Terry and Pat Armstrong, top, and Leona and Les Baggenstos owned stores on the main street in
Turner Valley for 47 years and 34 years, respectively. photos by Tamara Neely
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By Tamara Neely
Staff Reporter
The community of Turner Valley is coming together at the Flare ‘n’ Derrick on Saturday to show appreciation for the owners of two long-term businesses that, after 34 and 47 years, have closed their doors.
Les and Leona Baggenstos and Terry and Pat Armstrong ran side-by-side storefronts that provided the community with all varieties of things; if people couldn’t find the thingamajig they needed at the Baggenstos’ L.A.B. Variety then Les would send them over to the Armstrong’s Home Hardware store, and vice versa.
Together the two businesses provided the community with items they needed and sometimes just wanted – like a scoop of ice cream.
In 1974, the Baggenstos’ opened up the L.A.B. Variety store, which they began as the L & L Restaurant, next door to Terry’s parents’, Don and Evelyn, hardware store – though they weren’t the first owners. That space had been a hardware store since 1929 and was passed to different owners until Terry’s parents bought the business in 1961.
That’s when Terry got his start. He learned the ropes in the store and it was there that a petite clerk named Pat caught his eye.
“(Pat) started working there, one thing led to another and we decided to get married,” Armstrong recounted matter-of-factly, then softening he said, “She was a good worker and got involved with the business and seemed very interested in it; we got along well.”
By 1981 when his parents were ready to retire, Terry and Pat knew the business inside and out and Les and Leona had been running L.A.B. for seven years.
The two businesses complimented each other and the Baggenstos and the Armstrongs were deeply involved with the community. The gentlemen were volunteer firefighters, executives on the board of the curling rink and involved with the Turner Valley business association and the chamber of commerce. Leona and Pat were both involved with the Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary with Leona acting as president for a number of years.
Bev Goble, part of the organizing committee for the couples’ appreciation part, has fond memories of having coffee and a chat in the L.A.B. coffee shop at the back of the store, while her husband headed next door to the hardware store for advice and whatever he’d need for a do-it-yourself fix-it job at home.
“Back in 1981 the community was such a safe, beautiful place and the two stores were side by side,” said Goble, reminiscing.
During the timeframe when Goble’s two children weren’t yet old enough to go to school, Goble felt comfortable letting them walk next door to the hardware store to pick out a Christmas present for her while she stayed at the L.A.B. coffee shop.
“They picked out a fridge magnet and it says Peggy’s Kitchen,” said Goble. “Neither one of them could read, they just liked the magnet. It brings back warm memories for me.”
Terry knew it said Peggy’s Kitchen, but he also knew her children were excited about picking out their very own present for their mom.
Both Goble and Turner Valley Mayor Dona Fluter pointed out that Les and Leona embraced the new technology of watching movies on video.
“Changing with the times, I remember when the VCRs came out they were quite expensive and Les and Leona invested in those,” said Fluter. “So that was a real treat to rent a machine and a couple of movies.”
Fluter is impressed with the longevity of the businesses and is appreciative of their contribution to the community.
“If you were in business that long it’s because you were very valuable to the community,” said Fluter.
The Baggenstos’ closed L.A.B. in October 2007 and the Armstrongs closed the Home Hardware in January.
While the Baggenstos were unavailable for comment, the Armstrongs expressed both gratitude for the recognition coming from the community and sadness about closing the doors of their business and that the buildings will soon be demolished to make way for new business.
“We’re going to miss the people for sure,” said Pat.
“It’s going to be a sad day to see those buildings go down,” said Terry. “We know every inch, every creak of every inch.”
The public is welcome to come and join the community in celebrating the Baggenstos’ and Armstrongs’ contributions to the community. The open house will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Flare ‘n’ Derrick Community Centre in Turner Valley. |
