THE BEGINNING

1953- Max and Jeanette Longmire purchase grocery store / tavern in St. Joseph WI.. This building had living quarters and an apartment upstairs. The store had a meat case that had the dairy and eggs and other refrigerated products. They served food also in the tavern. their was a man that came around every so often to show movies in the back yard of the building by hanging a canvas between a couple of trees. And they would serve food and beverage out of the window in the back.

1963–We sold the business and my dad went to work as a carpenter.

1966–Max and Jeanette opened a new 2400 SF store about ½ block down the street. St. Joe’s IGA had 4 aisles of groceries with frozen foods produce HBC / GM and a full service meat department. They started making a variety of fresh and smoked sausages we still make today.

1973–Sold this store and moved to a farm near Cashton, WI and became weekend farmers. Mom continued working in the meat business at Ray’s Supermarket in Sparta, WI.

1979–August…I just finished serving 3 years in the Army in Germany. Started working on my mother to buy back the store we sold.

1979–November 12th St. Joe’s IGA Started again, Pat, Jeanette and Max Longmire partners. Became well known for our venison sausage making. It took a few years but we were cutting over 500 deer and making over 75,000 lb of venison sausage a season.

1985–Mom sold her share of the business to my brother Greg. Her and dad bought another store in Chaseburg, WI,

1987– Built a new addition on the building for our meat processing plant.

1988– I sold my interest in the store to my brother Greg.

1989–January 10th Opened Red’s IGA in Spring Grove, MN. 7500 SF store.

1992– Brother Tom bought the Chaseburg IGA store from mom and dad.

1993– Opened second location of Red’s IGA in Houston, MN 8,000 SF store. Started baking there for both stores.

1995–Max and Jeanette opened a grocery store in Westby, WI making it 5 stores in the family.
They sold the store in 1997.

1998–Red’s IGA in Houston closed.

NEW ERA. SAME GREAT SERVICE.

2000–April open new 15,000 SF store in Spring Grove.
2000–Tommy closed his store in Chaseburg, WI

2003–Became Red’s Hometown Market after Fleming went out of business. Had to find a different supplier didn’t have the IGA banner.

2006–November…hung back up the IGA banner after signing with our new supplier Affiliated Foods Midwest Norkolk, NE. A very proud moment in my grocery career after being IGA most of those years.

2009–November 12th Celebrated 30 year anniversary.

2013-Introduced Papa Red’s Pizza

2017-Fat Pat’s BBQ started after Patrick Jr moved back to Spring Grove after living in Austin Texas for almost 7 years.

2019-40 Years in Business. (30 in Spring Grove)