Pictured: John De Boer became an official Chevrolet dealer on Nov. 1, 1947.

On Wednesday, August 17, the community is invited to help De Boer Chevrolet celebrate 75 years of small-town sales and service. There will be refreshments and live music from 5:30-7:30pm. That same evening, the Edgerton Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a “Cruise In” event on Main Street. Food trucks will be on site serving food during the event.

In 1947, John W. De Boer purchased a building on Main Street in Edgerton that he soon turned into a Chevrolet dealership. Seventy-five years and four generations later, his grandson and great-grandson carry the torch.

John moved his family from Leota to Edgerton in 1944. He originally purchased the grocery store, but after a few years decided cars were his true passion. John also served as Edgerton mayor from 1959-1971.

Owning a car dealership at the end of WWII was a challenging task. Much like today, new cars were in short supply. John’s son, Bob De Boer, remembers watching them unload cars from the railway when he was a young boy. There were four automobiles in each boxcar. They were double-decked and had to be unloaded with jacks, chains and lifts. It took three to four guys to unload the cars, and the process would take the better part of the day. Around 1955 the vehicles started arriving by truck.

The dealership also had gas pumps on Main Street. One day a week they would run a special on gas: five gallons for $1.

In 1970, Bob purchased the business from his father. In 1972, John’s youngest son, Clyde, came on board. Fast forward through all of the changes to 2004, when Bob and Clyde sold the business to Jerry Evink and Stewart Kreun.

Jerry Evink worked for De Boer Chevrolet for 34 years as a technician and service manager before becoming an owner in 2004. He officially retired in 2021.

Stewart grew up in Edgerton, and at 14 started working for his uncles part-time in the school year and full-time in the summer. He moved away after high school, but in 2004 decided to bring his family back to Edgerton to work in the business his grandfather had started many years before. Stewart and Mary’s oldest son, Jacob, joined the DBC team in the service department a few years ago.