Joe & Betty Ernst

By Kit Zinser

Who doesn’t covet a heavy glass mug frosted on the outside with an inch of creamy foam and that rich root beer flavor?

We can thank the vision and genuine work ethic of Joe and Betty Ernst for that experience!

Betty Staker was a lithesome, peppy young lady from Pekin.  Joe was a handsome basketball player from WACOHI who went to work for Caterpillar Tractor Company after a stint in the service.  He happened to carpool with a good friend who wanted to introduce him to a girl named Betty.  So, meeting at the Coke machine one afternoon, this setup turned into an adventure neither expected. They were married in 1958. Before the service, Joe worked nights at the old A and W (located near Unkle Woody’s).  Brick Herbst owned that drive-in. (Washington is known for its nicknames, and Brick is no exception).  One day, when Joe checked in to see what his hours might be, Brick uttered, “Dagnabbit, if I could find somebody to buy ….”  Joe said he would buy the place; Brick ended up leasing it to him for six years. One day, a hog-hauling semi-truck tipped over in front of the A and W.  The local constables rounded up the hogs and held them in a pen on Muller’s farm.  For years, Joe was kidded about how he got meat for his hot dogs. It was very fresh!   1965, the lease was up, and the space had become too small.  A deal for a bigger store didn’t materialize as Joe expected.

At the time, Joe and Betty were living on Hampton Street, and the salesman who provided them with root beer syrup through J. Hungerford Smith Supplies mentioned a Dairy Queen franchise possibility.  He suggested that Joe write to Dairy Queen Corporate in Springfield, so in November, Joe wrote the letter.  One day in March, Joe was driving up the street and spotted a car in his driveway.  Thinking it was an insurance salesman, Joe probably was getting his response ready.  To his surprise, the vehicle belonged to a man from Dairy Queen Corporate headquarters.  And he apologized for not getting in touch with Joe sooner...a glitch in the communication chain in Springfield.  Joe listened, and after talking it over with Betty, they invested in DQ for a $100.00 franchise fee.  An interesting aside: The Cariuses owned the Dairy Queen in Morton and were looking to expand. Their son-in-law also wrote to Dairy Queen in Springfield but was an hour behind Joe and Betty!

There was a Phillips 66 gas station on the East end of town and a small one where Subway sits today.  It was owned by the widow of Bing Snell.  Looking for a spot to put their first Dairy Queen, Joe asked if she would sell it, and she did.  They took the tanks out and built in 1966.

This became the family livelihood….well, Joe was still and would continue working full time at Cat. Two sons had arrived, Mark in 1959 and Matt in 1964.   The location was perfect….close to the high school, which made many students very happy.  

In 1980, the Ernsts decided to expand their operation and built in Metamora after convincing the local bank to sell land to them.   Mark and Kim managed the Metamora DQ.  Joe and Betty operated the Washington DQ.  Son Matt worked in Peoria and, his father’s son, came to assist when he finished 8 hours elsewhere.  

In 1984, there was a recession, and Joe, as general foreman at Cat, was told he could retire early.  Two weeks after he retired, Cat called him and asked if he would be willing to give tours to visiting dignitaries for a couple of days a week.  Joe acquiesced but soon found himself working five days a week back at Cat. Joe also served as president of the Peoria Area Dairy Queen Association.   This attests to his personality, wit, and work ethic. 

In 1990, Joe and Betty moved the Washington store farther West (its location today), continuing the tradition of service with a smile.  Joe and Betty were great bosses but were sticklers for good service and cleanliness with stores and employees.  One employee arrived in torn pants a couple of days in a row.  Betty mentioned it on the first day, and then on the second day, she took the girl to Walmart and suited her up.  Word got around quickly that you should arrive at work dressed appropriately, or Betty would haul you off to Walmart.  

Sometimes, as teens do, social activities override the need to work, and one young lady called in sick on a Friday evening coinciding with a very important Metamora football game.  Kim called the house to inquire about the girl’s health.  The mother was unaware that she was not at her job.  However, it took about two minutes to figure out where the young lady was as Mom pulled her out of the stands, made her don her uniform, and go to work.  (I think we need more moms like Deanna and Kim.)   

At the end of each season, Joe and Betty would host a dinner for the crew.  The owners asked the crew to share their stories or confessions, as the case may be.  One young man was mortified when he saw his bosses show up as he was eating a Buster Bar on the job.  With the trash can out of the question, since Betty emptied the can, he stuck it down his pants...which were white.  

Another employee talked about a bet made that a person couldn’t squeeze through the small-paned sliding glass serving window.  The pane broke, and an anonymous “drive-through customer” was blamed.

In June 1990, Joe and Betty decided to retire formally. There was the family to consider. Mark and Matt are married to wonderful women, and both have successful children. They embrace careers in nursing, education, and public service. This further attests to how Joe and Betty raised their family….hard work, enterprise, and vision. Another treasure for Washington.