Marshall retires after 44 years

On his 21st birthday, Jerry Marshall interviewed for a position as a receiving clerk with Bi-Mart in the Rogue Valley. Forty-four years later, on Friday, April 1, Marshall hung up his spurs as manager of Bi-Mart's Sisters store.

He recalled those early days in an interview last week.

"At the time, Roseburg was just the ninth store," he said. "It was a small company and it was growing and there was a chance to advance."

And advance he did - from sporting goods manager in Walla Walla, Washington, to second assistant manager in Oregon City, back to Walla Walla as a store manager, then to Woodburn and on to Keizer, where he worked for 17 years.

Through good times and tough times, he stuck with the company. In 2004, Bi-Mart became employee-owned through an ESOP program and "that just solidified working for the company - totally in control of our own destiny. Best thing that ever happened.

"As long as I've been with them, it's exciting," he said of his tenure.

Marshall opened the store in Sisters in 2009, where he has striven to create a family-oriented, small-town atmosphere.

"The feeling that I've tried to foster is the small-town (atmosphere) - see your neighbor and stand in the aisle and visit," he said.

Management with Bi-Mart is a demanding, but satisfying job. Growing up a farm boy, Jerry had the right work ethic to tackle a position that requires a willingness to pitch in till the work is done.

"It's one of those things that's just been bred in me: You have a job, you do it," he said.

The store is thriving, and Jerry and his wife, Bev, have enjoyed living in Sisters.

"Living in the Valley for 20 years, the clarity of the sun (here), the brilliance of the mountains on a morning like this, is beyond compare," he said. "It just makes your heart smile."

They'll stay here, at least for now - but a lot depends on where their grandchildren are. That's the priority for Jerry as he moves into a new phase in his life.

"I've looked at the time I've spent with them and it hasn't been as much as I'd like," he reflected. "Tomorrow is not promised to anybody. It's time to focus a little more on family than on business."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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