Welcome to the Skime Store

Written by Kari Sundberg, Eagle Editor

We have something special here. Figuratively and literally. Those who live here understand it and those who visit here understand it. There is a sense of peace, safety, and community. And that feeling rolls right along with you as you head north out of Grygla and drive into the even more rural area of Skime.

Because I had never stopped there, which I hate to admit, and also because it’s been recently updated, I made a visit to the Skime Store on Monday morning. With its new white and blue tin, its resemblance to the old store nicely combines the past, present, and future.

With the store’s current owners, Roger & Bernice Skime, greeting me upon entrance, and Lois Olson’s warm, welcoming smile as she helps behind the counter, I felt right at home. Not a lot of gas stations or convenience stores gives you that feeling, but the Skime Store, nestled amongst the trees, hits a little different.

Inside, there are snacks to grab & go, and be on your way. Grocery shelves are stocked with items in case you’re running low at home. And if you’ve got some extra time, there’s a little table set up right next to a new coffee bar, encouraging you to stay awhile. 

Not to mention the gas pumps out front that make it a convenient place to fill up between Grygla, Warroad, and everywhere in between. The Skime Store is something special and that’s exactly why it’s still open, serving those who live nearby, along with those just passing by.

Originally began in 1911, the Skime Store was then ran by Alfred Loken. You can read all about the store’s history in the essay below that was written back in the year 2000 by Stephanie Olson, who wrote it for a Grygla School Social Studies project. 

The backstory of the store is interesting to read about. It has changed hands several times over the last century, but currently, it’s owned by Roger and Bernice Skime. The Skimes acquired the store in the fall of 2012 when they bought the land from Judy Olson, who had owned the store since 1999. Judy is still a familiar face around the store, though, helping man the store daily. With the hours consistently 8am-6pm, open seven days a week, the shifts are covered to Roger’s delight. He jokes that he doesn’t know anything about the store. “The girls run it. I know nothing,” he laughs. 

The “girls” he is referring to are Judy Olson, who works weekdays from 3-6pm, along with weekends, and Michelle Olson, who opens it every weekday and works until 3pm. From time to time, you’ll see Lois Olson helping out, too. Roger says, “I can’t express just how thankful I am to have these ladies running the store. They take care of everything.” 

Between Judy and Michelle, they share responsibilities on inventory and getting fuel. They are also the main faces of the place that’s not only convenient to many, but special too.

Roger Skime grew up in Skime and attended Roseau High School, graduating in 1961. He has fond memories of the old Skime Store as he was growing up. “When I was a young kid, going to the Skime Store was the highlight of the week. Dad and Mom would take us there and give us a nickel to buy a bottle of Squirt,” he reflected.

Roger and Bernice have been married for 57 years and lived in Thief River Falls where Roger was the VP of Engineering at Arctic Cat. With that being their main residence, the couple still had land and their cabin in Skime.

With interest of purchasing more land, but not necessarily interested in the store itself, the Skime’s became the new owners of the store with great, reliable help to keep it up and running. 

Roger and Bernice moved back to Skime full-time in 2019. They only live a hop, skip and a jump away from the store. In fact, after my visit, they were kind enough to invite me over to their beautiful ranch where we shared more conversation and laughs. In fact, I even sat down at their grand piano and played the Sjulestad Waltz (a favorite tune in my family), while Roger and Bernice danced along the floor. For a minute I forgot it was Monday morning and I had to get back to work! I could have easily made a day out of my visit to Skime.

Earlier when it was said there’s something special here, that couldn’t be truer. Just 18 miles up the road from Grygla, welcoming everyone to come through the doors, sits the special Skime Store. 

It was recently remodeled by Mark Geroy and Duane Olson who put on a new roof, installed new windows, doors, and steel siding. Inside, surrounding the shelves, are wood tongue & groove walls, giving the whole place that “cabin in the woods” feeling.

Sitting right north of the store, there actually is a row of cabins, though they haven’t been open or updated for years. It’s not completely off the table to maybe one day get the five units up and running again, as they were popular rentals for hunters, but for now, it’s on the back burner. 

Roger and Bernice are grateful to Judy, Michelle and all the others that have helped at the store over the years, but they are also grateful to all of the vehicles that pull in and the patrons who visit. They said, “We are so happy to have the store open and we know there’s so many people who appreciate it. Sure, you can buy your stuff in a bigger store, but the Skime Store is a convenience for the ones that live here and the ones who pass through.” Roger concluded, “We’re just extremely thankful to every patron who helps make it a viable business.  Really. We   appreciate everyone so much.”

