Terry Wrinkle, the son of the late Glenn Wrinkle of Wrink’s Market in Lebanon, Mo., was interviewed by the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader before the store reopens sometime next week as a deli, diner, florist and convenience store.
“Route 66 was more than a highway across the country,” said Terry Wrinkle, son of the store’s longtime operator Glenn Wrinkle.
“It was a way of life. The pace of living was slower, and people had time to be friendly and visit. It’s the kind of atmosphere I want to re-create in this store as a legacy to my dad,” he said.
Glenn Wrinkle’s store opened in 1950 and didn’t close until March 16, 2005, the day he died of cancer.
“I knew Dad couldn’t last much longer.” Terry Wrinkle said, “and I was at the store with a customer who was buying a large amount of merchandise and antiques Dad had in the back room. After the customer left, I closed up the store, noting that it was 6:15 p.m.
“Just a few minutes after I left the store, my brother Eddie called and told me that Dad had just passed away in the hospital and the time of his death was exactly 6:15 p.m…..”
“Dad always said, ‘As long as I’m living I want the store to be open,’ and our last day of business ended at the precise moment my dad passed away.”
Terry Wrinkle told the newspaper that reopening was something he didn’t consider until recently. “But now is the right time,” he and his wife said.
Just because the new version of Wrink’s Market will have a lot of new offerings doesn’t mean that Terry Wrinkle will skimp an old favorite:
The 99-cent bologna sandwich which radio broadcaster Paul Harvey made famous on his popular radio program also will remain available.
“Harvey was such a fan of Glenn Wrinkle and his bologna sandwich that he announced his death on his program,” Terry Wrinkle said.