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HOME > History > History Club > Lillian - Shell Oil Station
History of Shell Oil
Station
Presentation to the Annandale History
Club
November, 1997
Lillian Logeais
In November of 1997 History Club was honored to have Lillian Logeais as their guest speaker. Her story centered on her husband, Canute, and the family business that he founded, Logeais Oil Company
Canute was born on January 19, 1909 on his family's farm 5 miles south of Annandale. The house is still there and now owned by Frieda Gunderson. Although Canute had trouble with asthma and was tutored some at home, he attended Dykman School on County Road 35 east of County Road 5. His older sister, Marcellin was his teacher there.
Canute drove a horse and buggy to high school in Annandale staying with town relatives during the week.
He always enjoy telling the story that for a while he was able to offer rides to a gal from his class, and although he did his best to impress her, the horse had
this habit of farting when she was riding with him!
Lillian was born and raised on the north side of Mink Lake where her brother's family still owns the farm. She and her siblings walked two miles north to a red brick school 3/4 mile north of County Road 39 and 7. She and Canute met at barn dance and were married in November 1933. Canute leased the Shell Oil Station and they were able to buy it and the house behind the station within a few years. Canute's father died shortly after their marriage and his mother came to live with the family until her death in 1963.
The station was a "family" business. Canute would open early filling gas, washing
windshields, checking oil and doing bookwork until Lil had the children fed and off to school. Then she would step out the back door into the
station while Canute would go home and have breakfast. The station was open 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a
week, 52 weeks a year. They would close a little early on Christmas Eve so the employees and family could celebrate the holiday. The family really was spoiled in the
1970's during the gas
shortage when President Nixon ordered all stations to be closed on Sundays.
One problem of living so close to work was that people knew where to find you! Once in a while, someone would knock on the house door in the middle of
the night with a need for fuel or gas. Seldom were they turned away.
Times were hard during the depression. Money was short for everyone. Many times farmers paid with produce or meat they had raised. Some exchanged ration coupons for fuel.
At one time there were as many as eight gas stations in Annandale. For many years Logeais and Lundeen's were side by side competitors but they were always good friends. Canute was a true business man. He always endorsed the main street business community. He would tell his family he needed those businesses to scratch his back so he would scratch theirs. Woe to you if you bought something out of town that could have been purchased in Annandale. "Service Is Our Business" was the motto that appeared over the garage when the new station was built in the early 1970's.
Lil and Canute's sons, Francis (Ozzie) and Jim, say they started working at the station as soon as they were able to push a broom. They purchased the station from their dad in 1969, and their sons were also involved in the family tradition. Canute loved visiting with the friends he had made though out the years. He continued to go to work daily for many years to help out.
Lillian, too, enjoy the business friendships and retained the social involvement by entertaining, golfing and belonging to church and social
clubs. She loved to garden. For many years the Annandale Improvement Club raised money for projects by arranging and selling flower bouquets on Saturday mornings during the summer
month, and many of the flowers came from Lil's garden.
Canute died of a stroke in 1991. The station was sold to Ampride in 1995 after being in the family for 65 years. Lillian
died in 2004 at the age of 93.
Submitted 2007 by Renee Logeais, wife of Jim Logeais