Pfannenstein to be big parade’s grand marshal

by Dennis Dalman

news@thenewsleaders.com

In the Fourth of July Parade in downtown St. Joseph next month, Grand Marshal Harvey Pfannenstein and his wife, Carol, will be waving to the crowds of people lining the streets.

It was recently announced by the parade committee that Pfannenstein had been selected for that top annual honor.

When Joe Bechtold told him the news, Pfannenstein laughed and said, “You gotta be kiddin’ me. Why me? There’s so many people deserving of that.”

In an interview with the Newsleaders, Pfannenstein said he felt a bit “shellshocked” at first.

“But it’s an honor,” he said. “It really is.”

For more than 100 years, the Pfannensteins of St. Joseph, including Harvey, of course, owned and/or worked as meat processors in the city.

It all started in 1905 when Harvey’s grandfather, Al Pfannenstein and Al’s brother Mike started a meat processing plant in a place along St. Joseph’s main street, in a place that had previously been a bar. Eventually, Al moved on to work for the homegrown meat operation on the campus of the College of St. Benedict. Brother Mike later sold the downtown plant to Mike Klein of St. Joseph, who owned it until 1948.

John Pflueger of Collegeville then took ownership of the processing plant at which time Harvey’s father, Al Jr., started working for Pflueger. Later, Dave Taufen took the reigns in 1968 for two years, with Al Jr. working with him. Dave is the brother of Dick Taufen, former St. Joseph Fire Chief whose son Jeff is now fire chief.

In 1968, Harvey and  his brother, Cy, started working at the plant. (St. Joseph’s current police chief, Dwight Pfannenstein, is a son of Cy’s).

In 1970, Al Jr. bought the plant from Dave Taufen, at which time Harvey and Cy kept working there, all through the years until Nov. 3, 1997 when Harvey bought the plant from his father after 30 years of working in the plant.

A generational market

The St. Joseph Meat Market, located at 26 First Ave. NW, is entwined with generations of Pfannensteins. During the many years Al Jr. owned the place, all nine of his children worked there at one time or another, including Harvey, who has owned the market for going on 28 years with wife Carol as a co-owner. Harvey’s youngest brother, Paul, still works there.

Harvey and Carol have five children: Amy, Kari, Tracy, Wendy and Daniel. Wendy is manager of the plant and an expert meat cutter.

“She does it all,” said Harvey, who is now 69. “She will likely take over when I retire.”

Other Pfannensteins who work at the market or who help out are Dan, Harvey’s son; Cole, son of Pat (a brother of Harvey’s), Ryan, son of Richard (another brother of Harvey’s).

There are 32 employees at the meat market.

The quality of the St. Joseph Meat Market’s products are well known far and wide. It has won so many local, state and national awards that its inside walls are covered, like  wallpaper, with plaques. In fact, there are so many awards (literally hundreds) that some have to be stored in a big box in the basement.

In 2007, the market won a highly prestigious national award (“Best in Show”) for its maple-flavored breakfast links.

Harvey & Family

“St. Joseph has changed a great deal,” Pfannenstein said. “It’s getting bigger – no longer the small town it used to be.”

Harvey and Carol have a lake home on Big Fish Lake. They also do a  bit of hobby farming on 208 acres of  property by Fruit Farm Road near St. John’s University. That land was owned by Carol’s godfather, Alcuin Eich, who was born where St. Joseph’s Millstream Park is now located.

Pfannenstein and his entire family enjoy hunting and fishing.

When asked his favorite meat meal, Pfannenstein did not hesitate, even for a second.

“A good grilled hamburger!” he said. “Sure, I like steak  too, but there’s nothing better than a grilled hamburger with nothing on it but onions and cheese.”