#4. - People of Underwood, North Dakota

Last revised: July 23, 2010

Photo Memories Album #4.

Underwood Park Inn

The Park Inn Cafe was originally built in 1945 by Mr. and Mrs. Pete Cromer. In 1947 a dining room was added to accommodate the increased business brought by the construction of the Garrison Dam. In 1962 Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Granlie purchased the business, and in 1977 expanded the dining room for to handle the Coal Creek and Falkirk Mining project construction crews.

(1975) - Park Inn Cafe

Jo Granlie (owner/Manager), Sandra Burrows, Anastasia Hennes

Syl Vonderheide, the unofficial chairman of the
Underwood Coffee Club in existence for over
25 years. Anywhere from 9 to 20 people show
up for a morning or afternoon coffee session,
and play a 'number game' to see who would
pay for the coffee.

(1978) - Great Plains Supply (GPS)

Great Plains Supply owned by the Farmers union Grain Terminal Association was purchased in the 1940s from Midwest Lumber. Manager, Roland Koenig offers a wide variety of building materials and markets 'ready made' homes to be moved to the owner's lot.

Roland Koenig, Manager

(1978) - Underwood Body Shop

The Underwood Body shop was purchased in 1954 by George Werre and Duane Fischer from Gamber Motors.

Owners Duane Fischer and George Werre

(1978) - Farmers Oil Co.

The Farmers Oil Co. was organized in 1930 by farmers to meet the needs of agriculture. In 1973 a service station was opened and leased to Ken Hultberg.

Leonard Krantz, Manager

(1975) - Von's Clothing

In 1930, the Lewis Vonderheide family opened a general store that was known as the Outlaw Trading Co.; so called because Mr. Vonderheide said he would "outlaw high prices." In 1946 Syl purchased the interests of his father and sisters and continued to operate the business of grocery and dry goods sales. In 1953 he purchased the building owned by the Koenig Brothers. He remodeled the store, installed a new front and moved the entire dry good stock to this building calling it Von's Clothing. He also continued to operate the Outlaw Trading Co., with groceries only, until 1962 when he sold it to Carl Radke.

Marilyn Karlson, Eleanor Liebel, Marie Vonderheide, Syl Vonderheide,
Mrs. Arnold Freborg and Mrs. Marvin Schuh

Underwood's Mail Carrier

E. Ray Bartley first came to Underwood in 1917 when
he opened the first down shaft coal mine in the area,
and leased it to different people over the years. Ray's
first wife passed away and left him on the farm with
five children. He moved into Underwood, became a mail
carrier in 1928 and continued for the next 32 years until
his retirement in 1960. He lost one son, Ronnie in WWII.
He married again and had one child, Craig Bartley. He
visited friends in Underwood in 1977 and celebrated his
87th birthday.

1951) - Olson's Hardware

Otto Olson, born in 1877, came to Underwood in 1905 and bought a hardware store from Bob Pritchard. In 1915, Otto went into partnership with George T. Smith and the firm was known as Olson and Smith Hardware for 25 years. There were four hardware stores in Underwood at that time. In 1949, Olson bought out Smith and was joined in business by his son, Edward. Olson's Hardware became one of the largest hardware stores in McLean County. Tony Stockert also joined the store, and with Edward operated the business until 1962 when Mr. and Mrs. Tony Stockert bought out the interest of Edward Olson and operated the store until they retired in 1974.

Ed Olson, Roy Leidholm and Tony Stockert.

(1978) - Walther's Our Own Hardware

Mrs. L.B. Lenzen, Mr. & Mrs. Neil Walther

(1978) - Farmers Elevator & Mercantile Co.

Dorothy Boatz (Bookkeeper), Bob Boatz (Manager), | Glen Shirley, Tom Hoff

(1978) - The Hair Affair

Ruby Portra and Jacque Radke

(1978) - Ken's Standard

Ken and Darlene Hultberg and Bob Zietz

(1978) - Coast-To-Coast Hardware Store

TeRoy and Marian Repnow | Oliver, Tom, Delila, Chuck, Neil and Kelly Repnow

(1978) - The Clothes Rak

Miriam, Kim, Kevin, and Sam Tollefson

(1978) - Harold's TV and Appliance

In 1965, Harold and Lorine Lutz opened harold's TV and Appliance, assisted by John Glass. Prior to that Lutz and Adolph Eman operated A & H Radio and TV Service and Sales.

John Glass, Mr. & Mrs. Harold Lutz

(1978) - Underwood Cabinet Shop

Al Mettler

(1978) - Underwood Bottle Shop

Kim, Delores and Claire Ihringer

(1978) - Meiny's Bar

Meinhardt Schock

E-Mail: Ron.Fandrick@verizon.net

Ron Fandrick
2224 Ground Squirrel Dr.
New Port Richey, FL 34655-4029

Last revised: July 23, 2010