Schnell and Pestinger ....A Family Affair

Schnell and Pestinger – A Family Affair

By Terry Bailey

The Schnell and Pestinger business has been a Family Affair since its beginning fifty years ago and remains a family business today.

“Gene and I and the boys, Greg and Mike understood back then that when a family has a business, it is a total family effort. I think that was one of the keys to success,” said Kathy Pestinger. Kathy has the distinct privilege of being the mother to the current owner and the wife of the previous owner.

When they moved to Beloit to begin a business partnership with Jim Schnell, their whole world turned upside down, especially Kathy’s. She gave up a good job as a teacher at Sacred Heart High school but was able to find one quickly as a Social Worker at the Youth Center. New jobs for both she and Gene – Change #1

The Pestingers were barely able to find housing in one of the two houses available in town. The workers at the Glen Elder dam had taken all the available housing around the area. New home - Change #2

Two small boys, both under two years of age, dictated the need for a new babysitter. Kathy said, “We were lucky. We found an older lady who did all our babysitting from the time we moved to town until the kids did not require a sitter any longer.” New surroundings and child care for the boys - Change #3

All these changes affected both her, her husband and her children. Jobs, home, community, the lives of small children – all were affected; not just a little, but lot.

Kathy did what strong American women do – she made it work out. Since the family business was a family affair she helped in whatever fashion she could help and to support her husband. She helped with the buying at market and helped with seasonal decorations. Her full time job at the Youth Center demanded most of her time.

“Gene was always unbelievably good doing things with his hands. He could take things apart and put them back together better than they were before he started,” said Kathy. “At first he did most of the hands-on work in the business and Jim Schnell took care of most of the bookwork. As time passed, Gene took on more and more of that. There was always a bookkeeper and that was a great help.”

Kathy reflected, “The boys grew up with the business. They grew as the business grew. They always helped however they could. At first they got in the way more that they helped but as time passed, they became great helpers. They got to where they could do just about anything that needed to be done because they lived all of it. Once Mike put on his resume – Worked at Schnell and Pestinger from age 8 until current day.”

Pestinger said that one of the most challenging aspect of running a business was the hours involved. The hours were long and free time was at a premium. Back then it was not possible for people to stop work in the middle of the day and attend their children’s activities as parents do today.

“It is a different world today,” said Kathy She went on to comment about how in 1966 there were no empty storefronts downtown. This changed slowly as time passed.

Fifty years has went by quickly for Gene and Kathy Pestinger.

Kathy shared, “Gene and I were high school sweethearts. We both went to Sacred Heart High School. As a matter of fact, we dated for seven years before we got married. Most likely we were too young but I had graduated from Marymount and had been teaching for one year. Gene had finished his schooling in Nebraska. We both had good jobs. So…in 1963 we made the commitment to each other and we are still together. Three years later we made the commitment to the business and it is still running strong.”

The Pestinger have made a habit of sticking with things. That single house that was available in Beloit when then moved during the housing crunch that they felt lucky to get? Fifty years later they are still living in that same house.

Other News

Beloit, KS 67420, USA