Submitted Photo Three generations of Harpers pose outside of Rugby Service Center. From left are Sheila Harper, Gil Harper, Darrin Harper, Justin Harper and his wife, Leah Harper.

Although ownership of Harper Oil and Rugby Service Center, fixtures in Rugby for more than 80 years changed hands Jan. 1, the three taking it over promise to offer the same quality service that has kept it going strong.

The new owners already know what level of service their customers expect – they’ve grown up in the business.

Darrin Harper, who with his son, Justin, and daughter-in-law, Leah, purchased the service center and Sinclair Oil distributor from his father, Gil.

Darrin, Justin and Leah, all born in the Rugby area, know Harper Oil’s reputation as one of the last full-service gas stations in the state. Harper Oil customers pull up next to the station’s Sinclair pumps, where one of the station’s staffers greets them, fills their tank and provides services such as oil checks on request.

Darrin Harper said he has early childhood memories of riding in Harper Oil’s bulk oil truck to make deliveries with his dad. When he became a teenager, he began working in the shop.

“I’ve been here for 36 years,” Darrin, a 1985 Rugby High grad said. “I got cut in basketball, then I came to work,” he joked.

Darrin, who provides services such as oil changes and tire service, said he enjoys “the customers mostly, getting to know them.” Darrin said he hoped to continue the relationships Harper Oil has formed with their customers over the years.

“Darrin is our tire man. He does that part,” Darrin’s mom, Sheila Gronvold-Harper said.

Sheila said she grew up in Barton. “When we were in high school, I met this guy,” Sheila said, smiling. “But my dad was from Barton and he bought from Barton Oil Company,” she added with a laugh.

Gil Harper nodded. “There were seven or eight of us in town back then,” he said of the number of oil distributors in the area.

“Yes, it’s so unbelievable how many were here,” Sheila added. “Now, there’s just us, Envision, Arco and Schaan Oil. Envision and we do deliveries. It’s down to just two deliveries. We deliver to town and the farms. We deliver diesel and gasoline to the farms, too.”

“Rugby has been very good to us, not just Rugby, but the surrounding area – Towner, Barton, Balta, Wolford – the whole surrounding area has been so good to us,” Sheila said.

“And that’s how we’ve been able to stay in business.”

Sheila called Harper Oil’s full service “our secret.”

“W’re not on the highway, so we need to have a draw here. Full service works. It’s an idea from back in the ’50s and ’60s, but this has always worked for us.”

The full service model has not only helped build Harper Oil and Rugby Service Center’s reputation locally, it’s caught the notice of visitors to town from out of town and out of state. Online reviews from customers from as far away as Texas praise the Harper family’s business for helping them with car trouble.

Gil Harper said his father, Ambert Harper, started the business when he arrived in Rugby from Fairview, Mont. in 1939. “They called him ‘Bert,'” Gil said of his dad. What would become Harper Oil was a small gas station owned by Mobil Oil.

“Dad never did buy it,” Gil said of his dad. “Dad died young.”

Gil’s older brother, Bud already worked at the station when Gil started pumping gas and washing cars. In 1963, the same year Gil finished school at Rugby High, Bert Harper died.

Both brothers continued working at the station.

“Gil was determined to keep this going,” Sheila Harper said. “It was a lot because his dad had worked so hard from the time he came here in ’39.”

Gil said he kept a steady schedule at the station, working from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. He recalled closing on Sundays in 1973 due to oil shortages.

Gil and Bud eventually made a consignment arrangement to run the station, then bought Rugby Service Station, which they renamed Rugby Service Center, in the 1970s.

In the late 1970s, Mobil Oil told the Harpers they were pulling out of the area. Gil, who by that time owned the business himself, bought the oil distribution side of the business.

“It was devastating when that happened,” Sheila said. “We had gone into the business and Bud had left, and here we were, and Mobil left. They gave us a year to find another oil company, and we found Sinclair. We’ve been with Sinclair ever since.”

Both businesses kept going, helped along by Darrin Harper, Mark Yoder and Eugene Volk. Yoder and Volk have worked for Harper Oil and Rugby Service Center for 44 years.

Volk has become a familiar face to farmers who take delivery of oil and fuel from Harper Oil.

Yoder said he has enjoyed providing full service for Harper Oil. “We change oil and do minor service work. We don’t replace transmissions, but we flush transmissions. We used to clean up for McGuires and wash cars. We do auto detailing, too,” Yoder said.

Yoder recently retired from his post at Rugby Service Center to rest and spend more time at home.

The Harpers said they would miss Yoder. “Mark is family,” Sheila said.

“I’ve been here since I was a sophomore or junior in high school, in 1977. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. In the early days, I could figure out anything in the vehicles and make anything happen. I’ve enjoyed making customers happy. The customers have trusted me and I’ve enjoyed making them happy with their vehicles,” Yoder said.

“They almost had a baby on our living room floor,” Gil laughed, recalling a time when Yoder and his wife, who was in labor, came to their home before going to the hospital.

Yoder said he planned to take it easy after 44 years with Harper Oil, “but I’ll still be in Rugby. Rugby’s my home.”

Kevin Michalenko, another Harper employee, has been with the business for seven years.

“I do oil changes, pump gas, check and change tires. They treat me like family,” Michalenko said.

“That’s what everyone likes about (Harper Oil). People don’t have to pump their gas. We offer full service. We clean the windows and if they ask for it, we check the oil.”

Justin Harper, one of a fourth generation of Harpers, said he also grew up in the business and looked forward to taking the helm along with his father and wife.

“I graduated from Rugby High. I worked through high school at the station. In 2010, I left to drive truck,” Justin said.

“For the last eight years, he’s worked on my family farm,” Leah Harper said. “That’s the Wentz farm south of Rugby. He always knew he wanted to get back to the station and work out there.”

Leah said she would stay busy with Harper Oil, Rugby Service Center and La Bella Vita Salon, another business she owns. In addition to managing her salon, she’ll do bookkeeping for Harper Oil and Rugby Service Center.

“The main thing is we want to continue offering the full service,” Leah said. “Rugby residents have known Harper Oil for their commitment to customers for decades.”

“It’s the Harper legacy we want to continue and we’re looking forward to that,” Leah added.

Justin nodded. “We want to continue that,” he said.