Obituary
In the care of Solemn OaksLyle Grishaber, 82, of Maple Bend, who ran the Dairy Bar on Water Street for forty-four summers, died Friday, August 28, 2026, at home, in the last week of the season.
Lyle was born June 2, 1944, in Maple Bend, to Alvin and Ruth Grishaber, and bought the stand in 1979 from a man who was ready to close it. He opened the first Saturday in May and closed the Sunday after Labor Day, every year, for forty-four years, and in the winters he did small-engine repair out of the garage and waited.
The Dairy Bar was where this town went. Little League after the game, whole teams of them, winners and losers alike, at a price he had not raised since 2004 and would not discuss. Couples on first dates. Families on the last warm night in September. He worked the window himself most evenings, knew the regular orders, and put his thumb on the scale of every single cone in the customer's favor.
He hired teenagers — three or four a summer, forty-four summers, something over a hundred and fifty first jobs. He taught them to count change back, to look a person in the eye, and to wipe the counter without being told. A remarkable number of them came back years later to introduce their own children to him.
He had planned to close for good this fall and had told almost no one. His family will run the last week, as he asked. Services are Wednesday; the stand will be open after.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-seven years, Deloris; his daughters, Pam Grishaber Teerman of Maple Bend and Sheri (Rob) Grishaber Alkema of Grandville; his son, Craig (Nikki) Grishaber of Maple Bend; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and about a hundred and fifty former employees.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Arlene Grishaber Dood.