From Jim Stalker
Creston
Recently, you did a story on the Casey’s General Store at 200 S. Elm. It was a good story that included some of Casey’s history which I really enjoyed and was anxious to continue on page 2. However, you don’t have a page 2. There was a 2A, but no story. I was especially interested in the story because of my brother’s involvement with Casey’s. Finally, after reaching a near feverish pitch, I found the conclusion of the story on page 14A. Some remedial math might be in order. Was that rather childish of me to bring that to your attention? Well, yes. But now that I’m 70, I should be able to get away with silly things like that.
My brother Tim, whom I miss terribly, had some interesting history with Casey’s. While Tim was still in high school, here in Creston, he worked at a local grocery store, the name slips my mind except way back, it was Sandeman’s or Sandy’s Grocery, near the underpass on 25. The manager was Ron Lamb, who climbed the Casey’s chain of command to become vice president and later, after Lamberti retired, president for a time. Tim so impressed Ron with his work ethic, that when Tim was 18, Ron offered him the job of opening and managing a new store at Woodward. Tim was the youngest manager in Casey’s history and he did it very well, making friends and getting involved in community projects. After a few years, getting his family started, he decided to move back home and build his first store on the corner of N. Cherry and Townline. I’m not sure of the timeline, but eventually, Tim built stores in Villisca, Griswold, Akron and back again to Creston, near the High and Dry. He tried to buy the Flashmart but the manager of the Farmer’s Co-op didn’t get along with Tim and refused to sell it to him, so Casey’s bought the Flashmart and sold it back to Tim. That store became known as Casey’s Texaco.
Tim had three children, Tisha, TJ and Todd. Tisha lives and works in Des Moines. Todd and TJ have purchased the Chevrolet Dealership, and continue to carry on Tim’s characteristics of honesty and integrity. He was proud of his children and grandchildren.