The Story of Liem's Sporting Goods............by David H. Liem, MD

 Many in the CHS Class of '66 and others living in Aberdeen

Harry Liem's Sporting Goods: Aberdeen SD

  during the 1950's-'60's are familiar with the Harry Liem's Sporting Goods store, which was located on Third Ave between Main and 1st Street Southeast. Some thought that my father was Harry Liem. In fact, Harry Liem was my grandfather and his son Richard was my father. The story of my grandfather Harry Liem and his family business is representative of the entrepreneurial and civic spirit found in people from South Dakota.

Harry M. Liem was born in Valley Springs, South Dakota circa 1897. He graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and started coaching high school football and basketball in Worthington, Minnesota in 1923.

He became the Athletic Director and Head Track Coach at Huron College in 1924, a position he held until April 30, 1926 when he announced his resignation.

On July 9, 1926 it was reported in the Aberdeen Evening News that Harry Liem would open the Harry Liem's Sporting Goods store in Huron, SD. The store would feature Spaulding Brothers, Thomas E. Wilson, and other sporting line products.

Uncle Don far left, Harry far right: Huron SD

In 1935, Harry was named by Governor Tom Berry a charter member of the State Amateur Baseball Commission, which he served for 25 years. He also served as Secretary of the Central South Dakota Baseball League as well as Mayor of Huron in the 1940's. Harry Liem passed suddenly on March 15, 1957 at age 60. He was posthumously inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961.
 

Richard (Dad) far left: Huron 1948

My father Richard Liem returned to South Dakota following military service in the U.S. Army during WWII. He married my mother Virginia Worrall in 1947, his high school sweetheart, and joined my grandfather's sporting goods business in Huron.

I was born in 1948 in Huron. My parents moved to Aberdeen in 1949 when my father opened the Harry Liem's Sporting Goods Store at 24 Third Ave SE, naming the store after his father. Our family in Aberdeen expanded to include my brothers Steven and Rich; sisters Janice, Rebecca, and Nancy.

Dad deer hunting, sister Janice, Me: Aberdeen

I have many fond memories of my dad's store. I loved sports and I was spoiled by dad's generosity. I had hurdles, a high jump pit, a stopwatch, and access to lots of sport's equipment when I was in grade school. I had a deer's head with antlers over my bed that dad shot. I was so young, I thought then that my dad must have really hated that deer to shoot him. He had an old fashioned coke machine in the store that dispensed a coke for 10 cents. If I didn't have change, I would just open it up and take out a dime. I was probably responsible for that coke machine's negative cash flow.

Dad made most of his money by selling uniforms and equipment to high schools throughout the region. I went on one of his trips to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation and Eagle Butte near the Missouri River. The conditions I saw on the Reservation that existed at that time left me with stirring and sad emotions.
 

Dad was deeply involved in several local organizations, including chairman of the Annual Aberdeen Pheasant Baseball season ticket drive, Chairman of the South Dakota Sporting Goods Dealers Assn., Aberdeen Junior Chamber of Commerce, Aberdeen Jaycees, President of Aberdeen Softball Association, to mention a few. Dad had two long time employees, Barry Pence (an ex-school teacher) and Harry Marske (6'8" Hall of Fame

center for Northern's basketball team). They were like uncles to me. Harry would send me on errands when I was in high school and would always say "Take your time going, but hurry back". I heard many other folksy sayings in the store such as "That fool doesn't have enough sense to pounce on a rat hole" or "He doesn't have enough sense to grab his ass with both hands". For several years, Paul Rahders, KSDN radio announcer for the Pheasants, Wolves, and Eagles, did live radio broadcasts from the store. It was called "Coach's Corner and featured coaches from all of the local teams. 
 

1956 Don Larsen WS Perfect No-Hit Game

Meadowlark Lemon

In the summer when the Aberdeen Pheasants were playing, some of the ball players would partake in cards in the store's basement, where it was cool and dank. Dad told me that among the players were Don Larsen, who threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series for the Yankees, and Earl Weaver, future manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

My best memory was of the Harlem Globetrotters who came into the store one day. Meadowlark Lemon showed dad the basketball with an attached spring, so it would recoil back into the hands of a free throw shooter. Anyway the spring was broken, dad fixed it, and the show's stunt did go on.
 

Dad sold the store in 1966 to Harry and Barry. Our family moved to Fullerton, CA. My mother Virginia passed in 2003 and my father Richard passed in 2004, and they are intered at Loma Vista Memorial Park, Fullerton, CA.
 

I returned to Aberdeen for our 20th CHS reunion and the store was relocated to 3rd and Main. Sure enough, Harry and Barry were there and they recognized me immediately. They had a picture of my extended family taken just a year earlier taped to the wall. I was touched.
 

Richard and Virginia Liem Family

This is my Grandfather's and Father's Story of Liem's Sporting Goods.


David H. Liem, MD