Family was integral to city’s past

To the editor:

Feb. 4 was Jerry Ludwig’s funeral.

The theme used was the seasons of our lives. Jerry and his family definitely represented a season in the life of Dunkirk, Indiana, and some of the surrounding towns.

This season began when Paul Ludwig and Lois Farling Ludwig moved to Dunkirk from Bluffton. They first worked with meat markets but expanded into the grocery business. For many years, Dunkirk had the Ludwig’s grocery on Main Street in Dunkirk. They still had their own meat and specialized in items like garlic bologna.

Our Taylor family became connected with the Ludwigs when my sister, Ann, married Jerry. Several of us Taylors also were fortunate to work for Ludwig’s. My brother, Joel, worked there while in college. I also worked there for a time while I was attending Ball State. My husband Randy later worked at the Ludwig’s Annex store.

I remember many of their employees. Names like Noel Metz, Junior Miller, Ralph Anderson, Frank Holtz, Fred the bread man, Pat Andrews and Dorothy May come to mind. There were so many more in the meat department, as carry-out boys and cashiers, and Lila in the office. Ludwig’s provided jobs for so many in the area.

Ludwig’s was a store where many people shopped. I remember the area in the store where we dropped off bottles for our deposit. I remember the aisles, the nice produce and frozen foods like Tony’s Pizza. I believe they had fresh donuts for a while and of course the Brach’s candy that they sold in bulk.

We also got to know the family outside of the store. The Ludwig family consisted of four children. They were Bill, Jerry and Leslie, with Anthony born later. He was just 9 years younger than I was, so Lois had me come to entertain him at times. I still remember pushing him in his stroller along Grand Street when she lived there. Later, I got to go to their pool on Moore Avenue. My mom also babysat for him at times. He seemed like one of our nephews.

I remember Bill and his wife Peg. They lived on Broad Street. I babysat a few times. Later they lived on county road 200 South when Bill managed the Portland store.

Leslie was married to Tony Garr, whose family was well known in Dunkirk. She went to high school with my siblings, Ann, June and Jim.

When my sister Ann married Jerry, they moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended Texas Christian University. My nephew Allen was born there. Later, my brother Jim went there to attend TCU, too.

Paul was active in farming in the Dunkirk area. He had a farm on county road 1150 West. It was there that he lost his legs in an auger accident. Out Arlington Avenue was another farm where he lived for a while in a trailer. We were able to rent his trailer when Randy got out of the army. It was our first home in the states. Paul was a good landlord.

Jerry and Ann moved back to Dunkirk where their second son, Derek, was born. Ludwig’s opened a store in Marion, and they moved there.

Seasons change. Jerry and Ann divorced, and Jerry married Barbara. She added her son, Jeff McDaniel, to the family. Paul, Bill and Lois passed away. This year, Leslie passed away, and then Jerry shortly after.

Times changed Dunkirk too. Indiana Glass closed. Big stores like Walmart, Meijer and Marsh took too many customers. The closing of Ludwig’s was rough for the community. It is definitely missed.

Saturday was Jerry’s funeral. His family came from all over to be there. It was nice to see my nephews and even meet new additions to the family. Former friends and employees also came to pay their condolences.

As another form of closure, Dru Hall, who now owns the vacant store, allowed Jerry’s sons and grandsons a chance to take a last walk through the former Ludwig’s grocery store.

The Ludwig family played a big role in what Dunkirk was when many of us were growing up in the area. Seasons change, but it lasted for a long time.

Rose Taylor Davis

Redkey