The Koenigsfeld family and Cedar Valley Engine Club are working to restore the Roseville General. The store will be moved to the Engine Club’s property in the next few weeks. For more information or to donate toward the restoration project, visit www.restorerosevillestore.com

Family, club work together to restore Roseville General Store

By Staci Schwickerath, Staff writer
Published: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:35 AM CDT

For many years the Roseville Store was the hub of its Floyd County community, serving not only as a place to purchase groceries and gas, but as a stop to visit with neighbors and to catch up on local news.

Now, 105 years after the store was built, the Koenigsfeld family and the Cedar Valley Engine Club are working together to restore the building back to its former glory — and seeking the public's help to do so.

“We want to preserve the heritage of this area and the store was an important part of it,” said Mary Koenigsfeld, whose husband Al grew up working in the store. For years, the Koenigsfelds have been collecting items original to the store or the time of the store, including the cash register, signs, products sold there and various fixtures. The next step is moving the store to its future location at the site of the Cedar Valley Engine Club, just a few miles north of Roseville.

Ron Holland House moving of Forest City, along with Butler County REC, MidAmerica and Alliant electric companies, are set to relocate the store to the club grounds in the next few weeks. The store will remain on the mover's beams until a foundation is completed later in the spring and the restoration project can get underway.

“We hope to have the building restored in the next few years so it can be open during the Cedar Valley Engine Club's show held every Labor Day weekend and for other club events. We would like to sell ice cream and candy during the Engine Club's show,” said Al Koenigsfeld

The store will also include a memory wall, with photos, e-mails and correspondence from those who shared times in the historic building. There are many memories to share, especially since the store dates back to 1903, when it was built by Jake Keifer.

The store was purchased by Bill Hagemann and then John Sinwell Jr., whose family closed the store and used the building as a home. The store came to the Koenigsfeld family in 1932 when Peter, Dora and Lawrence, their oldest son, bought it and re-opened it as a general store.

The family lived in the upstairs and an area downstairs.

Lawrence Koenigsfeld was a familiar sight to many in the area because he sold groceries from his 1939 Chevy panel truck. Lawrence married Marcella Marzen in 1941. The couple ran the store from 1945 until it closed in 1968. Helping in the store were the couple's 11 children: Jim, Joe, Jerome, Mary Ann (Barry), Patricia (Schmitt), Al, Gene, Richard, Regina(Shirley), Rosalie (Hardin) and Julie (Reese).

"All of us worked in the store, especially on Sunday after church got out. We all took our turns during the week depending on who was available and not working for neighboring farmers," said Al Koenigsfeld.

Photos from the 1930s and the family's involvement with the store will help with the restoration project. According to the Web site the store offered gas, groceries, bottles of pop, tire repair, ice cream cones, and even the use of a phone.

Reviving the store to its former state is something that will take the work and support of the entire Koenigsfeld family, members of the Cedar Valley Engine Club, and even many community members.

"It's going to be a big deal," said the Koenigsfelds. "It's lots of work. We've had family we didn't even know volunteer their skills to help and be part of the project. We hope others will be excited about it and support it, too."

A Web site has been established to keep the community updated on the progress of the restoration.

The site includes store history, products sold, a growing photo gallery and information about donations.

To learn more about the store or offer support, visit www.restorerosevillestore.com.