A Tribute to a

Country Store

GOBLER MERCANTILE COMPANY

GOBLER, MISSOURI
1937 -1956

By:
Virginia B. Branch
 A Tribute to a
country Store
GOBLER MERCANTILE COMPANY

GOBLER, MISSOURI
1337-1956
By:
Virginia B. Branch

A copy of this book may be obtained by

Mrs. Virginia Branch Nephew Douglas Crews
 Explanation

Growing up in the cotton fields around Gobler in the 1940's, I accepted the place as one always
accepts one's immediate surroundings and gave little thought to its uniqueness. As a fifteen-year-old,
during World War II, I worked at the Gobler store. My first job was behind the candy counter and I
still recall Mr. Weaver teasing me about my occupation. "Do you know what a candy girl weighs?" he
would ask me. And one day he told me the answer "She weighs candy!”

My family moved to Gobler in August, 1942. I grew up there and married the young man who kept
books at the cotton gin. We lived the first eight years of our marriage in a little white house behind
the big store. I watched as most of Gobler's life story unfolded and was present the day it all went up
in smoke. I remember Gobler in l942 when the front yard still contained many trees which were very
useful as hitching posts. Wagon-teams and horses outnumbered cars and trucks in those days and
walking about on foot one had to keep a wary eye out for rambunctious young horse-back riders who
apparently had no concern for anyone's safety. Drunken brawls were fairly common and not to be
taken seriously unless accompanied by gun shots.

Dennye Mitchell was a young man at that time, still in his thirties and appeared to be in perpetual
motion. His reputation as a salesman derived from his attitude while attending a customer. He was
never pushy. He simply had a way of listening attentively to determine what was required and
showed a sincere interest in fulfilling the needs of his customers. He was a whiz at mathematics and
could run up a column of figures about as quickly and accurately as an adding machine. He was
friendly and like able in a quiet and reserved manner. A personality characteristic most
acquaintances will recall was his distinctive style of laughter, a trait also shared by his son, John.
These two just naturally got more out of a laugh than most people.
Most of us find it difficult to comprehend the fact that twenty-five years have come and gone since
Gobler disappeared into history but people have continued to remember the store and the man. It is
this writers aim to present this souvenir-type booklet as a small tribute to "Missouri's Most Famous
Country Store" and to the man who made it what it was, a special kind of place.

Virginia B. Branch

This is “Missouri’s Most Famous Country Store” as most people will remember it. Photo Problem made in 1947. negro man on front porch is Tommy
Allan. Tommy died about 1957. Young white man is Claude “Sonny-boy” Smith living at last accounts St. Loui Missouri. Identity of little girl not know.

Gobler Mercantile Company, "Missouri's Largest Country Store," came into existence sometime in the year
l937. Located in Pemiscot County on the Pemiscot - Dunklin County line in the "boot-heel" of Southeast Missouri,
this famous "farmer's market" became a legend in its brief lifetime. Situated beside a railroad track, Gobler is said
to have been named for Gobler Elliott, a railroad man of Caruthersville, Missouri. Attempts to verify this have
been less than successful, and we may be forced to turn to a story related by many old-timers who insist the
community derived its name from the fact that in the early days a vast number of wild turkeys inhabited the area.
This story may be valid as Gobler, even as late as the mid-thirties, was little more than a heavily wooded, frontier-
type settlement, populated mostly by blacks who were its original colonists. By l935 a few whites had filtered in and
the wilderness was gradually giving way to civilization. Small farms appeared with cotton and soybeans as the
main money crops. The muddy dirt roads were later graveled and finally black-topped, which made the
community more accessible to the outside world.

In 1937 the Sellmeyer brothers of Knobel, Arkansas, took the giant step which propelled Gobler into motion.
Once started, growth was spurred by the general economic upswing which came with World War II. The
Sellmeyers bought land and started farming operations near Gobler. They then built three modern homes and a
big store. In partnership with Joe Bertig of Paragould, Arkansas, they also built a cotton gin. This gin was under the
management of Carl "Buck" Sellmeyer, and the store was the responsibility of Dennye Mitchell. The Sellmeyers
had known Mitchell at Leachville, Arkansas, which was his hometown. He was well known as a first- rate
salesman. The Sellmeyers had a cotton gin at Leachville, and the two families had become close friends. When the
need arose at Gobler for a manager for the new store he was a natural choice, and a better selection would not have
been possible. The story of the Gobler Mercantile Company from the beginning was the story of Dennye Mitchell.
In return for his services as proprietor, Dennye was to be a partner in the store. The measure of his success is one
of the best known stories in Southeast Missouri, and he was probably the best known businessman of the entire
area. Scarcely ever addressed as Mr. Mitchell, he was on a first-name basis with one and all. To Dennye, at one
time or another, came practically everyone in the area with some problem.
 There is no problem with identification of these two! Things were going well with
Dennye at this point. Randy Plant was an announcer at KBOA radio station in
Kennett and was probably conferring with Dennye about the latest advertising. The
Radio station was undoubtedly a key factor in the store’s progress. Across three states,
church folks turn in to “Old Camp Meeting Time,” sent in their cards and letters
and whenever possible paid the place a visit.
Dennye Mitchell in rare moments of relaxation - about 1954

