pounds bags. All these products had to be packaged in various amounts before sold to the customers. Coffee was ground according to the request of the buyer by the large electric coffee grinder.
Prunes, dates, figs, apricots and other dried fruits were sold in bulk according to the amount one wanted. The many 25 and 49 pounds sacks of "Mother's Best" and "Omar" flour that was sold, proved that the housewife truly did a lot of baking and well she had to as there were no cakes, pies. or bread to buy. However, there were cookies and crackers in bulk, which was sold by the pound. After a few years, however, freshly baked bakery bread from the Sheeltz Bakery at Iowa Falls and Colonial at Des Moines, was transported by the Rock Island passenger train in huge boxes and arrived almost warm at the store, twice a week.
Milk was sold by the local people to the store for several years, but as the milk delivery trucks came through and the new pastuerization law came to be, the selling of raw whole milk from local people was stopped.
Fresh fruits and vegetables also were added, and stoves usually had a stalk of bananas hanging, but one had to be careful of the banana spider when unpacking the crates, as these were very poisonous.
Because of the lack of refrigeration in the home a small ice house to the west of the store was added with ice for customers for their ice boxes.
Some Wednesday and Saturday evenings, the town's band or school band would give concerts on main street. Usually the farmer and his family did their shopping on these nights and would bring in their 15 or 30 dozen cases of eggs, which had to be candled, and traded for groceries was readily given. Even home churned butter was brought in to be sold and finally a Creamery company from Ackley, Iowa, that sold grade A Iowa State Brand butter to the store, started a route and continued to do so until the store was sold.
Because of the need for more refrigerator space, a new electric meat counter was purchased, to display the cold cuts, cheeses and fresh meat better.
During threshing season, huge orders of meat and groceries were called in and delivered to the farmers early in the morning, the day of threshing, a big day.
An addition, built to the west side of the store to accomodate the increase of stock, added to the attractiveness of the store. As years went by the various companies, "Taft, O. B. West," "Hoxie" and etc. were putting their products in packages or boxes, which helped those who tried to serve the public.
Two sons were born, one in 1928 and one in 1930 to increase the family unit to seven. During the oldest daughter's high school days, she often helped at the store when ever needed and continued to do so for many years. In 1950, the one son helped at the store, due to the illness of his father and after his death took over and managed it for his mother, with the help of his wife and one of his sisters. He continued to do so for five years until after the death of their mother, at which time the store was sold.
The Holland family were members of the Bethany Lutheran Church all these years holding various positions in connection with the church. Those living in McCallsburg are still members. All the children are graduates of the McCallsburg Consolidated School.
FIRST CLASS DRAY LINE — Herman E. Sampson advertised his service. He was born near McCallsburg in 1884 and died in 1921 at the age of 37. Sampson operated the dray line about 1910, and was also in the corn shelling and threshing business. He married Rose Erickson, a daughter of Severin and Anna Erickson who lived on a farm near McCallsburg. They farmed until he was forced to quit on account of ill health. They then moved to town. Mrs. Sampson died ;n 1968. Their four children are Harold, Albert, Irene (Mrs. Sam Bergland) and Ernest Sampson.