Johnson's Royal Blue Grocery Store

 
This building just to the east of the current Roberts Post Office (actually touching the P.O.) has been a grocery store in Roberts for many years owned by several different families. 
Some history . . .
 
George D. Ensign Store

 

--Roberts Herald.  19 December 1917.

 

 

The article below states that Mr. Ensign began business here 14 years ago.  So 1911 for the start date of the George D. Ensign Store.  Maybe.

 

Frank L. Mosher buys the retail store from George D. Ensign in 1925. 

 

 

 

--Roberts Herald.  11 November 1925.

 

 

 



--Roberts Herald.  29 August 1934.

 

 

--Roberts Herald.  22 November 1940.

 

 

John Johnson purchases the building from Frank L. Mosher in 1941.

 

 

--Roberts Herald.  16 July 1941.

 

 



 

--Roberts Herald.  12 November 1947.

 

 

Raymond and Ruby Dietterle buy the business from John Johnson to open Dietterle's Grocery Store in 1952.

 

--The Pantagraph.  23 November 1952.


And Ruby Dietterle sells to Mrs. and Mrs. John Beneze in 1973.

--Gibson City Courier.  12 April 1973.

NEW STORE IN ROBERTS

John Johnson, who has been employed in Kankakee for several years past, will open a grocery store in the building recently vacated by Frank L. Mosher. He expects to start business as soon as he can get the decorating and repairing of the building completed. At present the store building is undergoing a complete transformation and when it opens for business it will hardly be recognizable as the same building.
Mr. Johnson does not come to us as an entire stranger. During the past several years he has spent much time in Roberts. Although he has been working in Kankakee, his vacations and other spare time has given him opportunity to meet many Roberts people. His wife is the former Miss Kathryn Dilks of Roberts and she, having lived here since 1912 until the time of her marriage thus grown up in this vicinity, has many friends here who will give her and her husband a hearty welcome.
Mr. Johnson will open the store with a complete line of groceries, meats, etc. and will receive a good share of the business.

--Roberts Herald. 16 July 1941.

Johnsons open a grocery store in Roberts.

 

 

--The Pantagraph. Bloomington, IL. 30 July 1941. Page 7.