Debbie & Rick Sherman are retiring & they hopefully have buyer for D & R Grocery

The residents of Oklee and the surrounding area has been sitting on pins & needles waiting to hear what is going to happen to their grocery store. No one wants to see the grocery store close. The news is that there is a buyer, waiting for the powers that be, to approve the sale of D & R Grocery. But as of this printing nothing final has been heard that the sale is complete. So everyone should do what they do, to wish this business to continue with new owners, do a dance, pray, wish upon a star, whatever, send your thought to whatever powers that be, to keep our little store up and running.

It will be a great loss to the City of Oklee if the grocery store does close. We have quite a few people living in town that do not drive so no groceries locally will a hard change for them. Rick and Debbie Sherman have been an indispensable and beneficial business to the Oklee community, even delivering groceries when needed. 

After 35 years in business, Rick and Debbie are looking forward to retiring. And who can blame them, none. They have dedicated 35 years of their life, seven days a week, year after year, good weather and bad, to offer Oklee a great little grocery store. They have a nice selection of meat and fresh vegetables, in addition to all the other staples we need to feed ourselves and families.

There is going to be a Retirement Party for them on Friday, August 27th at the Oklee Gazebo across the street from D & R Grocery. Everyone is welcome to attend and wish them a happy retirement. It will be a Potluck meal so bring a dish to share, and BBQ’s will be served also. The party starts at 6 p.m. 

D & R Grocery celebrated its 35th anniversary of being in business on July 1st, 2021

In the summer of 1986 Rick and Debra Sherman purchased Dale’s Grocery from Dale and Elmer Kolseth. They changed the name to D & R Grocery and leased the building from Edith Heden. 

One of the first improvements was to convert one of the storage rooms into a study and playroom for their 4 children, Conway, Nicosia, Ryan and Jesse. D & R Grocery’s first two part-time workers were Deb’s mom Lorraine Cote and Clara Radniecki. Before you knew it, Conway and Nicosia were helping with stocking shelves and running the till.

After a few years the building was purchased from Mrs. Heden which included the upstairs apartment and storage shed out back. In 1997 Errol and Geri Rustan agreed to sell Rustan’s Grocery to Rick and Deb. This was the original site of the Melby Bros. Store built in 1910. 

After 30 days of remodeling  D & R Grocery was ready to re-open at it’s new location. The original building D & R started in, was sold to Loretta Flatgard and became part of Oklee Quilting.

A full generation has passed now since first turning the key as most customers can testify. With grown children & grandchildren popping in and out of the store at various times, D & R Grocery has truly become an “old-fashioned” mom and pop store. 

So many friends, family and employees have helped make D & R Grocery a success over the years.