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Show Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 11 Gunnison, UT GUNNISON VALLEY azettc Copy Price • 75 cents Thursday, January 11, 2007 Volume 3 • Number 2 Press Association E. 3900 S. Suite 100 ,akc City, UT 84124 Thomas Grocery - Sterling, Utah 84665 Editors Note: Driving through Sterling' the other day, I stopped in and took a couple of pictures ofLillie Thomas. I intended to do a story on her for the paper. As I drove out of Sterling, I remembered that Alan Peterson was born and raised in Sterling, and I drove to Mayfield to see if he would assist me with the story. He agreed, under duress. by ALAN PETERSON Only a few things in life are seemingly constant. In Egypt, the Pyramids still look the same. The Golden Gate Bridge spanning San Francisco Bay has been, and still is red. The little store on the east side of the road in Sterling, Thomas Grocery, continues to be owned and operated by Lillie. Customers have been going in and out of the doors for 61 years. Truman had only been in office a few months when it opened, and ten other presidents have taken the oath of office since he departed. Politicians come and go, but Lillie has stayed on the job. Her father, Roy Hansen, operated a store eater-corner from Lillie's current home for several years when she was growing up, so she probably had an understanding of what went into that type of business. The old family home is still there, the store has been gone for a long time. She married a local boy from town, Evan Thomas, in 1931. The two of them started out their life together in one room of her in-laws small home at the top of town. Times were hard, and housing and jobs weren't easy to find as the nation sank deeper into the Great Depression. The new couple needed more space after their children began arriving, and in 1937, after a few years living with Johnny and Maggie, they fixed up a two-room granary which sat next to Lillie's family home and the young family moved down town. The Thomas family had run sheep for several years on the hills east and south of Sterling and it's understandable that Evan herded sheep the first few years of their marriage. His name can still be found on aspen in the mountains above Sterling and off the south side of the Black Mountain into 12-Mile. As the nation and industry turned to war, he found work up north near Roy, Utah, at Hill Field, and they moved and lived there approximately two years before coming back to Sterling where Evan got into the turkey business. That occupation, coupled with his family status, earned him a deferment from the war that was going on. By the summer of 1945, Evan and Lillie had made the decision to take over the Roy Hansen Store and become merchants. On August 19, 1945, they began 'Thomas Grocery' in the existing Hansen store. Earlier, they had purchased a lot across the street on the east side of the highway, across from the church, and construction was underway on a new building for the store. The grand opening came in November of 1945. By that time, they had moved the two-room dwelling they had been occupying onto the corner property, south of the store. Evan had dug a basement, measuring app. 12'xl4\ and the current home was built around those two rooms and the small basement. Their business picked up after the war ended. The boys came home from the war in Europe and the Pacific and they had money to spend. Sterling offered little in the name of entertainment for young men who had been all around the world, but nevertheless, fun could be found. For some, it came in the form of punchboards. There were punchboards at the store, and the young veterans would come there and play for hours on end, trying to win a box of chocolates or some other prize. There were times when the store didn't close until midnight due to the punchboard activity going on. Such was life in Sterling after the war ended. The business grew, slow and steadily as the years went by. azette Thomas Grocery opened on highway 89 in Sterling in 1945. New products were stocked and the store became an important part of the little town. As a youngster during the fifties, I would take fresh eggs from the chicken coop at home and trade them at the store. Two fresh eggs would net a nickel's worth of penny candy. Back then, soda pop was a dime a bottle, candy bars were a nickel, and one dollar would buy about four gallons of regular gas. A quarter could provide considerable happiness in the mid-50's. Long before magpies made the Protected List, there was a .5 cent bounty on them. At least there was in Sterling. For those of us with .22's, we would do everything we could to make sure Evan always had plenty of feet and heads to turn in to the fish and game when they would come around to reimburse him. A Stokermatic provided heat in the building. It sat against the north wall about midway in the store and it kept the place warm on the coldest