Howard Lake-Waverly Herald, Dec. 17, 2001
Hardware coming back in Howard Lake
By Lynda Jensen
Hardware will be back in Howard Lake.
Joe Drusch of Howard Lake is planning to pick up where his father, Don, left off, with the opening of a new hardware store in Howard Lake at the end of next month.
Drusch's store, Joe's Sport Shop, is located at Highway 12 and Ninth Avenue, and will feature the addition of a new Hardware Hank.
In January, the store will end a period in history - for the first time ever Howard Lake did not have a hardware store in town for the duration of two years.
The last hardware store to close its doors in Howard Lake was Rod and Wanda Werner's hardware store in December 1999, located where a new development exists at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Highway 12.
Don and Ruby Drusch, Joe's folks, previosly owned Werner's hardware, which was called Donnie's OK Hardware.
Don and Ruby spent several years serving the Howard Lake patrons, starting in January of 1977 when they purchased the hardware business from Denny Lang.
At the time, Lang's had a plumbing and heating portion as well, which was sold to Mert Diers in '77.
For those who may remember, Lang purchased the business 20 years earlier from Arthur Strache.
The Drusches ended their term in 1985, when they sold to business to the Werners.
Nowadays, Joe Drusch will be offering much the same fare as his father 30 years earlier, adding hardware to his small engine repair and convenience store.
RAM Building of Winsted was the contractor, adding an additional 3,750 square footage full of paint, nails, and the other staples of hardware.
Other contractors included Durdahl Construction of Howard Lake, Diers Electric, and Diers Plumbing, Don Drusch said.
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