Dakota Attitude
The People’s Store
Ted Wolff was born in 1934, one of three sons. “I lost my dad when I was three years old,” Ted says. “He died of cancer, so mother raised us three boys. My mother remarried when I was 11. We moved to about one mile east of here. We kept our same church and went to school here in Forbes, so I never left the community. Mother lived to be 95.”
In 1975, Ted became involved with the operation of People’s Store in Forbes, a nonprofit organization, staffed with mostly volunteers. Few on the payroll. As you first enter the store, you will notice a lunch counter with nine stools where fresh coffee is 25 cents and refills are free. “Normally there are donuts there,” Ted says. “Someone will buy them to have with your coffee, or someone will bring in cookies or brownies. It is a normal thing.”
The store has a well-equipped meat department where they make homemade sausage. Ted is the chairman of the board and is also in charge of the sausage processing. They have summer sausage, fry sausage, ring bologna, and liver sausage. It is known extensively throughout the area. Customers are from all the surrounding communities, plus they receive orders. “We ship the sausage by priority mail. It gets there quick. Last week I shipped sausage to Texas.” I asked Ted what makes the sausage so popular. “We don’t overseason it, and we use good meat. Once they taste it, they like it. And they come back.”
In addition to sausage sales, People’s Store is sustained by loyal customers —customers who shop elsewhere but return to Forbes for their groceries. “My brother, Christ, comes in and helps me, part time. He is 88, but he will help pack or help make the rings. Then my wife, of course, is my big helper. She is here when I am. Also, my two granddaughters come in here to help.” Unless he is busy at the farm, Ted is at the store every day.