Ben Rich ran his mom & pop grocery store daily at 19th & Mitchell.

A long time St. Joseph business owner has died.

Ben Rich was a well known grocer who operated his small mom & pop store at the corner of 19th & Mitchell for over 61 years.

Mr. Rich opened the store just as World War II was drawing to a close. He managed the store daily with the help from some long-time, faithful employees. Rich's famous ham salad and "slice while you wait" meat counter were rarities in these times of pre-packaging and price scanning.

In a St. Joe Now interview with Mr. Rich in February, he told us that these tough economic times remind him of when the country was starting on the road to recovery just after World War II, and he thinks things will get better.

Mr. Rich's funeral will be this Sunday at 11am at the Meierhofffer Funeral Home & Crematory with visitation set for Saturday evening from 7-8:30pm.

Ben Rich was 94.