By Thomas Clapper
FPS Staff Writer
Palmer’s Minerva Bowl has been racking up memories, friendships and community support for 50 years.
For owners Bill and Beverlee Palmer and their son, Brad Palmer, who manages the bowling alley, 50 years went by pretty quickly.
“You don’t realize how many years passed by, and you don’t realize how many people you see come through those doors,” said Beverlee. “We age, but we don’t realize at the time the people coming in age too.”
The eight-lane bowling alley was purchased on May 15, 1975, and Brad was only 9 years old. Bill had a car wash in Carrollton, which was sold in 1969, and at the time owned Palmer’s Lunch and Billiards and the Mohawk Theater in Minerva. Beverlee owned Beverlee’s Fashion in Minerva.
“I was in the Rotary Club with Dick Mount, who previously owned the bowling alley,” said Bill. “I told him to let me know whenever the bowling alley became available for sale.”
Once it was purchased, Dick and his wife, Sue Mount, stayed on for a year to help the Palmers get used to running the bowling alley.
“We have never been bowlers, and Dick and Sue Mount were a really big help,” said Beverlee. “They were great people.”
“Dad always talked about wanting to own a business where he lives,” said Brad.
“Yeah, I always wanted to live in the business I worked in. That way you don’t have to drive,” said Bill with a smile.
After buying the bowling alley, Bill attended Brunswick School in Muskegon, Michigan, to learn about the machines and how to keep them up to date. Bill said there are 140 moving parts on the lane machines, and this training was to teach him what to do if something happened and it needed shut off and repaired.
The bar that exists today was put in by the Palmers. When they first purchased the building, it was an open area.
“The beer cooler used to sit against the wall, and there was a cup on top that had a sign that said ‘Beer 50 cents’ on the cup,” said Bill. “They didn’t have any waiters; you got your own.”
Minerva Bowl saw a large renovation in 1998, when the underground ball return was put in along with the game room. The glow-in-the-dark carpet on the walls and computers were also installed at this time. The swivel chairs that remain were also a part of this renovation.
“Customers in this area respect our stuff,” said Beverlee. “There are some places I have been where there is no respect for the building or equipment.”
“Some of our customers have even corrected other people from doing the wrong thing,” said Bill.
In 2007, the wooden lanes were replaced with synthetic lanes, which are wood look-alikes but nearly indestructible.
“It’s the best thing we ever did,” said Brad, reflecting on changing the lanes. “It is a little louder when the ball hits, but people are allowed to loft the ball out. They used to not be allowed to loft the ball because it would put a big dent in it.”
Growing up in the bowling alley, Brad polished his skills to the point of having the highest average in the state of Ohio of .217 as a sophomore in high school. It was the highest bowling average in high school bowling history in 1982. Currently, schoolteacher and high school bowling team coach Nick Embrogno averages the same. He also works at the bowling alley.
Brad coached Junior League for kids when he was in high school. He graduated from Ohio University in 1988 with a degree in human resource management.
“After Brad graduated, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll come back and work a year for you since you helped me so much to get to college,’” said Beverlee with a smile. “He never left.”
Back when high school bowling started in 2003, Brad told Superintendent Mike Gallina at the time that as long as the Palmers own the bowling alley, the school will never be charged for practice bowling, and the kids will not be charged.
“It just seems like the right thing to do,” said Brad when asked about it. Bill added it also helps introduce kids to bowling, and they could continue to enjoy bowling throughout their life.
The Palmer family has noticed many changes over the 50 years with societal trends and bowling.
“Ninety percent of women work now,” said Beverlee. “Years ago, we used to have a lot of daytime women’s leagues because not as many of them worked.”
Brad noted there used to be a lot more night leagues and family bowling in the earlier decades, but now kids play so many different sports.
Bill said teams from surrounding towns and even surrounding states used to come over the years.
“Two years in a row we had a team from West Virginia,” said Bill. “On Tuesday night, they would drive up from West Virginia, and they’d all come up in one car.”
Bowlers would come from Salem, Sebring, North Canton, Massillon, Malvern, Carrollton, Alliance, Lisbon and more to bowl at Minerva Bowl.
Of all the memories of the past 50 years, the Palmers keep coming back to the people along the way.
“There’s too many stories, and we would leave somebody out,” said Brad. “This is all we did. This is where we came at night, and this is where we did everything. So, our customers became our friends. That’s the biggest thing in owning a business like this for 50 years — you don’t socialize a whole lot, you don’t go out a whole lot, and so you are here. The people come to you, and they end up being your friends because that’s the people you spend your time with, and that’s the people you care about.”
“That is such a true statement,” said Beverlee. “Family doesn’t always mean blood because you can have somebody that is close to you who isn’t blood-related. We have met so many wonderful people over many years. We have former junior league kids come in who are now grandparents or possibly great-grandparents.”
Bill and Beverlee are thankful they did travel when they were younger, because now they would rather relax and continue to enjoy owning the bowling alley.
“Truthfully, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Brad because we don’t do computers and keep up on technology,” said Beverlee. “He has taken over the running of this place. We have been fortunate and blessed to have had this, and I wouldn’t want to live in any other town than Minerva.”
In addition to Brad, who is their youngest child, Bill and Beverlee are the parents of the late Gregg Palmer and Kevin Palmer, who is not involved in the bowling business. The couple live behind the bowling alley in an attached house. Brad lives next door.
The couple will be inducted into the Stark County United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Amateur Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 17 in the Recognition of Contribution category. A person must be at least 50 years old to qualify for the Hall of Fame. Brad was nominated at 50 and has been in the Hall of Fame for nine years. Bill and Beverlee are also the only couple in the Minerva Alumni Association Hall of Fame.
“I think it speaks volumes for them to be the only ones inducted to both hall of fames as a couple, and it shows their commitment to family, community, the business and each other,” said Brad.
