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Behind every great woman is a pair of great shoes and behind every great shoe store is a great woman. That's how it's been for the past 100 years at Benges Shoe Store.
As Bruce Benge told me: “We wouldn't have reached the 100-year mark without the women of Benges.”
It all started when Bertrand Madison Benge met Elsie Smith. Elsie's family was already in the shoe store business when she met Bert in Winterset, Iowa, in the first decade of the 20th century.
Bert Benge was part owner of a shoe store in Winterset with his future wife's brother. The store was “Smith & Benge.” Bert felt that there were too many Smiths in the world so he asked Elsie to be a Benge.
She obliged and moved to Grand Junction, where there were some Smiths but no Benges.
Benge went to work for another fellow's shoe store and then opened his own at their first location at 422 Main St. A year after they opened the store in November 1911, their son Harry was born, and Elsie got busy raising their family. Soon came daughters Kathryn and Margaret.
Elsie and Bert, aka “Benge The Shoe Man,” owned a beautiful home at 1161 White Ave. The spacious house afforded Elsie plenty of room to raise her family and practice her hobby of painting. Elsie was a big part of Benges in that she would be there to greet customers and make friends. She didn't “work the floor” per se, but made sure the business ran smoothly. Bruce remembers his grandmother fondly as she lived well into her 80s and still according to him, “made a mean fried chicken.”
Elsie and Bert's son Harry was destined to carry on the store. Daughter Kathryn moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and became Kathryn Jones. Margaret enjoyed a long professional career as secretary to four school superintendents and she traveled extensively once retired. Never married, Margaret Benge remained in the family home on White until her passing.
As a young girl, Marietta Rumburg moved with her family to the Cortez/Mancos area from Kegley, West Va. Anxious to set her life course, Marietta moved to Grand Junction to attend Ross Business College which at the time was located on the southwest corner of Third and Main.
While working and going to school downtown, Marietta met Harry Smith Benge. Harry by this time was working beside his father, Bert, at the store's current location at 514 Main.
Harry or “Buck” Benge as some friends called him, married vivacious Marietta in 1942 and went off to war. Marietta jumped right into the shoe business with both feet, working side by side with her father-in-law. Hard working and ambitious, Marietta found time to raise sons, Joe and Bruce, while working the store.
From Square Dance Club to founding the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary to serving on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Marietta Benge was a force to be reckoned with. Marietta went statewide with her political passion and took two runs for the state legislature in the 1960s, being narrowly defeated both times.
As son Bruce put it: “An amazing thing for a woman to garner as many votes as she did in those days, she was a women's libber before they had a name for it.”
Marietta kept up her social and political lifestyle until her passing in 2006. She still held her annual cocktail parties at the Harry Benge family home at 118 Hillcrest Drive until the end. I would take my mother Ruby Brown to those parties where Marietta would hold court with her cronies, one of which was always Mary Louise Giblin, her life-long friend.
Marietta and Harry's son Bertrand Joe Benge inherited the family home on Hillcrest, and Bruce the shoe store. Benge The Shoe Man has always been backed up by a woman and this generation is no exception.
Vicki Potratz Cowan has worked side by side with Bruce for the past years.
“She's the love of my life and soulmate; we work together and live together. People find it pretty amazing how we have existed this way for so long. We're 24-7,” said Bruce.
Bruce, looking at me with the same misty eyes he had when he spoke of grandmother Elsie and mother Marietta, tells me of Vicki's extraordinary empathy and compassion.
“She cares for everyone that comes in the store. She tries on every shoe that comes through the door. She's the caregiver for all our nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. She's always the first one to say ‘Yes.'”
Vicki came to Benges with more retail experience that Bruce. All that compassion and love for Benge The Shoe Man emanates from her as she ushers in the next 100 years at Benge's. And she's not alone.
Bruce has four other lovely ladies with experience. Shelly Ramos has 17 years at Benge's; Shelley Sage and Joanna Weiss Richards have both been there 12 years. Patty Costello's there, too.
“Who will be the fourth generation of Benge's to run the store?” I ask Bruce.
He shakes his head, “I just don't know.” It may be a while; the Benges before him all worked way into their 80s, Grandpa Bert into his 90s.
From “We Fit the Feet” to “We may not be the only shoe store but we're the best,” you can be sure there is a great woman behind every great pair of shoes at Benges Shoe Store.
