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sl air condftloning systems 191weffngtonsteui7 4711748 ratsninnslip tribune community doug hacked 6405339 stoutfville aluminum c windows specializing in replacement doors and windows a metroland community newspaper serving whitchurchstouffville uxbridge and area wednesday march 16 1988 b b an nn in im rtm an oses elmers service by bruce stapley when elmer burkholder ap plied for a job at the stouffville coop in 1959 the manager told him he was only interested in someone intending to stay for awhile when asked what he meant by the word awhile the manager replied oh six weeks or so that was 29 years ago now elmers retired his last day was friday lots of six weeks have gone by since that first day he says with a grin the aspen crescent resident started out as a joe boy at the coop but as years went by he proved himself a valuable asset to the business demonstrating con siderable versatility and always holding customers in high regard i would sometimes see people come in with frowns on their faces he says i liked to look after them give them good ser vice and see them leave with a smile oldfashioned service coop customers always knew they were going to be taken care of even when elmer answered the phone with his customary elmer here can i help you old- fashioned service is something he feels customers have a right to ex pect i dont think a customer should have to ask for help he insists profits cant be every thing in running a business you must give honest friendly ser vice and you must make yourself available your customers should be your friends elmer was born and raised on his fathers farm north of mar- kham the family home has since been moved to the site of the town museum after working there several years he accepted em ployment at reesors farm ser vice rr 1 unionville before moving to the coop marie ferguson caiidi maker farewell handshake elmer burkholder left gets a farewell handshake from stouffville coop store manager brian reynolds the retiring store clerk began working there 29 years ago and left work for the last time on friday jim thomas i was a delivery boy at first he recalls i did all the running around butitwas good training i picked up a lot of product in formation i came to know people and where they lived box cars of coal he remembers back when the coop did a big coal business and how hed come home some days more than a little soiled with dust one of my first impressions of the coop was of the box cars with big lumps of soft coal brought in from alberta the farmers would shovel it into their trucks in those days elmer recalls the coop was an agent for far mers whod ship their wheat by nection is but a memory now all rail the train would also bring them their supplies of mill feed and soybean meal the rail con- shipments come and go by truck within a year of his joining the staff elmer was put in charge of feed processing we had a large feed business in those days he remembers we had to put on a second shift that worked until two in the morning custom grinding and mixing he claims the coop had the first grain drying system in the community we used to operate that thing from six in the morning until 10 at night much to the irritation of some nearby resi dents macho man on four legs c7 always there after more than 10 years of feed processing elmer developed a problem with dust he was trans ferred inside elmer was always there to fill in when needed whether it was fuel delivery or other tasks that had to be done i always tried to do the best at whatever i was doing whether i liked it or not he claims as years went by elmer de veloped an appreciation for both the coop idea and the people with whom he worked i look on the coop as a big family he claims the coop movement is such a good thing for the commun ity trying to make a profit for the whole membership elmer admits it will take more than a little adjusting to no longer work with the people hes come to enjoy being with for so long im leaving knowing im going to miss the many friends ive made busy retirement his plans for retirement while not finalized are sure to keep him busy i wont be sitting at home in a rocking chair twiddling my thumbs he maintains im working on an agenda he and wife carrie have always enjoyed travelling one of his first priorities is a trip to the epcot centre in florida a holiday he re cently won from the coop for signing up new fueloil customers i guess its sort of an interest ing conclusion to 29 years working here he says elmer and carrie have been to europe theyve also visited their daughter in vancouver elmers hobbies include photo graphy and woodworking he now hopes to devote more time to both pursuits his future is bound to include activities involving the wideman mennonite church a fellowship thats played a prominent part in his life ordained minister for a few years i was an ordained minister explains elmer i later requested status as a layman elmer has been in strumental in the churchs overall ministry including the sunday school elmer and carrie have three daughters two sons and il grand children last year they cele brated their 40th wedding anniversary it seems that for elmer retire ment will be more of a beginning than an end he has no intention of taking it easy ten teenagers face assault trial claremont ten teena gers charged with assaulting a 16yearold girl during and follow ing a house party at a claremont area farmhouse will stand trial may 30 the trals location has been moved to the whitby district courthouse the accused ranging in age from 14 to 17 years are charged with assault causing bodily harm forcible confinement and gross in decency the victim was allegedly beaten kicked forced to eat mud and handcuffed following her release the girl fled to a nearby home police were called and located the sus pects still at the site bruce stapley c14 i oldtime stenciling vj19