Conrad & Theresa Grishaber purchased the land in 1920. They built a gas station in 1921 and ran it with the help of their children. Harold and his brother, Bob, took over running the gas station until Bob passed of an illness in 1939. Harold served in World War II, then took the reins from his parents when he was out of the armed services around 1945-46. At that time, the Ford Model T remained on the market for another 6 years.  Grishaber Service sold gas for 3 years before Appleton passed its first ordinances regarding automobile use. Harold’s other brother, Paul, joined the team and they ran the gas station together until Paul retired in 1973.  

 

Harold and Paul added auto repair services in 1946. They went through the gas wars and gas was rationed, so the hours were changed to close on weekends and evenings. Some of the gasoline brands sold were Cities Service, Atlantic Richfield, Citgo, Sinclair, Texaco, Arco, Mobil and 76.

 

Robert “Shep” DeShaney started working at Grishaber Service in 1955 at the age of 16. Shep married Harold’s daughter, Sheri, in 1961.  Shep purchased Paul's half of the business after Paul retired in 1973 and eventually Shep and Sheri became sole owners of the business. He has always valued his customers and enjoys spending time joking with the many wonderful people he’s met and served over the years.  

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Mike McCoy joined the Grishaber team in 1985 and brought a great deal of experience to the team. In 1990-91 the gas tanks and gas pumps were removed and Grishaber Service focused exclusively on providing auto services to its customers. Shep and Sheri’s son, Guy DeShaney, joined the team in 2009. Guy worked at the station in his younger years prior to a career in IT, and he used his skills to begin automating the shop's processes.  Guy and his wife, Lindi, are the current owners of Grishaber Service as of 2017, making this the fourth generation to continue serving the folks in the Appleton area.  Austin Weigman started at Grishaber Service in 2018 and completed a formal training program at Fox Valley Technical College while working.  Mike was instrumental in helping Austin learn all there is to know about vehicles and Austin has proven to be an excellent lead technician.  Andrew Godbey joined the team as a Service Writer in 2021 providing excellent customer service via his caring and honest personality.  Rylan Marinoff was brought on board in October 2022 and has used his personal experience working on cars to quickly become a key member of the team. 

 

Shep and Sheri retired from the business in 2019.  Sheri handled the bookkeeping for 46 years up until the time Guy automated all processes in 2017.  Shep couldn't stay away and found his way back to the station in a part-time mode in fall of 2019!

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We were dealt an unexpected blow with Mike's passing on April 28, 2022.  He will be greatly missed by the Grishaber "family" and the many customers/friends who knew him.   

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The Grishaber Service team has and always will be dedicated to providing excellent, honest service to its customers.  We thank you for your loyalty!