124 Years in Emporia
Reeble family opened its first grocery store in the city in 1883
By Brandy Nance
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Since 1883, Reeble’s grocery stores and the Reeble family name have been an influential part of the Emporia Community.
Founded by Rudolph Reeble, Reeble’s now has two stores in Emporia and the Reeble family also owns Price Chopper in Emporia. These are the only three family-owned grocery stores in Emporia.
William Reeble took over Reeble’s from Rudolph. William was followed by his son, Bernard “Barney” Reeble. Barney Reeble died in 2005. The stores now are run by Barney Reeble’s son-in-law, Arnold Graham.
Graham said he started working at Reeble’s in 1962. He said he has seen a lot of changes during his tenure at the stores.
“We try to make changes as time goes on,” Graham said. “When I started here, they didn’t have plastic wrap or plastic bags. They just didn’t have them.”
Graham said he also witnessed the changeover to computerized cash registers. He remembers when frozen food became big business. And he remembers in 1962 when there were 26 grocery stores in Emporia. Seven of those were supermarkets and eight of those stores were on Commercial Street between the North Reeble’s and Soden’s Grove.
“You could look out and look at the other guys’ signs,” Graham said.
Now, on that same stretch, only Reeble’s remains. Graham said that is largely because of the store’s efforts in keeping up.
“It’s mostly just trying to keep up with what’s going on with the times,” Graham said as he thumbed through paperwork Tuesday afternoon in his office. “You just keep changing, remodeling and adding things.”
The people also make a difference. Graham said many of the people that are in management positions have been with the stores for years.
“It’s the only thing I’ve done really,” he said. “The key people didn’t turn over other than retiring.”
Being a family-owned store makes a difference too.
“Each store can fit itself to the customers they have,” Graham said. “You don’t have a corporate office telling you what to do.”
Barney Reeble’s wife of 37 years, Jane, gave her view of why Reeble’s has stood the test of time in Emporia.
“They always tried to be very honest, give good service and (provide) good products,” Reeble said.
Reeble Foundation
Reeble’s grocery stores isn’t the only reason the Reeble name is known in Emporia. Barney Reeble and his wife, Jane Reeble, started a foundation in late 1992. The foundation is completely separate from the grocery stores, Jane Reeble said. The funds distributed through the foundation are from investments that Barney Reeble moved over to the foundation.
“The foundation does not use store money,” Jane Reeble said.
The foundation was started when Barney Reeble saw needs in the community. Jane Reeble suggested they start a foundation to meet some of those needs.
“We established the foundation with the idea of helping organizations,” she said. “We give to major organizations here in town, which include the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.”
The foundation gives money to community non-profit groups in and around Emporia, Reeble said. According to a 2005 article in the Gazette, the Reebles have given to the Emporia School District, Flint Hills Technical College and Emporia State University.
“I think most everything is given right here in Emporia,” she said. “It’s set up more for larger organizations.”
Reeble said she and Barney Reeble enjoyed giving money to organizations. Since her husband died, the foundation is solely in the hands of Jane Reeble.
“It’s been something that we’ve enjoyed doing and I hope it’s been helpful to organizations,” she said. “This has been ongoing for some time and as long as I’m able, I’ll keep doing it.”
noel_stanton (anonymous) says...
Reebles indeed enjoys a proud tradition in Emporia. Perhaps the Reeble foundation would consider supporting the fund drive of the Corner House, which seems to very quietly be doing good works, too.
June 8, 2007 at 2:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )