of 2004.
Kleiss built a new building north of town on Hwy. 169 in 1977. Merf
helped move the parts department to the new building. By then, many
of the old timers had retired and others had joined the firm when
Kleiss came into the business. Some of the newer employees were Bud
and Dick Rossow, Jim McCullough, Dave Hanna, Dale Reedy, Stanley Egl,
Ted Malo, Jim Knutson, Ed Ruble, Jeff Kleiss, Chuck Strachan, Harold
McBurney, Steve Thilges, Don DeWinter, Dave Olson, Dave Roberts and
his wife, Betsy, Ed Thielen, Gary Erickson, Jerry Schultz, Duane
Watts, Bud Dencklau, and Larry Frakes.
Russ Watts continued to work until his retirement in the late 1980s.
Don Omann had moved to Humboldt from Pomeroy, where he had an
implement business. He was in sales at Humboldt Implement for
several years.
The summer of 1977, three downtown businesses - Lane Clothing,
Thomas Jewelers and the Country Porch - temporarily located in the
empty implement building while a set of new brick buildings was
constructed for them on Sumner Avenue.
Ron and Marsha Burch purchased the former implement site and opened
Burch Canvas & Tarp in January of 1978. They incorporated and
changed the name of the business to Syntex Industries, Inc. in 1980.
An early morning fire destroyed the old former implement building in
August of 1990, and a new building was built in its place.
The Humboldt Implement business changed ownership in 1984, with
Larry Frakes and a silent partner, the Bransetter Brothers of
Wisconsin, as partners. A merger of International Harvestor and Case
took place in 1985, and the business was purchased by the present
owner, Randy Hinton of Bancroft, who changed the name of the
business to Humboldt Red Power.
Today, Red Power has locations in Humboldt, Manson, Bancroft,
Corwith, Mason City, and New Hampton. The Humboldt location has 14
employees.
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