The Butcher Says Goodbye

Ed Buikema is a guy who knows a thing or two about meat—he's been working with it for close to 50 years.

La Grange residents know Buikema as their neighborhood butcher at , 806 Arlington Ave. in La Grange. DeVries is the kind of place where you can still get your meat cut and wrapped in white butcher's paper. There are not a lot of places like DeVries anymore—and they don't make 'em like Ed either.

Buikema, who celebrated his 65th birthday on Tuesday, is hanging up his apron at the end of the week and moving on to retirement after 45 years with the DeVries family.

"You know, some days I feel like I could do this for another 20 years and others... I'm ready to go," Buikema said with a chuckle that made his eyes pinch. "More time at our place in Michigan and more time with the grandkids."

Buikema got his start in the meat business working at a grocery store bagging chickens and eventually working his way up to the counter. When Dick DeVries Sr. came along in 1967 and out of the blue asked if he'd like a job working behind the counter of his store in Beverly, he jumped at the chance.

Working with meat was a little different back then, Buikema recalled as we talked.

"It used to be all hanging beef (full sides) and we'd have to carry it in off the truck and then break it down," Buikema said. "The meat is a lot leaner now too. You used to have to just keep cutting away the fat."

Now days, the meat comes in smaller pieces, Buikema said. But one thing hasn't changed, and that's that people still want it.

"People like meat and they like good meat," Buikema said. "Which is what we have here."

When DeVries Sr. moved the store to La Grange in 1974, Buikema made the trip as well and settled in Westchester. For the last 37 years, Buikema's worked behind the counter selling choice cuts of beef, pork and chicken to La Grange residents.

You get to know people around town when you work in one place for that long, Buikema said, and people begin to trust you. All in all he's served some La Grange families for three generations now.

"People are going to be really sad to see him go," said DeVries owner Wayne DeVries. "There are people who he's the only one they want to cut their meat—they come in and ask for him."

For Buikema, it's the service part of the job that keeps people coming back to his counter for both their nightly meals and their special cuts at holidays like Christmas and Easter.

"You want someone you can talk to," he said of the trade. "People want to be waited on and listened to."

They also want to be able to ask questions.

"Oh yeah, whether they're 25 or 65 they always have questions for me," Buikema said heartily and added that he's happy to answer them.

In my conversation with Buikema behind the counter, I liked the way he kept referring to them as his customers. They are. Over the years, he's learned what they like and how they like it prepared. It's the part of small businesses that people always point out as being their favorite: being more than just a customer, they're family here.

At DeVries that's how it's always been, Wayne said as we stood together outside the shop. It's a place I remember going as a kid with my mom. They used to have a penny gumball machine in the corner that I'd always go straight for. And, of course, on my way out the door I'd get the standard Rold Gold pretzel rod from the checkout lady.

Things haven't changed much. As Wayne and I stood outside and talked, it was amazing how much he knew about his customers. He remembered and asked one about a recent vacation, before reminding a little one to grab a pretzel on the way out.

"We're always out front and talking to people because that's why people come here," Wayne said. "We want them to know who we are."

That's the same wisdom that Buikema said he's leaving behind as he walks out the door. The customers will be in good hands, he said, as he's trained his replacement well.

"People already like Greg and Michael, and they've been here for awhile," he said about the other guys behind the counter. "They'll be like me one day."

The day shift on Saturday will be his last. If you drop by, you can help the staff celebrate by eating some cake and wishing Buikema a fond farewell. Customers have even said they'll be coming in so they can get Ed can cut their meat one last time.

But fear not, he'll still be around he said and he's always welcome back.

"If he comes to me and says, 'I'm bored,' he can always help us out, especially at Christmas time," Wayne said.