Lil’ Feller changes ownership

By Dan Bechtold

Editor

The ownership of Lil’ Feller in Winner changed hands  yesterday (Nov. 30).

Brian Schaeffer sold the business to R.F. Buche. The business will be called Gus Stop 6 and there will be a new manager.

Lil’Feller Covenience Store in Winner opened in October 1984 and was built by Dwight and Brian Schaeffer.

Schaeffer explained he was talking to one of his suppliers about the idea of selling the business. The supplier said she knew someone who might be interested. She put Schaffer in touch with Buche and the two were able to come to a deal.

“I am blessed to have found R.F. to take over the business,” said Schaeffer as he sat his office the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Buche plans to keep the business open 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Schaeffer says he has good employees. He feels fortunate  to have all the customers who have been here year after year. “They are the ones who made the place go,” he said.

The first Lil’Feller store was in Miller in 1981 The Schaeffers owned six Lil’ Feller stores in Valley City, N.D., Carrington, N. D., Lemmon, Mobridge, Miller and Winner.

Of the  six, the only store left is the one in Winner.

Brian noted  did not want to be on the road that much so he sold off all the stores to concentrate on the one in Winner.

The store in Winner was originally Car Care Center. It was torn down to build the new convenience store. There have been two additions in 1989 and 2005. The additions expanded the size of the building. In 1993, new gas tanks were put in and  a new canopy was built.

Brian said his dad came up with the name of the convenience store. Brian’s mother, Mona, drew the lil feller figure which was a combination  of two to three characters put into one.

Brian is amazed at how many people he sees who have worked at Lil’ Feller.

Cal Berg was the first manager. In December 1985 Craig Schaeffer became the manager and Brian worked the night shift.

Brian explained that his dad always insisted the store be open 24 hours a day more as a convenience to the community.

Barb Lovejoy was hired as the manager in 1991  and she hired Diann Suess as the assistant manager.

Brian and Lovejoy managed the store together starting in 1996.

Brian talked about some of the long time employees incuding Judy Edwards, Donna Papke, Carolyn Reiss, Delores Palmer. “They were a fun crew. They would dream stuff up and I always said those were my smooth years because I did not have to worry about emploees”

Nancy Turgeon

Brian said one of the biggest challenges was getting someone to work the midnight to 7 a.m. shift.

“I   would work at Schaeffer Oil during the day and come here and work the midnight shift,” said Brian. He did that for nine months.

Finally, he found two guys to work that shift and they are Duncan Reidl and Paul Cornell and for two years Orville Schroeder worked the night shift.

“Finding Duncan for the midnight shift was a blessing,” said Brian.

Duncan has worked at Lil’ Feller for five yeas, Paul for 10 years and another long time employee is Nancy Turgeon who has worked there for 10 years.

Also working at the store since 2012 is Chris Schaeffer who served in the military and came back to help his dad at the store. “I needed someone and Chris just pitched in.”

Brian says he enjoys getting up in the morning and going to work. “I am going to miss a lot of the people who come through the door every morning.”

Schaeffer says he plans to take a year off. He and his wife. Jan, hardly have had any time to travel. Brian has missed family gatherings due to working at the store.

As he leaves the store on Nov. 30  he says Lil’ Feller has treated him well and will be in good hands with Buche.