BEMIDJI 鈥� Rod Anderson became a meat man out of necessity nearly 70 years ago. Next week, he plans to hang up his apron, put away his knives, and head into retirement at the age of 84. Rod鈥檚 Meats will close after 36 years on Bemidji鈥檚 Paul Bunyan Drive.
Anderson was a teenage carryout boy for National Food Store in his hometown of Virginia, Minn.
ADVERTISEMENT
鈥淥ne day they needed somebody to make ground beef in the back, and I was back there making ground beef for the next six years,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淭hen I got laid off. I went to work in the mines for a little bit. I didn鈥檛 like that. Then I got a job at a gas station. I didn鈥檛 like that, either.鈥�
He returned to National Foods part-time, until one day when his supervisor asked him if he wanted to work at the company鈥檚 store in Bemidji.
鈥淚 said, 鈥榃ell where鈥檚 that?鈥�" Anderson recalled.
Rod and his wife, Mary-Ann, made the move to Bemidji. He was meat manager at the National Foods Store downtown, then worked at the Hartz store in Nymore, the Red Owl store downtown and Lueken鈥檚 Village Foods.
鈥淚 had enough of working for somebody else,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚 needed a job so I made one.鈥�
Anderson bought an empty lot on Paul Bunyan Drive and built a 2,400-square-foot meat market to call his own. That was in 1987. He鈥檚 been serving loyal customers ever since.
One of those regulars, Carol Charnoski of Redby, was surprised to learn of Rod鈥檚 store closing when she shopped there last week with her brother, Bob.
ADVERTISEMENT
鈥淲hat do I think of him retiring?鈥� Carol said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 retire, Rod. We always shopped here forever and ever. I couldn鈥檛 believe it. You鈥檝e got to work until you鈥檙e 100.鈥�
Rod said he and Mary-Ann plan to visit their three children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren in retirement. He doesn鈥檛 expect to sleep in since he鈥檚 used to waking at 6 a.m. But he won鈥檛 be putting in 11-hour workdays anymore.
鈥淚 like to fish, but I can鈥檛 fish all the time,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚 told my wife I want to get a horse, but I can鈥檛. I want a Harley, she won鈥檛 let me have that, either.鈥�
The only time Rod took time off in the last 36 years was in 1999 when he had surgery to remove his cancer-stricken stomach.
鈥淭hey told me I had three months to live, but I鈥檓 still here,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o I鈥檝e been lucky.鈥�
As for retirement?
鈥淚 think I鈥檓 ready,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I鈥檝e got mixed feelings.鈥�
The Trust Project
