When I was a little girl, one of my favorite activities was going to Schlegel’s Grocery & Hardware Store. In rural Central Pennsylvania during the 1960s, there were few options for entertainment besides going to church, visiting Grandma, grocery shopping, and attending church.

A Family Business

Schlegel’s Grocery & Hardware Store was a small, white, wooden building nestled among the row of houses in East Salem. The Schlegel family has been in the grocery business since the 1800s.

In the mid-1920s, Earl Schlegel worked at the store across the street, which was owned by Edith Schlegel, probably his cousin’s wife. She told Earl, “Someone bought that store over there.” Earl replied that he had bought it. Edith was furious. “I thought you were buying my store.” Earl reminded her, “You were always going to sell it to me, but you never did.” That was the last day Earl worked for Edith.

I remember Earl as an older man with patches of white hair and a broad smile. By the time I learned to spell, he was preparing to hand the business over to his son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Blanche. He had planned to retire at seventy, but continued working until his final days. Earl was just six months shy of becoming a centenarian when he passed away in 1997. He had devoted over ninety years to the grocery business. Wayne said his father intended to retire but never got around to it. Wayne also claimed to have retired but never seemed to leave the store, either.

From Bolts to Root Beer Barrels

I remember many things about that place. It didn’t have a public bathroom, and sometimes, I didn’t have the ability to hold it. The back room was filled with boxes of nuts, bolts, and various types of hardware organized on shelves that rose far above my head. Fathers and grandfathers gathered there while the women shopped for groceries.

But what I remembered most and where I stayed the longest was at the front of the store. The checkout counter offered a delightful assortment of penny candy, including chalky candy cigarettes, Swedish Fish, Smarties, and waxy bottles filled with overly sweet colored syrup shaped like tiny soda bottles. There were coconut rainbow strips, root beer barrels, and straws filled with colored sugar—the Pixy Stix. I’m not sure if I had a powerful sweet tooth or was drawn to the bright colors, but the candy counter was my favorite spot during grocery runs, testing my decision-making abilities when I had a rare handful of change.

Small Town, Big Store

In 1973, Schlegel’s Grocery & Hardware Store relocated to a new site within walking distance of the original store. When I first visited this building, I felt disappointed. It was clad in aluminum, with gas pumps next to the parking lot. However, the people inside made the place feel like home. I cannot recall a time in that store that Wayne, as he hurriedly passed me in the aisle, didn’t smile and make me feel that he was thrilled I had stopped by.

The next move was to an even larger building outside East Salem. The current location of the grocery and hardware store is next to the neighborhood bank. It features an apartment complex where the family can unwind between work hours. Wayne and Blanche rarely left the store, even after constructing a lovely house on the hill across the road, surrounded by their children’s homes.

Everything You Need

Schlegel’s Grocery & Hardware Store has everything except new cars and comfortable clothes. Just inside the door, you’ll find a supply of paintball equipment, toy tractors, gardening tools, and outdoor grills. Further down the aisles are rows of tools and household items like trash cans and small kitchen appliances, along with the paint store. Workers at Schlegel’s will assist you in replacing broken window panes located at the back of the hardware store.

The grocery, produce, and meat sections affiliated with IGA fill the rest of the store, along with books and a display of individual plastic farm animals. The checkout counter offers an assortment of homemade baked goods. It may not be the colorful candy counter of my childhood, but it remains a great temptation.   

Home of the Two-Dollar Bill                                              

Schlegel’s Grocery & Hardware Store is famous for its two-dollar bill, which was Wayne’s idea. If you leave with a handful of paper money in change, you’re likely to hold a two-dollar bill. Wanda says they get about $2000 in twos each week. Many people request them in bundles, numbered sequentially, especially during Christmastime.

My dad once parked his car at an off-site parking lot in Harrisburg, over an hour from home. He handed the attendant a two-dollar bill, and the man said, “Oh, you must have been to Schlegel’s.”

This once-tiny store, which has turned into a local mega-mart, still feels like home. Maybe it’s the efficient way every worker knows exactly where to find what you need. Perhaps it’s the homemade BBQ or chicken salad. My family members who live far away request these items when we have a family gathering.

The Next Generations

The store remains a family business. I miss the faces of Blanche and Wayne, who died three days apart (December 30, 2020, and January 2, 2021). Today, Schlegel’s is owned and operated by Wayne and Blanche’s two children: their oldest daughter, Wanda, and her husband, Larry Sheaffer, along with the Schlegels’ son, Jeff, and his wife, Lori. Two of Wayne and Blanche’s grandsons are learning the trade.

At Schlegel’s, I find workers who have been there as long as I can remember. Wayne Reichenbaugh has worked there since his high school graduation in 1981. He’s affectionately called Waynie by the Schlegel family. Lisa Van Horn has been a Schlegel’s employee for thirty-seven years. I asked her why she has stayed that long. She said it is close to home, and it feels like family. After stopping by a few times, those workers recognize and greet you by name. Stand in the middle of any hardware aisle for a few seconds, and someone will offer help.

We All Have Stuff To Do

I suspect that the success of this business lies in the people who own, operate, and work there. Wayne Schlegel had a smile that melted your heart. Jeff Schlegel has a friendly giggle that makes you want to laugh out loud. He frequently studies the collection of customer photos and reminisces about the people who came to the store in years past. Lori and Wanda solve problems and stock shelves (yes, the owners help with that chore, too), yet they both find time to chat and search for old newspaper articles.

I asked how they had managed to work and live close together all these years. Jeff laughed and said, “We all have stuff to do. We don’t have time to squabble.” I’ve never seen a family quarrel occur between family members or workers.

Family-owned and tended businesses like Schlegel’s Grocery & Hardware Store are one of the many reasons why my feet are firmly planted in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. My memories of this place go back as far as I can remember. Oh, wait, why can’t I find my old badminton racket?. “Rich, I’ll be right back. I need to run over to Schlegels.”

Schlegel’s Grocery and Hardware webpage

Schlegel’s Grocery Store Facebook page

More from days gone by…

Are You Homesick For Days Gone By?

The Old Car