This Saturday, Exeter Mercantile Company is celebrating its 109th anniversary. In their honor, this week’s Grave of the Week is Sidney Schelling, who passed in 2022.
Sidney was born and raised in Exeter. After graduating from Exeter Union High, he attended Cal Berkley and then enlisted in the Navy. He did two tours on the USS Lexington.
After his service, he moved to Malibu and worked as a manager at the Sears, serving a bevy of celebrities. As a lover of the theater and movies, this brought him much joy. He then moved to New York City to work at Macys, and he obtained an MBA from NYU.
Sidney returned to Exeter to help his mother, after his father passed. Sid Sr. began to work at the Exeter Mercantile in 1919, when he returned home from World War I. Sid Sr. bought the Mercantile and it has been a family business ever since. Sid Jr., and his brother Bob, ran the business as partners. Sidney was Secretary and Treasurer and managed the ACE hardware. He travelled for trade shows and vendors still speak fondly of him.
Still a lover of the theater, Sidney joined the Wagner Society and once attended the Bayreuth Festival performance of Wagner’s The Ring. While in Germany, he decided to take a sabbatical and studied German and Philosophy at the University of Heidelberg.
At home, Sidney loved his family and animals. He adored his dogs but also provided food for the neighborhood cats, birds and even possums. He was a wonderful teacher and never shied to debate religion, politics, art and philosophy.
Please share your memories of Sidney and the Schelling Family here. For over 100 years, this family has been a staple in the Exeter community helping everyone in town. Please also attend the 109th anniversary celebration at the Mercantile on Saturday.
Message if you know anyone who should be featured on Grave of the Week. Please include any information about the person’s life and where the grave is located.
Please continue to like, share, and follow the Exeter Public Cemetery District and thank you to Exeter Chamber of Commerce, Exeter Kiwanis, Kiwanis Club Of Farmersville, Kiwanis of Woodlake, The Sun-Gazette Newspaper for sharing.