Martin's Super-Duper store will open this Thursday in the brand new market building at the corner of Fifth and Columbia.

Manager on the job

Carter Engum, new manager at Pomeroy Foods, was on the job Monday learning the "ins and outs" of the store, with the help of Dick Martin, former co owner. Engum is shown checking prices on some of the shelf items in the store.

The new operator of the former Martin's Thrift Store in Pomeroy Carter Engum, was on the job Monday, getting acquainted with his new charge.

Engum, from Pendleton, is presently manager of Pomeroy Foods for Roundup Grocery Company of Spokane, but he will be buying into the store later, he said, Monday. He was busy working with Dick Martin, learning present operations of the store. Except for changing over to My-TE-Fine products as a house brand, no changes are planned at the present time, he said.

He has been involved with food store management for the past nine years, as an assistant manager and then as a manager. He worked in Umatilla and Hermiston, as well as Pendleton.

Engum is married and he and his wife Bonnie have two children, April, eight months, and Jimmy, four years. The couple is presently negotiating to purchase a house in town.

Mr. and Mrs. Engum both are interested in hunting and fishing and Engum says his wife usually does better than he does. They also enjoy tennis.

Also on the job Monday was Norm Martin, who returned after "retiring" from the business nine years ago. Martin is the new meat cutter, a position he held with the old Martin's Super Duper, which is what the store was named when Don and Norm Martin first opened it 15 years ago.

Electronic age

Justina Wilcox punches in grocery items on one of Martin's Thrift Store's new electronic cash registers. With sales tax going off food items July 1 and parts becoming scarce for the older mechanical machines, a number of local merchants are installing the new type cash registers in their stores. First store in town to use an electronic cash register was Brown's Drug Store. Owner Denzil Bartels purchased one a year ago because he could no longer buy a service contract for his old machine.

End of an era:

Martins sell grocery

Don Martin cuts meat while his son Dick Martin looks on in the meat department at Martin's Thrift. Don and Dick this week announced they have sold their store to Roundup, Inc., which in turn has found a new owner for the store. A familiar face will still be behind the meat counter, however, as Norm Martin is going back to work there.

By MIKE DENUTY

Ownership of a grocery store by members of the Martin family will end this week, as Don and Dick Martin announced the sale of their market.

The Martins are selling their store to Roundup Grocery, Inc., which, in turn, is selling it to an individual. The new owner is to take over next week, and will be moving to Pomeroy, Roundup officials, who were in Pomeroy this week, said. His name was not available at press time.

Don Martin has been in the grocery business in Pomeroy for the past 31 years. He opened Martin's Market in 1948, after being discharged from the service. The store, was located where Up & Up Tavern's game room is now located.

In 1956, Don and his brother bought People's Market, next to Old National Bank. Following a fire in 1964, Don and Norm built Martin's Super-Duper at Fifth and Columbia. Martin's and People's were supplied by Mason-Ehrman of Lewiston, while Super-Duper was supplied by Continental Foods of Yakima.

Nine years ago, Norm retired from the store, and Don's son Dick came into the business. Don and Dick joined URM of Spokane, to operate a Thrift food store. The store will now be supplied by Roundup.

Norm Martin has been in the painting business for the past several years, but will now return to the grocery business as the meat cutter for the new owner.

Don, Dick and their families are uncertain as to their immediate plans, but will remain in Pomeroy.

Don, from Dayton, and Letha, from Prescott, have lived here for more than 30 years. Besides raising a family, both have spent many hours at the store. Letha was busy earlier this week, making up pizzas for the freezer section. She estimates she has made up more than 5,000 frozen pizzas in the last several years.

The couple has three children. Besides Dick, there is Linda Sharp of San Antonio, Texas, and Jeanne Parker of Spokane. Dick and his wife Barbara have two children, Tina and Brenda.

Over the years, the Martins have had many valued customers, Don said, many of which have been customers since the very beginning. There are many third generations and even fourth generations among their customers, Dick said.

The Martins said they hope their customers will continue to patronize the store, just as they have in the past, and promised that the new owners will continue to provide friendly and courteous service.