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Lindy’s Downtown Market owner Clarence “Lindy” Linsley received an early birthday present this year.
Linsley, who opened the market with his wife, Florence, in 1958 will be 91 Dec. 7. His sons, Bob and Jim Linsley, who now own the business, surprised their father last week with a dedication garden celebrating the work of the couple.
“I think it’s great,” the elder Linsley said.
Lindy Linsley still comes in to the store and works for a couple of hours about twice a week. Florence Linsley died in 1997.
A stone in the garden reads, “In dedication to our loving parents Lindy and Florence founders of Lindy’s Downtown Market.
Thanks Mom and Dad.”
The garden is located in the middle of Lindy’s parking lot, in a space that was home to a European Purple Beech tree when
Lindy’s relocated to the Peoria Street location in 1970.
“Being in the parking lot eventually caught up with it, and it died,” he said. “So we cut it down. And when we cut it down people were really sick. I was sick. Everybody was sick about it.”
Linsley planted a Shademaster Honey Locust, a quick-growing tree, in its place.
“It was a small tree, but they grow really fast and they’re made to grow in parking lots,” he said. “And it got big. It got really big.”
As the tree grew, it began to pose a threat to the business’s parking lot. Linsley and his brother were advised to cut it down.
“We cut the tree down and it caused a huge, huge uproar,” he said. “People were coming in the store wanting to know why we cut the tree down. They liked the tree and they didn’t like us cutting it down because it was healthy.”
The tree was cut down about a month ago.
Lindy Linsley said he expected the area would be “fixed up” but did not expect a garden in his and his wife’s honor.
Jim Linsley said the public outrage has subsided since the dedication garden was unveiled Nov. 23.
“Now everybody has pretty much settled down since they’ve seen how pretty it is,” he said.
The garden includes an Ivory Silk Lilac tree, which Linsley said will flower in June, various spring bulbs and butterfly bushes.
Lindy’s, now in its 53rd year of business, first opened as a two-aisle grocery store on the square.
Lindy’s Downtown Market owner Clarence “Lindy” Linsley received an early birthday present this year.
Linsley, who opened the market with his wife, Florence, in 1958 will be 91 Dec. 7. His sons, Bob and Jim Linsley, who now own the business, surprised their father last week with a dedication garden celebrating the work of the couple.
“I think it’s great,” the elder Linsley said.
Lindy Linsley still comes in to the store and works for a couple of hours about twice a week. Florence Linsley died in 1997.
A stone in the garden reads, “In dedication to our loving parents Lindy and Florence founders of Lindy’s Downtown Market.
Thanks Mom and Dad.”
The garden is located in the middle of Lindy’s parking lot, in a space that was home to a European Purple Beech tree when
Lindy’s relocated to the Peoria Street location in 1970.
“Being in the parking lot eventually caught up with it, and it died,” he said. “So we cut it down. And when we cut it down people were really sick. I was sick. Everybody was sick about it.”
Linsley planted a Shademaster Honey Locust, a quick-growing tree, in its place.
“It was a small tree, but they grow really fast and they’re made to grow in parking lots,” he said. “And it got big. It got really big.”
As the tree grew, it began to pose a threat to the business’s parking lot. Linsley and his brother were advised to cut it down.
“We cut the tree down and it caused a huge, huge uproar,” he said. “People were coming in the store wanting to know why we cut the tree down. They liked the tree and they didn’t like us cutting it down because it was healthy.”
The tree was cut down about a month ago.
Lindy Linsley said he expected the area would be “fixed up” but did not expect a garden in his and his wife’s honor.
Jim Linsley said the public outrage has subsided since the dedication garden was unveiled Nov. 23.
“Now everybody has pretty much settled down since they’ve seen how pretty it is,” he said.
The garden includes an Ivory Silk Lilac tree, which Linsley said will flower in June, various spring bulbs and butterfly bushes.
Lindy’s, now in its 53rd year of business, first opened as a two-aisle grocery store on the square.
“The store was only 19-feet wide,” Linsley said.
Through the years, customer service has remained a priority at Lindy’s.
“If you don’t take care of the customer somebody else will,” Linsley said.
He added that his father’s lessons of never taking advantage of people and working hard has helped the brothers keep the family business afloat in times when larger chains often beat out mom-and-pop shops.
“We offer things that you can’t get at other places,” he said. “We’re a niche market.”
Linsley added that the decision to offer customers quality food items instead of trying to compete with the prices of larger chain grociers has also kept Lindy’s open throughout the years.
“We got away from what the bigger stores do about 10 years ago,” he said. “You’ll find things like soda bread here and all kinds of things that you can’t find someplace else.
“There’s not a store like this between Chicago and St. Louis, I don’t think.”