Most of the local farmers traded with him and many depended on "credit' to get their families
through the long summers. Crops were usually "laid by" on or near July4th, and the meager earnings
from cotton chopping was their last spendable income until harvesting began, usually in early
September. The onset of cotton-picking time was the signal for an accelerated pace in the community's
life style. "Paying off Dennye" was the first order of the day for nearly everyone. Business in the fall of
the year was booming from early morning until late at night.

The cotton gin was located nearby and farmers bringing in their cotton always had business at the
store. Saturdays were especially busy as most farm work was suspended on this day. Entire families
went to Gobler to spend their money and enjoy a day of rest from their labors. Visiting and socializing
intermingled with the transaction of business. It was the golden age of country music and thumbing
through the memories of those years, one remembers the sounds of the jukebox as Ernest Tubb and
Roy Acuff, followed in a few years by Eddy Arnold and Hank Williams, sang the day's favorite songs.
Gobler on a Saturday afternoon was not just busy. It was loud, colorful, and hectic.

In the beginning Dennye stocked mostly groceries, house wares, farm implements, hoes, sacks for
picking cotton, and other basic essentials required by the farmers who were his chief patrons. He also
purchased their excess products such as chickens, eggs, butter, and firewood. In the nineteen years of
its life, Gobler was constantly changing. In the beginning there was a simple 3O' X 60' building of
corrugated tin containing approximately $900 worth of merchandise. This writer has been able to
locate only one photograph of the interior of the store. This picture was made, probably, in 1943, and
may not look familiar even to those who were there at the time, as changes were taking place rapidly
and one soon forgets how things looked yesterday. We do, however, get some idea how Missouri's
Largest Country Store looked in its early days. Through the years as Dennye added departments and
new lines of merchandise, buildings would be attached to provide needed space. The growth and
expansion of this small country store and the part it played in its community and throughout the Mid-
South is still a bit amazing even to those who were there through it all. Regardless of any individual's
personal like or dislike of Gobler as a place to live, one always had the feeling that here was no
ordinary situation. There was a special, homey quality about this overgrown country store that
somehow set it apart. Like wartime buddies, any two people who ever lived
 Only availed photography of interior of Gobler store. Probably made in 1943.
Man in foreground and light-color jacket, is David Wilson (deceased) of the river Missouri, community. Behind Dave’s hat a portion of Dennye
Mitchell's head it is barely visible. Man with anX over his head is L. V. Elliott, who was a long-time employee. At the time the store burned,
Elliott was head of the lumbar department. Identified by other and in picture not known.

there had a lot in common and much to talk over when they met in later years. "Going to the store" at
Gobler was not necessarily something to be done simply because the cupboard was bare. One went
quite often simply as a social encounter. There was never any way of knowing who would be there or
what would be going on.

Gobler during the war years was incredible. On Saturdays, the crowds reached unbelievable
proportions. Just pushing and shoving ones way through the store was a chore in itself, and making a
purchase usually required waiting one's turn. By 1944 Gobler had become a trade center to be
reckoned with. Parking areas on the store and gin yards became inadequate as money and cars
became more plentiful. It was not uncommon for cars to be backed up along both sides of the highway
almost to the No. 8 Ditch about one mile distant on County Line Road NN.


View of Gobler gin yard,

1947. Young women not identified
Aerial view of Gobler Mercantile Company and surrounding area.Picture made in September,1954. Arrow marks T.V. repair shop.
Aerial view of Gobler Gin. September, 1954
 Occasionally Dennye would sponsor special entertainment to attract even greater crowds. These
affairs usually consisted of fairly well-known country musicians or gospel singers. The Slim Rhodes
Show was probably the best known group to appear at Gobler. The most consistent method, however, of
ensuring a large crowd was the time honored, absolutely fail-proof" drawing". For many years Gobler's
citizens planned their Saturdays around the four o'clock drawing. With each one dollar purchase
customers were given a ticket, the stub of which went into a large can. As time for the drawing drew near
the crowd began to congregate in front of the store and promptly at four o'clock one of the employees,
usually Winfred "Wimpy" Isaac, would take the can containing all the ticket stubs, climb on a barrel near
the front door of the store and select some small child to draw a ticket from the can. There was always an
abundance of available candidates for this job as the day's winner of the drawing usually rewarded the
youngster who had drawn the ticket.

