Hi, Catherine! My dad, Elmer Reser, bought the building from Al Gehring and we also had “The Wayne Trail Inn”. We lived upstairs and I spent my sophomore year in high school at Loramie. My mother was a Busse and my grandfather was Louis Busse of the famous sausage and meat market. Customers came from all over the country to buy his meat and I still miss his smoked sausage!
I remember my aunt Lauretta Wilkens was a Village Beautiful Girl and I have a photo of them—when they used to take care of the banks around the canal that ran through the center of town-- and we children watched movies from the bank outside. Loramie had charm back then and I have photos of Grandpa John Wilkens with us sitting in front of the Loramie Indian that used to be on the bank. Is the Indian still around?
I always wanted to buy the pie safe that was in the back room of the building. Is that for sale? Incidentally I also am a member of the Shelby Co. Historical Society in Sidney. Thanks again for contacting me.
Please send me your address and I will become a member. My dad bought Kings Café, which was next door to the Busse Meat Market, from Don King’s dad when I was in high school, sophomore year 1948. I was in college when he bought the Wayne Trail Inn from Al Gehring around 1951-52. I am in the process of going through old photos and will send you some photos I have and contact my cousin Joan Wilkens Hoying in New Bremen to see if she has anything.
Unfortunately I remember my parents’ generation throwing everything away when they cleaned out attics.
Mary Lou (Reser) Raterman
