TOWER- Ever since he was a junior in high school, James “Chimpy” Tuominen has been working at Tower’s only grocery store. Nearly half a century later, he’s ready to retire.
“I don’t think it is a record,” he said, of his 47-year career at Zup’s in Tower, mostly spent as an assistant manager.
Tuominen, dubbed “Chimpy” as a youth by his mother Carol, reflecting his penchant for climbing trees, started working at Zup’s part-time in high school. It became a full-time job in 1980, which was also the year he married his wife Wendy, who still works at the Ely Post Office.
Naturally outgoing, Chimpy’s time at Zup’s was all about the people he got to see every day.
“I was so fortunate to meet so many people,” he said. “I loved seeing everybody all the time. You got to know everybody. And I learned so much from Beanie Zup. He always treated me well and was always so friendly.”
Now Chimpy is watching some of Beanie’s great-grandchildren working at the store, and he hopes to see some of them continue to gain experience and move into management roles.
While Chimpy had a management title, he was often called on to do jobs no one else would do. If a job was too dangerous for other workers— such as shoveling snow from the store’s roof— Chimpy invariably got the assignment. As his name suggests, heights were never a problem for Chimpy.
Operations at Zup’s have changed quite a bit during Chimpy’s 47-year tenure at the store. When he first started, they had a stamper to put prices on all the products, then they got a label gun that attached stickers.
“Now we just scan everything,” he said. He also watched the store grow as it moved a block down Main Street into its current location, with its own parking lot. Back in the day, the Zup’s store was located in the building that currently houses Bauman’s Funeral Home and customers had to park on the street.
His departure has left big shoes to fill at the store in many ways.
“You could always count on Chimpy,” said longtime co-worker Julie Suihkonen, who joked it would probably take three people to replace him.
“He was totally dedicated. He was always there and took care of everything. It will take years for the new staffers to figure it all out,” she said.
If the power went out, Suihkonen said, he was always the first one there, emptying out cases, and staying until the power came back on.
He was also someone that everyone knew would open the store after hours when supplies ran out at a fundraiser, and more pancake mix, or hot dogs, or something else was urgently needed.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Suihkonen.
A dedicated volunteer
Chimpy usually worked the early shift, giving him afternoons for his other main focus, volunteering for afterschool activities and he is, perhaps, best known for teaching hundreds of kids to ride a unicycle over the years. He learned to ride one when he was in grade school. His sister Kristy [Corey] got a unicycle for her birthday, and Chimpy soon mastered the one-wheel wonder. He soon added other skills to his unicycling, including magic tricks, juggling, balloon-tying, and stilt-walking.
As an adult, he started teaching his own kids, and then others in the neighborhood.
Gym teacher Carol Alstrom had him come and teach her high school life sports class to ride. Local service organizations like the Lions Club and American Legion donated funds to purchase unicycles. There was also continued support from the Tower-Soudan Joint Powers Recreation Board and Tower Fire Department Relief Association. Soon he was teaching afterschool classes for all ages, and in the 1990s at least half of the students at the Tower-Soudan School became proficient riders. Unicycle riding takes balance, strength, and determination. It also takes a very patient teacher, willing to coax a young rider until they master their balance, are able to hop on and off the wheel without assistance, and then encourage them to build the strength and stamina to learn tricks.
Chimpy’s Tower-Soudan Unicyclowns performed at many area schools, basketball tournaments, and parades over the years. He taught classes in Babbitt and Cook, also, expanding the reach of the unicycle-riding clan.
Unicycling was a skill that took practice, and often the more motivated youngest riders would master tricks before their older siblings. One of the youngest riders he taught was his daughter Tara, who mastered the wheel at the age of four. One of the oldest riders he taught was Steve Abrahamson, who watched his daughter learn to ride and decided to try it out himself. What Steve would tell you is that unicycling is a skill best learned as a child, when the repeated falls don’t hurt nearly as much as they do as an adult.
No matter what, Chimpy always encouraged kids to get back up and try again after a fall, and most often they always did.
“The kids were always so good,” he said. He added mini-bicycles, an old-fashioned Penny Farthing two-wheeler, a large wooden rolling ball, and even some tall “giraffe” style unicycles to the mix. So even kids who weren’t quite proficient enough to perform on the unicycles could be part of the show.
“The kids in Tower enjoyed a lot of fun thanks to Chimpy,” said Suihkonen, who remembered all the fun nights the two of them helped organize. Suihkonen ran the swimming program and community education at the school before the pool was demolished, and often they organized joint swim and unicycle fun nights.
Chimpy still volunteers at the school during special activities and fun nights, and he has also organized weekly skating parties in Soudan for years, teaching countless kids how to skate along the way. His connections from the grocery store meant he was usually able to round up donations of tasty snacks, pizza, and ice cream to top off fun on the skating rink.
Retirement
Not surprisingly, Chimpy has plunged into retirement with his trademark youthful enthusiasm. He just got back from a family vacation to Wisconsin Dells, where he didn’t shy away from the giant water slides. He’s spending more time out on the lake, fishing and swimming. And of course, spending lots of time with his grandchildren. He and Wendy have been taking more evening boat rides around Ely Island. He is also hiking area trails, and he and Wendy recently purchased e-bikes, that they are both enjoying.
Chimpy’s last day of work was on July 12, and staff and customers celebrated with cake and congratulations. And while he won’t be working there everyday, he probably will be found there on a regular basis, stocking up on potato sausage and hot bologna, two of his favorite Zup’s specialties. Watch for him, and say hi, the next time you’re at the store.