Co-publisher’s note: I thought of starting a series on “Favorite Country/Convenience Stores” well over a year ago and I think I picked the perfect person/store to start out with–Randy Whitney and the Roxbury Country Store–who represents why we love these treasures so much. They really are the glue that holds their community together. Please email or send in your favorite store and why to: sales@vt-world.com so that we may continue this series for many weeks ahead. -GH
The Roxbury Country Store is the epitome of what a good local convenience store should be thanks greatly to the dedication of its owner Randy Whitney who pretty much works on a 7-day a week schedule of 8 am to 6 pm (or 7 pm if he gets engaged in conversation with a customer) with some assistance from a family member or friend like Flo Parzych.
“For sure I’m closed Christmas Day but have sometimes left packages for customers who needed some supplies for their Christmas meals,” says a very modest Whitney who opened the store in 1997 with the help of his sisters, Annette Sargent, Lynn Keene and Tammy Legacy who is now the Roxbury Town Clerk.
Located in the picturesque village The Roxbury Country Store with its moosehead and other wild game trophies on the inside walls (all reportedly from the area) is definitely the stuff that holds this community together.
“Roxbury is a very diverse community. I’ve been here long enough to see people consider themselves hippies and are now reputable people of this community,” notes Randy.
Whitney has always lived in Randolph, Tunbridge and Roxbury area except for 12 years in the Army Aviation (flew helicopters in the Gulf war, Central America, Korea and throughout the US) and 4 years at Eastern New Mexico University where he ran cross country and was nationally ranked in Orienteering.
“I miss being able to see family members only on vacations and now I have my mother, brothers and sisters and their families all in this area. Family is the most important thing to me,” explains Whitney.
Randy does have one other passion and that is golf! He is presently on the lead committee of the Montague Golf Course in Randolph and admit he likes to “sneak off” to play when he has help with the store.
Longtime Roxbury residents, Tom and Andree Frazier say “Randy is very informed about all the going ons in town. He usually has whatever you need and always has the best gas and diesel prices. Even after 12-hour days he is still good natured. Roxbury is lucky to have him.”
