PAXTON, Ill. (WCIA) — People from across Central Illinois are bidding farewell to a longtime community pillar. The owners of Paxton’s IGA grocery store are retiring and selling to Kirby Foods.

“They’ve just led by example with what they’ve given to the community, and the community reciprocates,” said longtime customer Donna Pepper.

Friday marked the final weekday the Paxton grocery store operated under IGA ownership. For Pepper, it comes after 70 years filled with lots of memories.

“It is hometown proud. Paxton IGA has always been a part of everything that I remember, even from childhood,” Pepper said. “From Little League teams, to donations, to they always have a Girl Scout troop setting up selling cookies, or Boy Scouts selling popcorn.”

Susan LaFrey lives in Loda and has shopped at IGA for 15 years. She said there’s one big quality that keeps bringing her back.

“Well, the niceness, everybody helps you,” LaFrey said. “And I just like coming here, it’s a big difference from the city where I used to live.”

Cashier Dianna Yoder said the store is a special place for employees, just like it is for customers.

“This place, everybody knows everybody, and they’re family. I hope everything basically stays about the same,” Yoder said. “You know, I’ve been through other places where they changed hands, but then everything usually works out fine.”

On Sunday, the store will close and reopen Monday morning as a Kirby Foods store. But for so many, the memories of the IGA store down the street remain.

“It’ll still be here,” Pepper said. “It’s still going to be a grocery store, and hopefully, it’s going to be a big part of our community, and we welcome that, and we look forward to it. But it’s going to be different.”

The IGA owners said Kirby Foods will keep staff as is. Kirby Foods is originally based in Champaign, with their first store opening on Kirby Ave. in 1969.