Clarence Zoller: Hard Work & Integrity Mark Building Career

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[When Clarence Zoller said, "Things have changed a little around here since when I hired on," it was probably the biggest understatement of a two-hour session we enjoyed with the Du Quoin Home Lumber Company's venerable leader.

It was 1948 when Zoller, then 18 and a veteran of the Merchant Marines, accepted an offer to become a store clerk in what was one of Perry County's most respected businesses with operations in Tamaroa and Pinckneyville as well as Du Quoin.

"Yeh, almost everything has changed and all for the better," Zoller said. "Mechanism has taken over practically everything we do around here. We no longer have to unload railroad cars filled with rock or sand by hand. There isn't that much lifting since fork lifts were developed. Thank goodness. When we had an order for 100 pounds of sand, that meant five shovel scoops. A scoop was worth 20 pounds.

"It either made a man out of you or sent you home in a hurry," he added.

Born in Vergennes where his family farmed "a lot of acres", Zoller remembers well accepting an offer from Ray Provart to work for "either $30 or $35 a week. That was a lot of money back in those days and I considered myself lucky to get the job," Clarence said.

"I really liked the business even though we had a terrible happening in 1956 when it all burned to the ground," he said. "It took us almost two years to re-build and then shortly after we got it going again, Mr. Provart promoted me to manager around 1960."

The absence of fork lifts and computers aren't the only things Zoller remembers about years gone by when the Red Star Mill and large storage bins were between the Home Lumber buildings and businesses on South Oak street.

"Yeh, I remember on Saturday nights Du Quoin was really hopping," Clarence said. "It seemed like everyone in town came down to Main Street, parked their cars and just watched the people walk by. Now everyone must be too busy doing other things and talking on their cell phones," he added.

"One of my biggest disappointments in life has been the passing of so many, almost all, of my close friends. We used to meet and shoot the fat in here almost every morning," he said. "Now there's only one or two around and they have trouble making it in here."

"Business is still good, however, even though there aren't nearly as many contractors around like in the old days. Now it seems like we deal one-on-one with more customers and if we don't have something they need, we can get it in a day or two just by going to the computer or picking up the phone."

While visits from his friends may be less frequent, Zoller still makes it to "the office" almost every day and is proud of the fact that he "still waits on a customer or two" and answers the phone "when everyone else is busy."

His son, Bruce, has taken over active management of the business while another son Randy, takes care of the hands-on, remodeling jobs. Still another of Clarence's son, Steve, is assistant manager of Ace Hardware's operation south of town.

As far as retirement . . . it's not in the foreseeable future for 83-year-old Clarence Zoller.