As Bruce Benge told me: “We wouldn't have reached the 100-year mark without the women of Benges.”
It all started when Bertrand Madison Benge met Elsie Smith. Elsie's family was already in the shoe store business when she met Bert in Winterset, Iowa, in the first decade of the 20th century.
Bert Benge was part owner of a shoe store in Winterset with his future wife's brother. The store was “Smith & Benge.” Bert felt that there were too many Smiths in the world so he asked Elsie to be a Benge.
She obliged and moved to Grand Junction, where there were some Smiths but no Benges.
Benge went to work for another fellow's shoe store and then opened his own at their first location at 422 Main St. A year after they opened the store in November 1911, their son Harry was born, and Elsie got busy raising their family. Soon came daughters Kathryn and Margaret.
Elsie and Bert, aka “Benge The Shoe Man,” owned a beautiful home at 1161 White Ave. The spacious house afforded Elsie plenty of room to raise her family and practice her hobby of painting. Elsie was a big part of Benges in that she would be there to greet customers and make friends. She didn't “work the floor” per se, but made sure the business ran smoothly. Bruce remembers his grandmother fondly as she lived well into her 80s and still according to him, “made a mean fried chicken.”
Elsie and Bert's son Harry was destined to carry on the store. Daughter Kathryn moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and became Kathryn Jones. Margaret enjoyed a long professional career as secretary to four school superintendents and she traveled extensively once retired. Never married, Margaret Benge remained in the family home on White until her passing.
As a young girl, Marietta Rumburg moved with her family to the Cortez/Mancos area from Kegley, West Va. Anxious to set her life course, Marietta moved to Grand Junction to attend Ross Business College which at the time was located on the southwest corner of Third and Main.
While working and going to school downtown, Marietta met Harry Smith Benge. Harry by this time was working beside his father, Bert, at the store's current location at 514 Main.
Harry or “Buck” Benge as some friends called him, married vivacious Marietta in 1942 and went off to war. Marietta jumped right into the shoe business with both feet, working side by side with her father-in-law. Hard working and ambitious, Marietta found time to raise sons, Joe and Bruce, while working the store.
From Square Dance Club to founding the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary to serving on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Marietta Benge was a force to be reckoned with. Marietta went statewide with her political passion and took two runs for the state legislature in the 1960s, being narrowly defeated both times.
As son Bruce put it: “An amazing thing for a woman to garner as many votes as she did in those days, she was a women's libber before they had a name for it.”
Marietta kept up her social and political lifestyle until her passing in 2006. She still held her annual cocktail parties at the Harry Benge family home at 118 Hillcrest Drive until the end. I would take my mother Ruby Brown to those parties where Marietta would hold court with her cronies, one of which was always Mary Louise Giblin, her life-long friend.
Marietta and Harry's son Bertrand Joe Benge inherited the family home on Hillcrest, and Bruce the shoe store. Benge The Shoe Man has always been backed up by a woman and this generation is no exception.
Vicki Potratz Cowan has worked side by side with Bruce for the past years.
“She's the love of my life and soulmate; we work together and live together. People find it pretty amazing how we have existed this way for so long. We're 24-7,” said Bruce.
Bruce, looking at me with the same misty eyes he had when he spoke of grandmother Elsie and mother Marietta, tells me of Vicki's extraordinary empathy and compassion.
“She cares for everyone that comes in the store. She tries on every shoe that comes through the door. She's the caregiver for all our nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. She's always the first one to say ‘Yes.'”
Vicki came to Benges with more retail experience that Bruce. All that compassion and love for Benge The Shoe Man emanates from her as she ushers in the next 100 years at Benge's. And she's not alone.
Bruce has four other lovely ladies with experience. Shelly Ramos has 17 years at Benge's; Shelley Sage and Joanna Weiss Richards have both been there 12 years. Patty Costello's there, too.
“Who will be the fourth generation of Benge's to run the store?” I ask Bruce.
He shakes his head, “I just don't know.” It may be a while; the Benges before him all worked way into their 80s, Grandpa Bert into his 90s.
From “We Fit the Feet” to “We may not be the only shoe store but we're the best,” you can be sure there is a great woman behind every great pair of shoes at Benges Shoe Store.
