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Jeff Rankin: Historic Monmouth store fell victim to retail trends Jeff Rankin The Rankin File As long ago as the early 1960s, downtown Monmouth merchants were worried about the encroachment of shopping centers and discount stores on traditional retail establishments. We know now that they had good reason to worry. One of those merchants was about as traditional as you could find. Fred Schmitz, who for more than a quarter century ran a fabric store on the Public Square, showing up every day wearing a white shirt and bowtie, announced in 1963 that he was going to retire. His wife, Mary, whose n...

Jeff Rankin: John Lugg — Monmouth’s memorable mortician Jeff Rankin The Rankin File For most of us, the profession of funeral director may seem dreary or even macabre, and conjure up the image of a polite but morose individual. Although his name might have reflected those characteristics, longtime Monmouth mortician John Lugg would never have been described in those terms. Upon his death in 1951, he was celebrated as one of the city’s most engaged and engaging characters — an erudite, colorful gentleman who was beloved by all. While he took great pride in his profession, John Lugg did...