O'Neill Chamber Of Commerce Holds Annual Awards Banquet

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2023 Chamber honored retiree's Paul and Erin Zakrewski of Westside Restaurant retired this past winter.

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2023 Chamber community service award went to Leprechaun Sports. Jesse Moore and Mark Thompson accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

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2023 Chamber customer service was given to Dustin Jorgensen of Super Foods.

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2023 Chamber ambassador award was given to Phil and Natalie Butterfield who were honored by Chamber Director Lauri Havranek.

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2023 Chamber honored retiree's Retha and Lawrence Marx, who retired from O'Neill Tire & Supply this past fall.

The O'Neill Area Chamber of Commerce held their annual banquet last Tuesday at the O'Neill Community Center. The chamber holds the event annually to celebrate what is going on in O'Neill and honor those that work to make or community better. Dustin Jorgensen was honored by the chamber, being given the customer service award. Dustin is the assistant manager at Super Foods and was honored for his good nature and willingness to serve customers in the store. The next award was the community service award, which was presented to the Leprechaun Youth Sports group for all they do for the kids in the O'Neill area and our community. The group which presents opportunities for not only O'Neill but area youth to participate in sports programs and get those kids interested in participating in sports at an early age. Jesse Moore and Mark Thompson accepted the award on behalf of the group.

The Chamber then recognized two retirees. Paul and Erin Zakrewski were honored as they retired from their business, Westside Restaurant, that they operated from the early 1980's until retiring this past winter. The other retiree was Lawrence Marx. Lawrence and Retha Marx were owners of O'Neill Tire and Supply. Lawrence Marx retired in June from working at O'Neill Tire & Supply after being there over 47 years. The station at that location in 1963, Jeannie and Norman Gonderinger and George and Lillian McCarthy sold it to APCO Oil Corporation.

In 1972, Lawrence's brother, Leo Marx, purchased it and named it Marx APCO. At this time it had full service gas pumps and auto service on a hoist that was outside instead of being in a shop building. 

In 1975, Lawrence graduated from Lynch High School and started working for his brother, who later named the business O'Neill Tire & Supply.  A shop building was built with an alignment machine and two hoists and it became a Good Year tire dealership.  This was one of the first stations to begin self service gas pumps in O'Neill and they had a farm service truck.

Leo and Kathy Marx sold it to Ned and Linelle Kelley in 1978. Lawrence and Retha Marx purchased it in 2005.

In 2022 the Marx's sold it to Chuck and Shayla Shields, who renamed it C&S Repair.

The ambassador award was given to Phil and Natalie Butterfield. The Butterfields have been instrumental in promoting O'Neill for quite sometime. Natalie has always been a historian of the Irish condition in O'Neill. She has been teaching classes on O'Neill and the Fenian movement in O'Neill and the history behind it all. The Butterfields  helped lead the movement to put up the General O'Neill monument on the north lawn of the Holt County Courthouse. Through their efforts they have promoted O'Neill and it's history.

Chamber President Dr. Trent Shoemaker gave a brief overview of last year's activities. "Our Chamber has 225 members in our fold, which for a town our size, is truly remarkable," said Shoemaker. We had 22 ribbon cuttings in 2022.

Some of the interesting things that have happened in the last year were: Open Mic Night & Trivia Night at HandleBend; Evergreen Independent Living - O'Neill Art On The Walls; New Streets and Sidewalks in O'Neill; Anytime Fitness moved to a new location; Neko's Pub Open and also Poker Nights on Wednesday;  Three River Communications remodeled a building and have a new office; Deja Brew Coffee opened on the west edge of town; First Interstate Bank took over GWB; General John O'Neill Statue dedicated; Top 'O The Rock Opened in the Chesterfield Building;  A new business going in at old Grafted Tree Building; Signature Salon opened; Teal Diner at the Shamrock Livestock Market opened; New owners at O'Neill Tire- now C & S Repair, Chuck & Shayla Shields; Country Clover Boutique moved into Anytime Fitness building; Tyler Stracke took over Fitness First - now called The Bar; Good Timin' bar sold to Jerry Kloppenborg; O'Neill Country Club now serving lunch Monday through Friday; Laundromat remodeled their building; McDonald's rebuilt and has a whole new look; Taco John's remodeled their store front; Smoke It Up Welding took over K & K; Irish Spirits has new owners; TRP Truck Center of O'Neill opened in west O'Neill; Gotschall & Sholes Law Office opened; Galyen Boettcher Law Office new building; Associated Tax Service moved to new building;  Daycare Center opened in Old Avera VA Building; New Church at 7th and John Street; Circle M Feed & Trailer Sales new owners of Sidak Feed; Hair Junction building sold to Taylered Aesthetics; Big Red Motorsports has new owners; O'Neill Storage revamping the Shopko Building; Blush Boutique building new storefront at 3rd & Douglas; Douglas Street Coffee remodeling new building at Douglas & Jefferson.

"Our town is making progress and is continuing to thrive," said Shoemaker.

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