Submitted Gabe Scheet (left) and Kyle Anderson share a flooring connection.

While volunteering for the Rugby Wine Walk on Sept. 25, 87-year-old Gabe Scheet and 25-year-old Kyle Anderson, both of Rugby, met for the first time that evening. While not apparent in the picture, the men are connected in more ways than one.

Scheet, who served stateside during World War II as a Morse code operator, worked for Anderson’s great-great uncle, Willard, who also owned a furniture store. Anderson is an employee of St. Michel Furniture and Floor Covering.

“Willard said ‘I’m gonna make a carpet installer out of you,’ and [Gabe] said, ‘The hell you are,'” Anderson said. “[Gabe] started doing it and he did it for 58 years. You could tell just by talking to him that he enjoyed every minute of it.”

Over the years, Scheet has also done floor installation for St. Michel Furniture owner, Rob St. Michel.

Scheet was born in 1927, about the same year the former Gronvold building – where St. Michel Furniture has a warehouse – was built. Scheet told Anderson stories about the building, including an instance of a grain truck being worked on in the building crashing into the basement.

“He’s got his memory,” Anderson said.

Scheet also told Anderson stories about his family that he had never heard before, including stories aboutgreat-great uncle Willard. Willard, at one time, ran for governor of the state of North Dakota. He died at the age of 45.

St. Michel Furniture was one of several businesses on Main Avenue in Rugby in which firemen served wine during the Wine Walk. Anderson said more than 70 tumblers of wine were served.