Empty Nest: Dutchman's store

Ever been to a Mennonite store where's there's so much traffic that it's hard to find a parking spot, and there are customers waiting in line three deep at four checkout counters?

Well, give yourself a treat and go visit the Dutchman's Old Time General Store in Cantril. Don't know where Cantril, population 271, is? It's a few miles north of the Missouri border on Highway 2, about halfway between Ft. Madison and Bloomfield.

I won't say you can't miss it, 'cause you might. New Highway 2 doesn't even go through Cantril. You have to keep your eyes peeled for the signs.

Don't expect to buy tobacco, alcohol, or lottery tickets here; this is a Mennonite store. What you will find is bulk food, fruit, meats, vegetables, soup stock, foot wear, fabric, hardware, the best deli-subs you have ever eaten, and probably the friendliest service in the U.S. of A.

If you're looking for store owner Clair Zimmerman, don't blink, 'cause he moves fast. He loads bushel baskets of pears, talks on a two-way radio, and places orders for the following week's deliveries-all with a friendliness that puts customers, delivery truck drivers, and employees at ease.

Clair and his wife, Virginia, bought two store fronts on Main Street, Cantril, in 1985, and worked out of just one. Then they expanded into the other. Now, well, it's practically the whole block.

People come for miles around to shop at the Dutchman's General Store. In the street parking, you might see a public transit bus from Missouri.

But don't think that because it's Mennonite, they don't have electricity. Their restrooms are some of the most modern you will find anywhere, with automatic lights and exhaust fans that turn on when you walk in, automatic air fresheners, and yes, a no-touch towel dispenser.

But there's no internet, televisions, or radios here.

The Zimmerman's belong to the Horning Mennonites that believe in improvements to, but not interference with, their way of life. Cars and telephones are okay.

They will not pose for photographs, but do not get upset if they are included in one. The women wear the head coverings and long dresses.

The men are clean shaven, and wear suspenders. Their business philosophy is to provide what the community needs in the way of general-use products.

If Dutch and Mennonite seem an odd combination, Clair and Virginia Zimmerman are Pennsylvania Dutch and speak Dutch.

They have seven children and, in the winter, as if not busy enough, the Zimmerman's raise 100 head of beef cattle on their farm east of Cantril.

Their church is 14 miles south of Cantril in Arbela, Mo., population 40.

Psalms 37:3 says to trust in the Lord and do good. The Zimmermans believe in this whole heartedly, as well as in sharing, helping others, and being thankful for what they have.

As Horning Mennonites, they are to hold on to handed-down values and pass them along to the next generation.

So, in this world of rush, hurry, and worry, it's refreshing to find an out-of-the-way general store such as Dutchman's.

But don't go on Sunday. They are closed.