As years passed the store continued to expand, eventually covering about five acres and containing
special departments for all major fields of merchandise. There was a grocery department and meat
market, a drug center, dry-goods section, furniture department, a section devoted to' house wares, a
hardware department, a restaurant, and eventually a television shop and lumber yards.

Nineteen forty-eight and forty-nine were probably the periods of greatest expansion. People had begun
to joke about the problem facing Dennye when he reached the 84 highway. Would he build an overpass or
would he decide on a tunnel?

In the early days Denny's methods of advertising had been rather limited. He depended mostly on
printed handbills distributed about the countryside by one of his employees driving a pick-up truck. This
same truck was used to make deliveries to customers who had no transportation. The advertising field,
however, received a tremendous boost in the summer of 1947 when a radio station was established at
nearby Kennett, Missouri. Gobler Mercantile Company now began to advertise on a much wider scale
and people began arriving from greater distances to see this big store they had heard about on the radio.
Old Camp-Meeting Time, a program of gospel music, was sponsored by Dennye for many years and was
a great favorite of the church-folk. The format of this show was the standard procedure of the time-
listeners was invited to write in "cards and letters!" requesting favorite songs and dedications were
made. Between songs would be spot advertisements and invitations to visit the "Midwest's Largest
Country Store".


Though Gobler continued to be a popular place to shop, there came a time when the business
apparently began to experience some difficulties. Business still boomed. Maybe not quite as it had once
boomed, but there just did not appear to be any logical reasons why the place was not showing more
profit. A great deal of speculation was engaged in as to probable causes of the trouble. Generally it was
believed to be a combination of many things.


Sometime in the early fifties, Dennye had gone into the trucking business, a field known to be very tough
and very competitive. At one time he had over twenty huge tractor-trailer trucks hauling merchandise for
his own store and also doing custom hauling. Many people considered this latest undertaking the straw
that was one too many. To begin with, there had never been any secret about the fact that Dennye had a
drinking problem and this problem was almost certain to be aggravated by this additional responsibility
attached to an overwhelming workload. Dennye’s time with his family had always been severely
restricted. Each new venture embarked upon spread his moments of relaxation ever more thinly. Long
hours on the job had taken their toll and concerned friends were beginning to wonder whether this man
had not reached very near the limit of his endurance. By 1950 Dennye had acquired a large number of
employees. It is very possible he may not always have known for sure just who or how many were actually
on his payroll. There was no way to keep satisfactory supervision. Add to this the fact that he was by
nature a trusting type of person and it is easy to see what was likely to happen. Probably most of his
employees were honest people but a few who are not can make a tremendous difference. When
employees had been caught cheating Dennye
 One of Dennye’s truck. In the 1950’s he had about twenty jog these roving the nation’s highways.

usually counseled with them, prayed with them, and forgave them. Only a very few were ever actually
discharged due to dishonesty. Dennye’s status in financial affairs of the community was such that quite
often he performed services generally associated with banks and loan companies. In emergencies local
citizens found him closer to home and easier to approach. It would be interesting to speculate how much of
this money is still "on the books!' One day in the early fifties Delmar O'Kelly walked up to Dennye’s office
and announced his intention of paying what he owed. Delmar was a Gobler citizen who had gone to
Michigan to work and had been gone a year or more. Dennye had to tell him this particular record had been
among several destroyed and he had no notion of the amount involved. Delmar said he knew what he owed
and he was there to pay. In this instance Dennye came out alright, but one wonders how many customers
either lacked Delmar’s excellent memory or simply chose not to remember.

About 1952 television had come to Gobler and each night, out back on the porch of the furniture
department, one of these new inventions was displayed for benefit of the general public. It was here that
most of Gobler's citizens saw their first TV. A good-sized crowd was on hand every night. There was only
one channel at the time so no disagreements could arise as to program choices.

Then almost overnight television became the latest addition to every household bringing with it a new
business angle. A short distance behind the store Dennye now built a television repair shop and hired a full-
time repairman. This marked the first case of his putting up a separate building to accommodate new
business. Always before he had simply added on to what was already there.

