Why Hurricane, Utah?
| Henry
Scholzen, our founder was born on
March 17, 1894 to John and Catherine Scholzen
in Racine, Wisconsin. The Scholzen family
were immigrants from Germany, settling with
many other German people in the Wisconsin
area. Although he was only 57 when he died,
Henry left the imprint of his noble character
and accomplishments on the face of Southern
Utah.
Henry served as a
cook with the U.S. Army during World War
I. After the war he came West as an employee
of the dining car and hotel department of
the Union Pacific Railroad. Prior to being
transferred to Southern Utah to manage the
Union Pacific's facilities at the Utah National
Parks (Grand Canyon North Rim, Bryce and
Zion) Henry was over the Union Pacific's
dining car division from Ogden, Utah, to
Hollywood, California, with offices in both
of those cities. He was a pioneer to the
present day Zion National Park Lodge, having
set up a mess hall three years before the
1925 construction of the lodge. |
 |
Henry and Mary
During the time that Henry
was manager of the Utah Parks Company, he asked
Mary Sanders of Hurricane if she would help manage
the dining hall at Zion. Mary Sanders and Henry
Scholzen were married November 18, 1924. From
then on she was his constant companion and partner.
Henry and Mary's only child, Jack, was born in
Hollywood, California, on September 13, 1925.
Even as a child Jack was involved in their business
adventures. He was driving trucks at age 14.
Scholzen Produce Company
In 1928 Henry quit working
for the Union Pacific Railroad and their
subsidiary the Utah Parks Company. Fearing a transfer
and not wanting to leave Southern Utah, he decided
to go into business for himself. He raised chickens,
turkeys, and rabbits and began selling them to
the big restaurants in the Los Angeles area. On
return trips he would freight in construction
supplies for the Southern Utah contractors.
As economic conditions changed,
Henry branched out into product lines. Henry and
Mary had the vision to see that the Union Pacific
would not spend huge sums of money on park facilities
without knowing that roads would be built to connect
the parks, so they made plans and began contacting
business houses. When road contractors began moving
their road building equipment into Southern Utah
and Northern Arizona, they were ready. They sold
them everything from blasting powder to groceries
and meat for their mess hall. For several seasons,
from Spring until road conditions stopped for
winter, Henry and Mary loaded their truck in Salt
Lake City with supplies for the construction camps.
Henry and Mary sold supplies
to contractors on the Zion National Park tunnel
and highway. When the tunnel was completed in
1930, they began selling contractor equipment
and supplies from a small warehouse in Hurricane.
Thus, Scholzen Products Company, as it is known
today, was born. However from 1928 to 1936 the
business was known as Scholzen Produce Company.
Jack and Thelma
| As
Jack got older he went with his father
on selling trips. He followed his father
into the Scholzen warehouses and helped
him fill customer orders. Before he could
read, Jack could figure and knew every price
on every item that was carried in stock
at the company.
During his close association
with his father, Jack acquired his father's
business ability and sincere feeling of
civic responsibility.
When Jack was fifteen,
Henry was in a terrible car accident. Jack
had to leave school to see that the deliveries
were made. Henry finally recovered, but
the years of hard work and long hours took
its toll on his health. Henry died on July
18, 1951 leaving his son, Jack, with the
responsibility of carrying on the business
at the age of 26. |
 |
| Jack
married Thelma Olds of Toquerville,
Utah, June 26, 1943. They have six children
who are carrying on the family business.
Jack died September 19, 1987 leaving the
family business with his six children -
Nick, Nancy, David, Keith, Linda and Mary
Lu. |
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