CallRiesen.com
Title
callriesen.com/
Description
Excerpted from the website:
- In 1942, as World War II was raging, Earl Fast, my father's uncle, was a pipefitter at Goodyear and Fridgidaire, installing boilers and industrial work. He found that Celina was in need of experienced boiler and piping services, so he started Fast Plumbing & Heating out of his garage. After the war, my father, Sam Riesen, joined him and they added plumbing work to the business. My father told me of driving their Model A car over a pile of pipe and then lifting and tying it on the bumpers for hauling to a local jobsite. Their shop moved to 121 W. Logan St. in the old hotel building, with a barn in the back that was once a horse stable. They were known around town as “ The Boiler Experts”, and maintained the heating systems in most downtown Celina buildings and many churches. As these buildings still used coal for heat, they spent many nights hand feeding these boilers when the automatic stokers would break down and parts weren’t available locally. Earl’s wife, Elma, was in charge of bookkeeping, parts, and sales. Note: Aunt Elma, with jet black hair and rosy cheeks, was a gentle lady except when it came to the plumbing shop where she knew as much or more than most men, and was the only woman I’ve ever seen cut and thread pipe on a power machine as well as any man. Earl had one of the first backhoes in Celina, an old Ford Jubilee, which dug a lot of water repairsfor the City of Celina. As this machine was very lightweight in comparison to today’s machines, the men used to drive tent stakes through the rear stabilizers into the ground or street to hold it in place. As heating systems went more to forced air in the 50’s, Fast stuck with boiler work and began doing new plumbing for many local general contractors. Along with employees Al Schultz, Carl Heckler, Cy Mangen, and Ed Sealschott, they plumbed almost everything from Main to Meadowview north of Wayne St. Throw in Grand Ave., Echo, Elm, Sunset Drive, The Daily Standard, Plaza Shopping Center, Celina Motel, etc., these guys were fine plumbers. This was the time of cast iron pipes, poured lead joints, galvanized threaded vents, galvanized water lines, tile sewers, it took years to master this trade.
- After Earl Fast passed away, my father, Sam Riesen, continued the proud tradition and re-named the company Riesen Plumbing and Heating. He was a working owner offering service work and plumbing and heating for many businesses and custom homes in Celina. Around 1969 he moved the shop to our present location on North Vine St., as he owned a laundromat next door, where Subway is now. After vacationing for many years up north, he was bitten by the travelling bug and purchased a fishing camp in Northern Minnesota (1978). He lived there until his passing in December of 1991.