As the fifties progressed and business continued to decline, a decision was made to seek outside
professional help in an all out effort to get things rolling again. Gobler was about to embark upon a new and
completely different chapter in its life. In due time the "business promotion experts" arrived and proved to
be a husband and wife team of ex-carnival hucksters. Their first move was the installation of a public
address system and from early morning until late at night they kept up a running barrage of promotion
gimmicks such as can be seen and heard in any small-town carnival anywhere in America. There were
popularity contests, talent contests, raffles, auctions, prizes for this and prizes for that.
Crowds jammed the place night after night--mostly to be a part of what was going on. The high
point of this giant free show was a new car to be given away at a drawing late in November. The
night this drawing was held was extremely cold, but the crowd it attracted was probably the largest
in Gobler's history. The car was won by a Mr. Burroughs, a gentleman who lived about two miles
distant on the county line road.

Scarcely anyone was sorry to see this phase of Gobler's history move on its way. General opinion
was it had fallen far short of its objective. It was, however, a colorful interlude in the story of Gobler.

The fifties moved along and although everyone knew things had changed a bit, there was no real
concern. Gobler by now had become a landmark, a legend in its own time, and in such a short time
at that. The war years and postwar years were ancient history and the excitement, color, and
crowds of those busy Saturday afternoons possibly would not be equaled again. Still no one doubted
Gobler would always be there. She might have her ups and downs, but she'd survive.

What no one could possibly know was the fact that time was simply running out in an entirely
different direction. Through the years there had always been speculations about the possibility of a
really big fire at Gobler. The very nature of the sprawling buildings and the relaxed life-style of the
place made one wonder whether luck and good fortune had not protected it to this point. Those
families living nearby and likely to be affected probably gave the matter a great deal of thought.
This writer lived in a small, white frame house located only a few feet from Gobler's furniture
department and well remembers her apprehension on summer nights when huge trash fires lit up
the sky and her living room. This was especially fearful during times of drought when grass fires
were common occurrences. Directly opposite this line of thought one feared the dangers present if
fire came in winter. On an icy, snowbound night, firefighters from surrounding communities would
be virtually helpless, if they could arrive at all. The worst fear of all was of fire during some big
event when crowds of shoppers might be jammed and trapped inside the store. Fortunately our
worst nightmares seldom materialize. When Gobler's big fire came it was not at all as anyone had
imagined it would be. It came at midday on a calm Saturday, the last day of March, 1956, a routine
business-as-usual day with no premonitions of the changes it was to bring to so many lives. The
newspaper accounts later spoke of "a strong southwesterly wind". This description must be
accepted as one reporter’s opinion. Maybe to him it was a "strong wind" but to this writer, long
familiar with March winds in Southeast Missouri, the day was rather ordinary. Two teen-aged boys,
employees of the store, had been burning, cardboard boxes that-, day and flames somehow spread
to a wooden door which served as a side entrance to the grocery department. From the door, fire
jumped to overhead rafters and from this point on there was never any doubts as to the ultimate
outcome. Calls for help went out immediately to fire departments of nearby communities and
firefighters from Kennett, Hayti, and Deering battled the blaze most of that Saturday afternoon
with all odds against them. Water for such a huge fire was almost impossible to obtain. Most
families living near the store expected to lose their homes and with help from neighbors, furniture
and personal belongings were carried to safety. Actually only one occupied home, that of the Wesley
Gaines family, was lost to the fire. Another house, owned by Paul Burns and used as storage, was
also burned. The fire raged furiously for several hours with all manner of explosions and projectiles
being hurled into the air. By mid-afternoon the worst was over and damage could be fairly well
assessed. According to newspaper accounts of the day, Dennye estimated his losses at one-half
million dollars. Small fires continued to burn for several days and tin cans would occasionally
explode three weeks after the fire.


The day after the fire small groups of sightseers gathered to view the ruins and recite the usual
tales that accompany all such disasters. It was a gray, dismal Easter Sunday. One remembers
Dennye and his actions at this crucial time in his life when nineteen years of hard work lay in
twisted rubble before his eyes. He walked about calmly, maybe partly in shock He appeared, on the
surface, to be accepting the situation more matter-of-factly than many of those who had only
emotional interest involved. Several people who owed him money came that day to pay their debts.
Above is a view of the devastation following Gobler’s fire, 1956. Little White house was home
today to this writer. To the right is the postmaster Paul Burns and wife Irene, standing in front of
the gobbler post office, 1947. Barns was Gobler's first postmaster. He opened the Post office on
May 1, 1939, and held the position until he retired, May 31, 1971. His wife became
postmaster at that time and retire February 29, 1976. They are currently the oldest white
residence in the town of Gobler

They knew he would need it, they said. Others felt that now that he was out of business they had no
obligation to pay and they probably never did. The few items saved from Dennye’s office, the safe, the records,
etc., were now moved into the television repair shop which, being several feet distant from the store, had been
spared. The post office was installed in half of this same building. Once again, as in the beginning, these two
were located under the same roof. Dennye had only a small amount of insurance as business reversals had
forced him to borrow on what he originally had. There was no way he could go back into business on a big
scale. He did, however, attempt to start again in a small way. He stocked groceries and a few basics in the TV
shop and struggled along until the end of 1956 at which time he gave up entirely and the business went into
receivership. William 0. "Buster' Branch of Rives, Missouri, was designated as receiver and to him fell the
responsibility of settling all official business of the now non-existent Gobler Mercantile Company.

