It was a walk down memory lane Sunday afternoon at the First Presbyterian Church.
Wayno Olson, a lifelong New Hampshire resident and longtime Antrim businessman, reminisced about his life and his career during a presentation hosted by the Antrim Historical Society.
Steve Ullman, a member of the Antrim Historical Society, introduced Olson at the beginning of the session, calling him ‘Antrim’s business pioneer.’
A video presentation dubbed Olson ‘the man, the myth, the legend.’
Olson owned Wayno’s Market & Deli, along with other businesses downtown.
“Dealing with Wayno, you met his friendliness, his exuberance, his sense of humor,” Ullman said at the beginning of the presentation. “It was actually fun to go shopping at Wayno’s.”
When Olson first went into business in 1959, there was a First National Supermarket in town, although big stores like Shaws and Market Basket didn’t exist. In his first years, some told Olson that he wouldn’t be able to survive, but he proved them wrong, eventually outlasting First National, which was a big outfit at the time.
Bob Aprin, who worked for Olson for many years, said it was a blast to work at the store.
“He (Olson) was a good guy to work for,” Aprin said. “Everyone who worked there was like one big family.”
He said Olson has a sharp sense of humor, was a laid-back boss, and liked to have fun, which made work enjoyable.
Antrim resident Richard Cottle said Olson is a generous guy, and was throughout his time as an Antrim businessman. He said Olson frequently donated money to local organizations and would let people stand outside his store and fundraise.
“He was always there for the community,” Cottle said.
Abby Kessler can be reached at 924-7172, ext. 234 or akessler@ledgertranscript.com.