Passing of a legend

[Glenn Palmer]

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but yesterday Bob Schoch former owner of Bobson Hardware passed away.

I am a better person for knowing him and his family.

May all the stories live forever.

[Stan Austin]

Glenn--- thanks for telling us. We have to turn back the time clock to remember Bobson's, Meilander, Freese hardware stores. Through luck and pluck, it seems that Bobson's was the preeminent Lakewood hardware store. It survived during the toughest competition, Builder's Square, Forest City, DIY, long before Home Depot and Lowes.
Saturday mornings found the weekend warriors, men mostly, getting advice and buying the supplies and parts for maintaining Lakewood homes. It was an institution. Contractor vans could be seen in the Bobson's parking lot always. That's a sure indicator of a store's reliability.
Glenn---take those memories and keep a memory thriving and active with Lakewood Hardware.
Stan

[dl meckes]

That is sad news.

I loved Bobson's. Of course, I don't believe I've ever been in a hardware store that I didn't love, but Bobson's was the last hardware store left standing in Lakewood. They were also the last local purveyor of Benjamin Moore paints.

I would have to travel all the way across the river to a different town to find a real hardware store store with Benjamin Moore paints until the Palmers brought Lakewood Hardware to life.

There should be time in everyone's life spent in a hardware store and Bobson's was a great place to spend some of our allotment of minutes on earth.

[Paul Schrimpf]

After Bobson's finally gave up the ghost and before Lakewood Hardware came and saved us, I don't think there was a more embarrassing question to answer for a new resident than, "where's the nearest hardware store?" Uh, Ingersoll's across the river. The city of homes with no hardware store... it was a dark time...