Woodruff’s Supermarket, a beloved local grocery in Liberty IN, has been in business for eighty years! The folks at Woodruff’s posted an incredible timeline on social media, taking a real trip memory lane with us here in Union County. Check out the history below:
April 10th, 1944
80 Years -8 decades- of Woodruff’s Supermarket
1940’s facts-
•Harold Woodruff opened the locker plant
•Bought creamery next door to start smoking meat
•Ed woodruff joined the business
1950’s facts-
•Michigan Fruit ordering began
•Creamery was torn down to build new grocery store
•In construction, the wall of the locker plant caved into the newly dug basement from torrential downpour.
•The grocery store opened in 1957
Kroger left Liberty… for good
1960’s facts-
•Closed the locker plant to double the size of the grocery store
•A parking lot was put behind the store
•Harold Woodruff retired in 1968, although did often help in the store, mainly in produce.
1970’s facts-
•Tim Woodruff joined the business in 1976.
•The new back entrance with automatic doors were installed, along with the famous ramp entrance into the back of the store in 1979.
1980’s facts-
•The business next door was purchased from Jerry and Gene Paul in 1982 to expand the store.
•The newly remodeled store was opened in 1983. That was also the year the store bought its first cardboard compactor, which is the same one we use to this day.
•In 1987, the store installed a blacktop parking lot, bought a computer to do payroll and started scanning UPC’s.
•In 1988, the store was expanded for the final time in this building, to open the bakery and expand the produce and dairy.
•Also in 1988, the store bought the property that we currently reside at.
•Ed Woodruff retired in 1989.
•Harold Woodruff passed away in April of 1986.
1990’s facts-
•in 1992, our very own Richard Pruitt began working at the store.
•The store bought the blue house on S Main Street as well as the Sunoco station on the corner of Union and Main.
•Intercoms were installed in 1996.
•In 1998, the store bought entire equipment from Shroder’s Super Value in New Lebanon’s Ohio.
•Broke ground for new site at 10 S Main St in 1998.
•Ridenour’s Ice Cream Shop was opened for two summers in the house in the back parking lot of the store.
•Jennifer Woodruff joined the business in September 1999.
2000’s facts-
•April 10th 2000, Value Market was opened. •Three years later, Value Market closed.
•March of 2003, Woodruff’s Supermarket moved from 26 E Union St to 10 S Main St.
•Ed Woodruff worked up until the exact day that he passed away- January 7th, 2006.
•2007, the original locker and grocery was torn down by Doyne Wildman.
2010’s facts-
•November 2011, started digging for new addition on front of building.
•Addition was finished in June of 2012.
•Began selling Hoosier Lottery in 2012.
•Medicenter Pharmacy opened in 2014 by Dave and Peggy Rokosz.
•2014, the bakery was reopened at new location.
•2018, Steve Schwegman retired.
•Joe Miller was hired to take over the meat department management.
•Quinn Stephens, Jennifer Woodruff’s daughter, joined the business in March of 2014.
2020’s facts-
•March of 2020, the Covid Pandemic resulted in record sales from people traveling all over looking for groceries.
•In 2020, the Union County Foundation bought the 26 E Union St location.
•The Bob Jenkins Mural was hand painted by Pamela Bliss on the front of the store in the summer of 2022.
•Joe Miller passed away in April of 2023.
•Katie Freeman then became the meat department manager.
•Our most recent event in April of 2024 was our first food tent event for the Total Solar Eclipse.
The post continued:
“To the 100’s of you who have worked at the store over the last 80 years- we could not have done this without all of you. Working in a grocery is not an easy job. Early mornings, late nights, endless amounts of shelves to stock and trucks to unload. We thank each and every one of you.
To our thousands of customers over the last 80 years- we certainly would not be here today without your support of our family business. The friendly, familiar faces that we see every day are a huge reason why we continue to do what we do. We have lost many friends over the years, but is is so often that something will happen to remind us of them.
It has been an absolute pleasure serving this community for the last 8 decades. We are learning to evolve in this world where small storefronts are not the most popular way to shop. We can only hope the support continues and we can be here for you all and the community for years to come.
HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY TO US!”
Written by Mary Apel and published to Union County Connect on April 10, 2024.