Joe Lueken could have sold his busiÂness for a forÂtune, but there was someÂthing he valued more.
The Bemidji groÂcer made internaÂtionÂal headÂlines two years ago when he passed up an opÂporÂtuÂniÂty to sell his thrivÂing Lueken's Village Foods stores to a naÂtionÂal chain and inÂstead gave the busiÂness to the employees who helped build it. Lueken died at home on July 20 afÂter a long batÂtle with canÂcer, leavÂing behind lovÂing famÂiÂly and friends and a wealth of storÂies and fond memÂories.
He was 72.
"My employees are largeÂly reÂsponÂsible for any sucÂcess I've had, and they deÂserve to get some benÂeÂfit from that," Lueken told the Star Tribune in 2012, when he was getÂting ready to reÂtire afÂter 46 years as a groÂcer and comÂmuniÂty phiÂlanÂthroÂpist. His four sons lived far away and had jobs outside the family business, so rather than sell his three suÂperÂmarÂkets to a stranÂger, he set up an employee stock ownÂerÂship program that transÂferred the comÂpany to his workÂers and paid him a share of future profits.
"You can't alÂways take," he said at the time. "You also have to give back."
Lueken gave a great deal. The Bemidji community had helped his business thrive for almost 50 years, and he wanted to return the favor. He established college scholarships, raised money for Bemidji State University and countless community causes, supported public television, stocked the community food shelf and helped launch anti-bullying campaigns at the public schools. With Janice, his wife of 52 years, he set up the Lueken Family Foundation to continue that benevolent work.
"Any success that we had in this community, he wanted to return it to the community," she said. "He's left a huge void."
But when people in Bemidji trade Joe Lueken storÂies, they don't talk about how much he gave. They talk about his evÂerÂyÂday acts of kindÂness, his sense of huÂmor, his honÂesÂty, his work ethÂic. They talk about a man who was deÂcent to his very core.
"Joe touched so many lives," said Brent Sicard, one of those Lueken touched. Sicard, who startÂed his caÂreer as a night janÂiÂtor at the groÂcerÂy in 1998 and today serves as presÂiÂdent and CEO of Lueken's Foods Stores Inc.
Sicard has heard plenty of Joe Lueken storÂies. There was the employee who reÂturned home from visitÂing her husÂband at a disÂtant hosÂpiÂtal to find that her boss had mowed her lawn for her while she was out of town. There was the sign paintÂer who not only got seed monÂey from Lueken to start his new busiÂness but who came home one day to find $200 worth of groÂcerÂies waitÂing on the front porch.
On the Lueken's FaceÂbook page, his longtime employees postÂed their fond memÂories of a boss who read the newspaper in the break room with everyone else and who would show up for work at 4 a.m. to start stocking shelves.
"He was a stocking machine," said Barry Bowar with a laugh. Bowar started working at Lueken's 25 years ago and now runs its store in Wahpeton, N.D. His trust in Lueken was so complete that he moved his family to Bemidji, without knowing what he'd be paid once he got there. He knew Lueken — a boss who braved prairie blizzards to make the weekly trek to his North Dakota store — would take care of him.
Joseph "Joe" Anton Lueken was born Dec. 10, 1941, in AinsÂworth, Neb., and grew up workÂing in his faÂther's baÂkerÂies. He moved to Bemidji in 1966 to manÂage his brothÂer Hank's lakeside groÂcerÂy store, which he later bought and exÂpandÂed.
"He conducted business with a handshake," Janice Lueken said. "If he gave you his word, it was written in stone."
"Most of us choose to be honÂest," Sicard said. "I think Joe was inÂcaÂpaÂble of beÂing disÂhonÂest."
He is surÂvived by his wife; sons Michael, JeffÂrey, Joseph Jr. and David Lueken; three grandÂchildÂren; and broÂthers Lloyd and Michael.