Name/Title
Newspaper Article, Goodbye to Gysbers SupermarketDescription
Waupun says goodbye to Gysbers Supermarket after 87 years as community's small-town grocer
By Aubrey Fleischer
THE REPORTER
WAUPUN - Waupun residents and Gysbers Supermarket employees said they were sad to see nearly 87 years of small-town grocery service come to an end Saturday when the store closed its doors for the last time.
What was once a thriving business and a staple of the Waupun community is now nearly empty as Gysbers customers walked through the store's almost bare shelves during its last week of business.
"It's always sad when a place closes that's been in a community for a long time," Betty Leu of Waupun said as she shopped in the store for the last time.
"It's been here for a long time, and it had a lot to offer," said Pam Dolajeck of Waupun, a teaching assistant at the Waupun Alternative School, adding that many students who attended the school are losing out on a good opportunity and a job.
Bob Gysbers, who has owned the store since taking it over from his parents in 1951, simply said, "I'm tired," when asked why the decision was made to close the store.
The grocery store first opened in downtown Waupun in 1917, then was moved to the current Main Street location on the west side of Waupun in 1960.
Buteven those who lived outside Waupun said they will miss the long-standing Gysbers store.
"I'm not from around here, but I always liked to come here," said Diana Walters of Beaver Dam.
"It's a nice little store."
"I hate to see it close," said longtime Waupun resident Annabelle Devries, who worked at Gysbers for more than 30 years before retiring two years ago. "It really was a family store, and I really liked it there."
Many other employees echoed the sadness Devries expressed about the store's closing after being part of the community for so many years.
"I feel bad, and others did, too, because we all liked it there," said Helen Vande Zande, a Gysbers employee for more than a year. "I've been going there for about 50 years."
"It's sad, and I feel bad for Bob (Gysbers) to see it close after so many years," said Clare Hilt, a 15-year employee. "It's sad to see what he built up go to nothing."
For the almost 50 area residents employed by Gysbers, the future is uncertain. Some are looking for other employment, while others are considering retirement. Many Gysbers employees said they are disappointed to be losing their jobs, especially in today's economy.
"For the younger ones who need a job, the closing is harder than it is for me," said Hilt. "I'm 64 and content to be here at home."
"There's hardly any jobs to be found in town," Vande Zande said, adding that many employees were either older or high school students, neither of whom are able or willing to drive out of town to work.
Several employees said rumors of a closing had been spreading for months, but that they had just recently been made aware of the actual closing date. Many are now finished working, and the other employees remained until Saturday's closing.
The empty shelves are a sad reminder that good things sometimes come to an end.
Gysbers history
Gysbers Supermarket is saying farewell to the Waupun community after nearly 87 years in business. A tour through the last several decades traces the steps of a true family tradition that ended Saturday.
• 1917- George Gysbers establishes Gysbers grocery store at the corner of Madison and Main streets.
• 1946 - Gysbers purchases the adjoining building and begins offering the newest concept in food markets - self-service.
• 1951 - Gysbers' son Bob begins working at the store full time after graduating from Ripon College. Bob had worked at the store from the age of 10. The store is incorporated at this time by owners George Gysbers, George Galler and Bob Gysbers.
• 1961 - A new building is constructed in the new Waupun West Shopping Center at 900 W. Main St. The new building is nearly double the size of the old Gysbers store and introduces modern conveniences, such as automatic door openers.
• 1978 - A bakery and deli are added.
• 1986 - Extensive remodeling adds 4,000 square feet of floor space and an atrium in the floral section of the store.
• 2004 - Gysbers closes its doors for the last time at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10.
(Information prior to 2004 provided by the late Waupun historian June Kelly).
"I hate to see it close," said longtime Waupun resident Annabelle Devries, who worked at Gysbers for more than 30 years before retiring two years ago. "It really was a family store, and I really liked itAcquisition
Accession
2001.0034Source or Donor
Waupun Historical SocietyAcquisition Method
Collected by Staff