PEARL OF PEARL STREET, SWEET RECOGNITION, THE

The secret to making a "chocolate soda" is keeping the ice cream floating.

That way, you have something to put the whipped cream on, which is crucial, because then you have something to put the cherry on.

"It's the champagne of ice cream," Oscar Peterslie is saying.

Oscar is an assistant manager at The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor. He has so much to teach. After all these years, finally, people are paying attention.

Lately, Oscar, 81, of La Crosse has been getting more coverage than Ben and J.Lo. He was featured in La Crosse Magazine's summer issue. He was mentioned in a recent Rochester (Minn.) PostBulletin travel article. He was the lead story in this month's newsletter of the National Ice Cream Retailers Association.

Oscar is not the kind of guy who stands on his tip-toes, waving his arms and yelling, "Look at me." He's a little embarrassed by attention. Nevertheless, the kudos keep coming.

Oscar Peterslie has been named Wisconsin's Outstanding Older Worker for 2003. Experience Works, the national nonprofit organization formally known as Green Thumb, began giving the award six years ago. Oscar is the first La Crosse winner.

Dan Krehbiel, the local coordinator for Experience Works, said more than 50 seniors from Wisconsin were nominated, including nine from the Coulee Region.

On top of that, Richard Bernd, a 78-year-old employee of La Crosse Graphics, was one of the four finalists.

That's the good news.

In past years, the winner from each state was flown to Washington, D.C., for a ceremony. This year, there were budget cuts, and the trip got axed.

Oscar's ceremony will be at where local dignitaries will do dignitary stuff.

Oscar has had a pretty amazing life. He was in the Marine Corps and served in southeast Asia during World War II. After that, he was the manager of the A&P grocery store in La Crosse for 21 years. When the company closed its Midwest stores, he sold real estate for 17 years. He retired in 199:3, not because he wanted to, but because he could live on his Social Security, and someone else probably needed that job more than he did.

But Oscar is not the kind of guy who sits around, watching game shows and dreaming of a simpler time.

In 1993, his son, Terry Peterslie, had renovated the building at 207 Pearl St. and turned it into a 1930s-style ice cream parlor. Frankly, it didn't do too well that first year. Terry was thinking maybe this hadn't been his best idea.

One day, Oscar asked his son why The Pearl was closed.

"Well," Terry told him. "it's February, and it's Wisconsin."

Oscar had an answer: "You can't make money if you aren't open."

So, Oscar asked him how to make a malt, and then asked for a key to the shop, and said he had nothing better to do, and the rest, well, Paul Harvey should probably be telling it.

The Pearl became Oscar's passion. He opened the store by himself during the week. He worked crazy hours. He came up with new ideas.

When the Sweet-Shop on the North Side couldn't make enough ice cream for both itself and The Pearl, Terry started buying it from a wholesaler. To Oscar, that just wasn't right. They had a sign out front that said, "Homemade Ice Cream." They were either going to take it down or start making their own.

So they learned how. Oscar took a week-long course at the University of Wisconsin. They went to conventions.

Eventually, Oscar said, "How hard can it be to make candy?" Then it was chocolate. Then it was caramel corn. He invented new flavors. These days, if it's sweet, they make it at The Pearl.

"It's incredible the amount of energy he has," Terry says.

"He turned things around pretty much by himself."

To qualify for the Outstanding Older Worker award, you have to work at least 20 hours a week. Most weeks, Oscar works closer to 50. He's turned The Pearl into a success. A tourist attraction. An institution.

"When I read the criteria, how could I not nominate him," Terry says.

Oscar? Well, he doesn't have too much to say. He smiles a lot. He just does what he's always done: enjoy life and work hard, Sure, he could be on a Florida beach, but, "Why would I want to do that?" he says.

Right now, he wants us to try a chocolate soda.

"It looks good."

He shakes his head. The perfectionist is never satisfied.

"You haven't even tasted it yet."

Copyright La Crosse Tribune Sep 17, 2003
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