CLARKSTOWN -- After nearly 70 years in the grocery business, a family run market in Lycoming County is calling it quits.
The shelves at Lowe's Market near Hughesville have been stocked for decades and decades and the customers, young and old, have faithfully picked up their grocery orders there all those years.
But within about a month, Lowe's will close for good.
"This is my life, enjoy everything about it, unfortunate it's coming to an end," said owner Harold Lowe.
Lowe hugged customers, many of them upset their market will close by the end of April. Lowe and his wife Gail said the economy, higher gas prices, plus competing supermarkets and stores helped them make the decision to close.
About twenty employees, like Sandy Bucher will have to look for work and part ways with customers who've become family.
"There's going to be a lot of people who will miss the place, they'll realize what the Lowe's have done for the community," said Bucher.
Lowe's Market has been in this location on Route 442 in Clarkstown for more than 40 years now, but before that, Harold's parents owned the market across the street. So Lowe's Market has been serving customers for about 70 years now, which amounts to an entire lifetime.
"It's going to be tough right now, very much so," said Lowe.
As for Mary Lou Krysik of Hughesville, she doesn't know what she'll do when Lowe's closes next month. For Krysik and other customers, Lowe's is the only grocery store they know.
"No one's going to take over for you. Unfortunately, so sad," said Krysik.