To the editor:

As I have taken my journey through life I have witnessed a lot of businesses that have opened and closed over the years. Grocery stores, car dealers, implement dealers. It would always hurt the most if it was a business that I would support.

The small town of Lafayette will be losing a long-time and very well respected business in two weeks. Our parents started doing business there in 1948 and my sisters and I started some years later.

For as long as I can remember, those who had the business were a father, his son and a third silent partner. Their business doors were open from early morning to late at night, seven days a week. People would stop at all times of the day to do their business.

They always made you feel welcome every time I stopped. Sometimes it felt like they knew I was coming. There were times when I made a request for something I needed but I found they couldn’t honor it. I never had the heart to ask them “Why not?”

I will miss the people who also did their business there. They were more than just friends, they felt more like family. There were some who moved away and some who passed away but I will always remember them.

I remember our parents telling us what an important business this was and we should always use it wherever we could. On Sundays our family would all jump in the car and go to the business and thank them for the service and needs supplied during the week.

The business that I am referring to is St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church. God, His son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit had the business. I will miss doing business with them at St. Gregory’s. I truly believe that someday I will find out that St. Gregory’s was one of the most important places that I ever did business.

Paul Guggisberg

Lafayette