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'He developed a strong work ethic at a young age,' Kurt Wagener said. Wagener was an adept salesman, and dealers rewarded him with all-expense paid trips to exotic places around the world. He opened the Midway Typewriter Exchange in the 1940s after serving in the Army during World War II. 'That attracted him to sales,' said his son, Kurt, of Hudson, Wis. He served as an apprentice in his older brother's Smith-Corona typewriter dealership. The Great Depression forced him out of school and into the workforce at age 16. He learned his marketplace skills as a preteen, selling eggs and other goods from the farm at the St. The family eventually settled on a farm in what is now the Battle Creek neighborhood. Prairie grass grew along University Avenue and outdoor plumbing was the norm. Wagener was born in 1914 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Wagener died April 4 at New Perspective Senior Living in Roseville. 'I always enjoyed his company,' Molitor said.

By far, Molitor said, his weekly visit with Wagener was his favorite appointment. Molitor was an ad salesman for Sun Newspapers when he met Wagener in the 1970s.

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He was a go-getter, always full of gusto.'Įd Molitor was a regular at the shop. 'He knew the business and it did really well. 'It was the place to go,' said Jim Fastner, who in the 1980s worked as service manager in the small shop on Snelling Avenue. Paul, where legions of business owners and high school and college students came to rent and buy typewriters and get them fixed. 'Cully,' as he was widely known, developed a huge following as proprietor of the Midway Typewriter Exchange in St. From farm goods to typewriters to vacuum cleaners, Carl Wagener was a natural when it came to sales, but beyond the products he was a master of peddling goodwill and good cheer.