The Mitchell family residence had been located upstairs above the store. They had lost home and
business on the same day. After the fire they rented a house at Kennett and began to pick up the pieces as
one always must in such circumstances. Dennye made one last attempt to go into business. For a while he
had a grocery store on St. Francis Street in Kennett. Friends and former customers who called remember
the Mitchell family bravely and graciously putting their best foot forward in an all out effort to make
visitors feel at ease and comfortable. But Dennye just did not belong in business at Kennett. Dennye away
from Gobler was like a fish out of water. It was an unnatural situation and made everyone sad. Something
had once existed in the lives of all who were part and parcel of the old days at Gobler. That something
was gone now. It would never return and no one knew how to accept it or anything to do about it.

* He had borrowed on his life insurance and had recently dropped several thousand dollars of fire - insurance..
As this sign suggested John Mitchell was interested in horse. He still is. The entire Mitchell clan raisers, trains, and boards horses.Norma Jean’s husband, Lloyd
Wicker, does the training. John has several race horse and he and his wife try to make all the important races.

The Mitchell son, John, had once served in the Marine Corps and after the fire had reenlisted and
was stationed in California. He now began an effort to get remaining family
members to come west. And that, in the end, is the way it turned out. In January, 1959, Dennye
Mitchell and family left Kennett, Missouri. They relocated at Oceanside, California, and Dennye
found employment for a time as a stock clerk at the nearby Marine base. His years of specialized
training soon enabled him to obtain a job with a large television and appliance establishment. His
old problem with the bottle was still around. The new employers were very patient with him and
considered him a valuable asset. Apparently his good points outweighed any inconvenience caused
by the drinking. Most of Dennye’s remaining years of active work were spent with this company.
After eight or nine years with them, he suffered a stroke and was forced to retire. By this time the
family had moved to a ranch a few miles from Oceanside and had entered as a, family affair into the
business of raising and training race horses. Unable to do much else, Dennye began to help with
feeding and caring for the animals. While involved in this capacity, he suffered a severe injury on
January 3, 1 972. His spinal cord was affected and he is almost completely paralyzed, unable either to
walk or sit in a wheelchair. He can move his head and his right hand. His mind is bright and alert.
For some years now he has been actively involved with the religious organization known as Jehovah's
Witnesses.


The drinking problem which plagued him for years has finally been defeated and Dennye Mitchell
has spent his last several years in quiet and contentment. In December, 1 979, the L.V. Elliot’s, former
friends as well as employees during the old days at Gobler, had the following to report after a visit
with the Mitchell's. Dennye had appeared to enjoy the visit immensely and had joined in lively
conversation, most of which quite naturally revolved around
the old days and the store which had been such a big part of his life. His parting words to them were to
send his regards to all of his old friends and acquaintances. "Tell them I love them," he said. "Not a day
goes by that I don't think of them."

Dennye’s address and phone number are listed for benefit of any who would like to write him.

Dennye Mitchell,
2438 E. Vista Calway Sp. 7
Vista, California 92083;
Phone 714-724-7373


At this time Dennye is 69 years old and has had many problems in recent months with his health. He
spent six weeks in the hospital this fall for treatment of an infected urinary tract. While hospitalized for
this ailment he suffered a mild stroke. In a telephone conversation with his wife, Irene, this writer
learned today, December 28, 1980, that he is currently at home and doing fairly well. Irene has several
health problems also, including glaucoma which affects her vision. She will be glad to hear from any old
friends but cannot answer any correspondence.


The Mitchell children John, Jean, and Betty all live near their parents and according to Irene "If I call,
they can be here in ten minutes!” Irene says be very sure to include the Mitchell family's love and best
wishes to all old friends.

Four generations of Mitchells, This picture was made in summer of 1979. John is standing behind the bed.
Dennye and great-granddaughter Brandy are on bed, and Danny, John’s son, is beside the bed. Dennye was 67 years old in this picture.
Various scenes of Gobler Mercantile Company’s disastrous fire on March 31, 1956