Another building that is original to the Metamora Square is the Grocery and Dry Goods Store of John F. Isch. It is located at the corner of Menard and Partridge Streets. It was in 1880 that John A. Abersol built the east half of the building to sell groceries. The store was known as Abersol’s Corners and was built on the site in which a gun shop stood. The gun shop building was moved 200 ft. to the west to make room for the grocery store. The gun shop was converted to a home for the Abersols and later the Isch family. In 1893 Mr. Abersol’s daughter, Mary, married John F. Isch who assisted in the store. In 1901 John Isch built an identical store to the west and sold dry goods and groceries. After Mr. Abersol’s death in the same year, John Isch and his wife, Mary, took over the ownership and ran both stores. The store was renamed Isch’s Grocery and Dry Goods Store. This business continued until the death of Mr. Isch in 1952. At this time, the Isch daughters, Wilma Malone and Madeline Sullivan continued to serve the community running a gift and thrift shop. Madeline passed away in 1989 and Wilma died in 1996. Wilma closed the shop in 1992 having been a fixture on that corner for over seventy years.
After the closing of this landmark, it was occupied by the Ridings Furniture and Antique Shop. In 1995 it became the Cozy Corner Quilt Shop under the ownership of Juanita Penman. Today Debra Henninger owns the Cozy Corner Quilt Shop.
History and photo submitted by Shirley A. Adams.