days. Customers would come in and lean against the stove and drink a Coke or Royal Crown, and news was shared. There was plenty to talk about during the Eisenhower era. We were in the 'Cold War' period with the Soviet Union. In schools across the land, air-raid drills and nuclear attacks were part of the curriculum. Even Evan and Lillie were part of the National Civil Defense network. Their job was to observe and identify planes flying over Sterling and report back to the government. It was a regular occurrence to see one of them outside with field glasses looking at a plane going over. Sterling has always had two stores; one on the west, and the Thomas store on the east. The store on the west side housed the post office for many years. When Thomas Grocery opened, Vern Erickson owned the store on the west. He had purchased it from Cal Peacock. After a while, Vern sold it to Ray Otten; who sold to Harry and Orra Campbell; who sold it to Lee and Marie Klindworth; who sold it to Emory and Gwen Dozier. Following the Dozier's, it was run by the Cox's, Walker's and Taylor's. Today, the old Cal Peacock store is a residence. But there is still another store on the west side of the highway. Terry and Yvonne Larsen built the store north of the old Peacock Store and ran it until just recently. It is now operated by Tim and Diane Denton. Prior to the early 1960's, the gas pumps at both stores were located directly in front of the store. The state mandated the pumps be moved when the new highway came through. There was a little bit of everything in small stores in those days. Food, dry goods, hardware, gas, fish and game licenses, ammunition. They carried boots made by Nocona, Justin, and Redwing. Stetson hats and Miller western shirts could be purchased there too. Rifles and pistols were available on order. They also carried a See THOMAS GROCERY, Page 5 Judge Anderson retires by MARK HENLINE An open house was held this past Thursday evening for retiring Justice Court Judge, Rodney Anderson. Judge Anderson has served as Gunnison's Justice Court Judge since 1992 when he was appointed by Mayor Bruce Blackham. Judge Anderson has lived a life of service and has been a great example of good in our community. He served on the Gunnison City Council from 19801982. Following his term on the city council, he was elected Mayor of Gunnison and served in that capacity from 1982-1986. Judge Anderson also spent four years on the Gunnison Valley Hospital Board. Then for the past fourteen years, he has been the Justice Court Judge. Even with all this civic service, Judge Anderson will probably be best remembered for all his years in educating the children of this valley. Anderson spent thirty-eight years in education. He began his career in Logan where he taught at Logan Jr. High School for three years. He and his wife, Kathy, then moved back mnnison Valley Gazette lark Henline/Uunnisoii Valley Gazette Mayor Scott Hermansen presents Judge Rodney Anderson with a plaque in recognition of Anderson's 14 years of service. to Gunnison where they raised their son, Ryan, and spent the remainder of his career. He worked the next eight years as a teacher at Gunnison Elementary. He then worked eight years for South Sanpete School District in the district offices. Anderson was then hired as the principal of Gunnison Elementary, a position he held for nineteen years. Anderson retired from education in 1999. Rodney and Kathy were married in 1959 and have spent forty-eight happy years together. They have one son, Ryan and three grandchildren. During the open house, Mayor Scott Hermansen presented Judge Anderson with a plaque in appreciation of his fourteen years of service. Judge Anderson has given many years of service to the Gunnison Valley. Through his service and example, he has helped make this valley a better place. Many thanks goes out to Judge Anderson! President Jan Christensen, left and President Norman Jensen (right) counselors in the Gunnison Stake Presidency with President Charles W. Dahlquist II, General Young Men President for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Tri-stake fireside held in Gunnison ATri-Stake Fireside was held at the Gunnison Stake Center on Tuesday, Jan 9th. All young men, their fathers, young men leaders, scout leaders and bishopric members of the Manti, Salina and Gunnison Stakes were invited to attend. The speaker for the fireside was President Charles W. Dahlquist II, who is the General Young Men President for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. President Dahlquist spoke to the young men encouraging them to honor their priesthood and to live the values of scouting. A choir, made up of young men from the three stakes, sang for those attending the fireside. Following the meeting refreshments were served to the young men and their leaders. The youth that attended considered this a great §uccess and all in attendance came away with a great experience. |