Historic building goes down

After 105 years, a building on Main Street in Clearbrook went down. George Granley started the first retail business in Clearbrook when he opened the City Meat Market. He also taught the meat cutting business to a numer of early settlers. Some of them were Ole Wennberg, Olai Skime and Oscar Bagne. They went on to work in other towns. George’s son, Marvin, took over the business in the late 1940’s. He and his wife, DeVona, ran the meat market but also opened a Fairway Grocery Store on Main Street. Marvin died in 1958 and DeVona and her four children Gerald, Robert, James and Mary kept the grocery store and sold the meat market to Lief Haugen. The Haugen’s operated and lived in the apartment above the meat market for 15 years.
In 1974 the Haugens sold the meat market to Lois and Jerry Warner from Watertown with their four children Ricky, Beth, Sandy and Tom. They renamed the building Warner’s Meat Market. Harley Netland of Bagley assisted with the work. They painted the outside of the building a soft green with red trim and the interior of the market with a fresh coat of white enamel in preparation for their Grand Opening.
The Warners sold the store in 1992 to Wally and Peggy Nelson. They named the store Wally’s Processing. They also lived above the store in an apartment. They have two sons Ben and Brady. Wally is now retired and they live in the country. Peggy is a teacher in the Red Lake School District.