| Summary: | Johnny had purchased the Rolla Laundromat and cigarette vending machine route from Leonard and Ida Porter. When they moved to Rolla, Sandy was five, Debbie was four and Randy was two weeks old. Rodney and Becky were born in Rolla. Johnny sold the laundromat in 1971 to Eddie Nelson. At that time he built Johnny's Bar in St. John, which he operated until the spring of 1975. In 1975 Johnny and Loretta bought Johnny's dad's farm in New Rockford, North Dakota, and moved their family there. Johnny died June 21,1984 from a farming accident. Loretta remarried and lives in Hugo, Oklahoma, with her husband, Arnold Fandrick, and Becky. Sandy married Bill Peterson and lives in Fargo with their three sons. Debbie married Tom Kraft and lives in McClusky with their three sons. Randy married Mryna Hanson and farms with Rodney at New Rockford. Clarence and Lydia Eller -1944 CLARENCE R. AND LYDIA Y. ELLER Clarence R. Eller was born in Rock Lake, North Dakota, in 1917 to John and Elva Leonard Eller. He attended several country schools before graduating from Rock Lake High School. In high school he gained wide experience in the business world of butchering, lumber, coal, machinery and sales by working at Nels Hawkin- son's Cash Store. In September 1939 he moved to Rolla to work for Charles Favreau in Favreau's I.G.A. earning $60.00 a month. A few of the prices of the times were three pounds of coffee for $1, hamburger for 20 cents a pound and a big seller was salt pork for 9 cents a pound. Shortly after he moved to town, Clarence met Lydia Boucher who was working as a salesclerk at the Rolla Bakery. Lydia had been in Rolla for one year. She was born in Thorne in 1920 to Emile and Emeline Cote Boucher. After attending a country school and assisting her mother with the care of 13 children, she went on to graduate from Rolette High School. Clarence and Lydia were married at St. Joachim Catholic Church in 1940. They had three children - Gary, who was born in 1941, is a pharmacist in Kodiak, Alaska; Karen Milne who was born in 1943, is a law firm personnel coordinator in Apple Valley, Minnesota; and Carolyn Watkin (Dr. David), was born in 1946, is a homemaker in Cavalier, North Dakota. Gary has two children, Marie and John; Karen has three, Susan, Steven and Michelle; and Carolyn has five, Tracey, Tanya, John, Erin and Meghan. Clarence and Lydia Eller, Gary, Carolyn, Karen On December 1, 1941 Clarence began working for Charles Sobolik at the Rolla Mercantile. After a brief period as a clerk, he became the manager and buyer. After her children started school, Lydia joined Clarence working at the Merc, and on January 1,1967 they purchased the business from Charles and Luella Sobolik. In 1941 Lee bib overalls were sold for $2.29 and in 1986 they were selling for $27.98; chambray shirts were 49 cents and, in 1986, they were $9.98. Over the years they have wholeheartedly participated in countless community organizations. Clarence was a charter member of the Kiwanis Club and of the Knights of Columbus where, in addition to many other offices, he is the Past Grand Knight. He served as vice president of the fair board, president and secretary of both the Commercial Club and the Lion's Club; worked many years in Boy Scouts as Cub Master, Scout Master, district chairman and vice president of Lake 238 Agassiz Council. He received the Silver Beaver Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
|
|---|