What Does W. R. L. Stand For?
W. R. L. Market was originally a grocery store in my hometown of Wichita, Kansas
that opened in 1935 and closed in 1976. The owners were three men who had
worked in the grocery business for years named Ward, Russell, & Laughlin.
I became familiar with these grocers from being the "Little Shopper" for my mom
and folks in the neighborhood when we moved just 1½ blocks from the store in
1962. Over the years we all became like family and I finally had the opportunity
to go to work for the two remaining owners, Howard Russell and Joe Laughlin
in 1971 as a cashier. I worked there for three years but remained "family" with
Howard and his wife, Betty Russell, forever. Betty is the only survivor of the former
W.R.L. Market in Wichita, Kansas and currently resides at the Kansas Masonic Home.
After they closed the store in 1976 I continued to see old customers and employees
who were always asking about how Howard and Betty were and others who had
worked for them. In 1987, I decided to have a reunion for former employees and
customers at the old store. While setting it up I found the original W.R.L. Market
sign they installed when the store was renovated in 1968. After the reunion no
one wanted the sign so I was thrilled to get to keep it. For 20 years I moved the
sign everywhere I moved, never knowing what I would do with it - it was just a neat
part of my past. Until one day in 2008 when Nancy June Brandon called me and
said they needed a grocery store on the square here in Shelbyville, TN.
Lo and Behold, I immediately knew the name would be W.R.L. Market & Deli
and "the sign" would go up. Although Ward, Russell and Laughlin have all
passed away, W.R.L. lives on through me, Wichita's Relocated Lady
here in Shelbyville, Tennessee Uptown on the Square.
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