L to R: Chuck Kendall, 3 Massey Company Representatives, William Kendall Chuck Kendall plow lays then working with the tractors. When Chuck came back from the service in 1945, he jumped right in to help at the store, though he didn’t know a thing about tractors. Chuck helped his dad at the store for many years before officially taking over in 1963. During this time, he built an attractive front counter, a spectacular display case and with signage and he built up the business that had been dwindling over the years. Once ownership transferred to Chuck, he made some significant changes. The business at the time resided in downtown Yankton, just south of what is now Hatch furniture. He relocated the store to 1500 Broadway, right beside what is now Luken Memorial and gave it a new name, Kendall Implement. Connie recalls their move to the new location on Broadway and the clutter they worked in while setting up the new store. While they were setting up, she recalls how farmers had followed them and were trying to order while they were unpacking, so they had to rummage through boxes to find what they needed. One distinct moment at the new store will always stand out to Connie. About a week after they moved, the store was bustling with customers. A farmer came through the door and said, “President Kennedy was shot today.” “Nobody said a word. It was just the quietest afternoon,” she explained. “That was a blow. I’ll never forget that.” With Chuck’s limited knowledge of tractors, he realized that he needed a mechanic to help in the shop. He contacted Connie’s brother in Sioux Falls, Oscar Nysven, who agreed to join his staff. Connie also found herself working right along with Chuck at the store. She started off doing the bookkeeping though she didn’t care for it that much. “What I really wanted to do was to be out in the store visiting with people,” she explained. When they had the opportunity to hire a bookkeeper, they seized it and Connie then became a full-time parts ma’am. She remembers the day that Chuck told her that he, his dad and Oscar were going to the warehouse to set up some machinery and Connie could stay back and run the store. By herself. She remembers that she wasn’t too nervous about that day but does recall her first stressful experience that came from it. A gentleman that she knew from Yankton Auto Salvage called and asked her if they had spark plugs for a 1944 Massey-Harris tractor. She laughed. “I said, ‘I don’t know!’” The expression on her face made me laugh right along with her. She continued, “I didn’t know a spark plug from anything!” He came down to the shop and helped her look. Together they found the spark plugs that he needed. When I asked her if the men gave her any grief because they thought she didn’t know tractors since she was a lady, she laughed and explained that the men were easier to work with than some of the women at her previous job at Montgomery Ward. vKENDALL continued on page 15 Willcockson Eye Associates, P .C. Quality Eye Care, Close To Home The physicians of Willcockson Eye Associates, P are dedicated to providing the best possible .C. medical and surgical eye care for you and your entire family. In addition to comprehensive eye exams and contact lens fittings, our physicians perform state of the art small-incision cataract and implant surgery. Our physicians are the regional experts in the diagnosis and management of sight threatening conditions such as glaucoma, diabetes, and macular degeneration. Karen E Dickes, D.O. Board Certified Ophthalmologist Medical and Surgical Eye Care Gregory A Kouri, O.D. Optometrist Medical Eye Care For all your eyewear needs visit the Spectacle Shop next door. They offer an extensive selection of frames from traditional styles to the latest fashion design with frames to meet every family’s budget. 415 W. 3rd, Yankton The Spectacle Shop, L.L.C. Call 605-665-9638 Brady W. Betten, O.D. Optometrist Medical Eye Care HERVOICEvJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017v9