For 80 percent of his life, Ed Marzen has worked in the hardware store he ran with his brother, George. Every day, seven days a week, Ed spends some of his time at Marzen Feed and Hardware Store in Lehighton, now owned by two of his sons, Mike and John Marzen.

“I figure my two kids stayed with me when they could have gone,” Marzen said. “I don’t mind. I’ve only been here 71 years.”Even on his 90th birthday on May 26, Marzen was in the store. Helen, his wife of 66 years, was there, too, in the greenhouse.“As long as I can walk, I’m going to keep going. I come and go as I please, so that is as good as retiring,” he said. “I enjoy waiting on the customers. I know a lot of people think I’m crazy for coming here that long, but I really don’t mind. I’ve never been a traveler.”The store was originally a feed mill, but had closed around 1943 and was up for auction. Marzen’s father bought it and offered it to his sons to run after they returned from World War II. Ed was just 20 years old, his brother just 23. Neither had run a store before, but they knew how to work hard and the value of family. Marzen and his brother George grew up in Lehighton with their three sisters and eight brothers.Marzen said his father was a “stickler.” He insisted that his children settle their quarrels before they went to bed. And they were always on time for church on Sunday, often the first ones to arrive for the 7 a.m. Mass.Sundays were also his Mother’s Day off, Marzen said. His dad would cook dinner and each of the sons would take turns helping him.The brothers helped each other, too. His oldest brother, John, ran a delivery service and took mail from the trains to the post office and back. When World War II started, John had to leave and serve in the European Theater. Marzen and his brothers chipped in their time to keep his business going.Marzen said he would get up extra early to deliver mail and packages before going to school at 7 a.m. and would receive 17 cents for letters and 25 cents for packages. He saved all of the money for his brother for when he came home.John did come home — wounded, but his brothers continued the delivery service until he could take it over. In all, four of the Marzen brothers served in World War II.Ed Marzen was too young to go, but at age 16 he lied about his age and enlisted. He was sent to Newfoundland, while the others were in France, Germany and Belgium.Ed Marzen and his brother, George, opened the feed store in 1947. He said the hardest part of running the business was a language barrier.“We were in an area that was Pennsylvania Dutch. We couldn’t speak it or understand it,” he said, so his father, who could understand it, helped out.Over the years, the brothers began selling hardware as well.“We always say, ‘If we don’t have it, you don’t need it,’” Marzen said with a smile.After more than 40 years in business, the brothers retired in 1988. George turned 93 years old a few weeks ago.“The main thing is to be nice to the customers and be honest,” he said.