One of my classmates was Mark Leiber. His father owned the drugstore, which is now the liquor store on the north side of the square. Mr. Leiber was a wonderful pharmacist. One could always ask questions about the medications which were prescribed by the doctor. He knew and could give good advice on how and why to take them. This was just the beginning time of sulfa drugs leading to antibiotics. People needed extra explanations and also had more questions. By the way, in those days the only cough syrup available was codeine syrup. Because of earaches and coughs, I was often prescribed the codeine syrup from a young age of 2 and 3. Times have changed fortunately.
Best of all, the drugstore had a huge soda fountain for getting an ice cream ‘fix’, especially after a dental appointment; at least that is when I got my chocolate malt. I liked sitting on the stools at the counter, but there were also those cute “heart shaped” chairs and the little tables similar to those at Lauber’s.
Mrs. Leiber decided to open a gift shop in an area of the East Troy House next to Zinn’s grocery store. She had gifts that could not be found in the other shops around town. They provided the basic goods. It was fun to go into her shop to see the very interesting gifts which could bring a happy smile from the recipient.
Over the years of the Great Depression, villages and towns did not have funds to support the public libraries. The books in our public library were older books, fewer books, a row of children’s books numbering less than 25 titles, and no current books. Mrs. Leiber decided to fill this need. She purchased current books and rented them for a very nominal fee. What a boon that was for the readers in the village. This lending library opened the “new world of books” to it’s citizens. Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Leiber provided great services to the village.
And, as the economy improved, there were changes and improvements to the East Troy Public Library.
Written By: Mary Prasch Paetsch