The Skime Store

Written by Stephanie Olson (for a school project back in the year 2000)

The Skime Store is now located north of Grygla on Highway #9. The original spot where the store was built and opened for business was also along Highway #9, which is now the Tom Olson home. 

The Skime Store opened for business in 1910 with Alfred Loken as the owner. The store also had a Post Office in it. The original store was quite large, and the store carried a variety of grocery items along with hardware, gas, and clothing items; they also sold gloves and boots. The folks who lived in the Skime area completely depended on the store for their goods. 

In the early days people traveled in the winter by horse and toboggan to the store for supplies and in the summer they either walked or rode horse. The Skime Store has always been the hub of the community. A place where people come together to share area news or just visit for a while. Uncle Leonard Olson remembers in 1936 gas was .20 cents a gallon, a 12-ounce bottle of pop was .5 cents. He said cigarettes were .11 cents a pack and Copenhagen was .15 cents. Things have sure changed since the early days. Anyone could buy cigarettes; age wasn’t a question in those early days. Now identification has to be shown if a person looks under 18 years of age.

Some people say that the Skime Store got its name because so many people with the Skime last name lived in that area. Others aren’t sure. But even though there have been various owners, the store has always been called the Skime Store.

Around 1920, Ole Kettleson took over the store business, then R.V. Anderson. About 1943, Harald and Alma Bird ran the business and then Frank and Lois Nystrom. The store then closed along with the Post Office. The Post Office never reopened. The store building was used for farm use after it closed. 

In 1964, Hubert and Mavis Olson moved a building onto their land, which is located on the corner in Skime, and opened the Skime Store in a new (second) location. This building was not too large, but they had a large variety of grocery items and gas pumps. Their grocery supplier was L.B. Hartz and gas was delivered by the Farmer’s Union Company out of Grygla. Hubert and Mavis ran the store until 1966. Later that store was added onto Hubert and Mavis’ home, then remodeled to be a part of their home. 

Mavis Olson remembers some prices of items from the years they were in business. Milk was .39 cents a ½ gallon, gas .39 cents a gallon, bread .29 cents a loaf and candy bars .5 cents and .10 cents. The pop Mountain Dew became available in 1966.

Skime did not have a store for a few years until Leonard and Rachel Olson built a new store (the present location) in 1971. Together they ran the business. It was always fun to stop for treats at the store and visit with Leonard and Rachel. 

The original Skime Store was sold to ElKay Foss in 1972 and moved to his place west of Highway #9. He remodeled the building and opened the original building under the name of Foss Store.

Some time after Rachel passed away, Leonard Olson decided to sell the Skime Store. It was sold to Larry and Camilla Hamilton in 1994. At that time, they did some remodeling and updated some things in the store. After a short while in the store business, Larry and Camilla closed the store. It was closed a short time then Leonard Olson reopened it in 1996. Leonard had a few different employees throughout this time along with help from his children. Mavis Olson was one of those employees. 

In 1999, Brian and Judy Olson bought the store from Leonard. They opened for business on October 3rd, 1999. A few changes have been made but Mavis is still employed there. Brian and Judy have groceries delivered by Henry’s and gas delivered by Roseau Cooperative Company. Brian spends most of the time at the store and Judy helps out whenever she can. She is employed at Polaris, so her time is limited. Brian is excited about making changes in the years to come. The store also offers cabins that are available throughout the year. Some store prices in 1999-2000 included bread which is $1.89 a loaf, gas is $1.38 a gallon, candy bars are .60 cents, milk $1.93 a half gallon, cigarettes are $3.55 a pack, pop is .60 cents a can and Copenhagen is $4.08. The prices have sure changed through the years.

Although many things have changed in the Skime area since the first Skime Store was built, the Skime Store name is just as popular, and the store is still the hub of the community. It is truly a hot spot for folks passing through the area and for hunters and other people who enjoy the outdoors. People still meet at the Skime Store for visiting and a cup of coffee as they did in years past.

The Skime community is a rural community that has depended on the Skime Store for years. The store has underwent many changes through the years but the name has always stayed the same. The people in Skime will depend on it being a part of their community for years to come.