Turning Off the Lights, But Not Slowing Down
By Elizabeth Van Zyl
After 45 years behind the counter, Johnny Mauch is locking up Scribner Auto Parts one last time.
But if you think this is retirement, you don’t know Johnny.
At 80 years old, he’s still got his sense of humor, his coffee crowd and more energy than folks half his age.
A Change in Plans. A New Beginning.
Johnny didn’t set out to run an auto parts store. Back in 1978, he was working construction and serving on the Scribner Fire Department, where he had volunteered for 11 years.
That New Year’s Eve, the department got called to a fire at Cordes Brothers’ department store, right where Lee’s Market stands now. It was a bitterly cold night. Part of the building gave way, and Johnny was one of the firefighters caught in the collapse. His injuries were serious.
In one night, he lost his leg and his occupation in construction, but not his drive to keep going.
In 1980, he stepped in to manage the newly opened Scribner Auto Parts. Three years later, he bought the place. The rest is small-town history.
More Than a Store.
Scribner Auto Parts wasn’t just where you bought parts. It was where you got advice, drank coffee, swapped stories and felt like you belonged.
The store bounced around over the years, starting where Vacha Warrior Training is now, then moving to the spot that’s home to Z’s Bar & Grill, before settling at 425 Main Street. Johnny remembers most of the moves, though he’ll admit some of the dates blur after 45 years.
But one memory sticks: his surprise 40th birthday party, pulled off by his late wife Connie.
“I told her if she threw me a party at one bar, I’d just go to the other,” Johnny laughed. “So she got smart and had it at the store. She got me good.”
Scribner Showed Up.
Even in his last week at the shop, people were stopping in just to say thanks. The shelves might be empty, but the place is still full of heart.
So, what will he miss the most? “The guys who came in every morning,” he said. “Drinking coffee and talking. That part is hard to leave.”
He’s Not Slowing Down.
The building may be sold, but Johnny isn’t hitting the brakes. He’s already had three job offers.
“When you quit working, that’s when you die,” he says, remembering local grocer Lee Burkink, who was still carrying out groceries at 96.
Johnny’s also a proud grandpa. You’ll find him cheering on his granddaughter, Olivia Mauch, number 10 on the Nebraska Husker Volleyball team.
“I’ve had a good run,” Johnny said. “This town’s been good to me. I’ll miss the customers and I’ll miss the guys coming through the door, just to chat.”
From all of us in Scribner, thank you, Johnny.
For your decades behind the counter.
For your service on the fire & rescue departments.
For your stories, your loyalty and your laughter.
Scribner’s better because of you.