BUFFALO CENTER, Iowa — At first glance, the somewhat unassuming storefront of Weaver’s Leather Store looks like another family-owned business in a small central Iowa community. But this store has been around for nearly 100 years — and one family member has worked here for about 80 of those years.

Leroy Weaver took over the store in his late teens after his father passed away. He’s worked there ever since — except for a couple years away after being drafted to serve in the Korean War.

Now, Weaver is 95 years old. While technically retired, he still pops in to help sew or with other business needs. His infectious smile greets all as he stares over his sewing machine in his typical chair near the store entrance.

Weaver has seen plenty of change in the shoe business over the years. Once, several shoe stores were found in Buffalo Center. Now, someone looking for a custom shoe store would need to travel dozens of miles to find one.

Weaver says people are the highlight of what Weaver’s Leather Store does. A devoted customer base — which spreads about an 80-mile radius around the store — keeps business strong. It’s not uncommon for the store to also have shoes shipped in to be worked on from all over the country.

Several years ago, Leroy formally passed the business along to his son Tim. Now, Tim’s family takes the lead at the store, including two of his sons. Tim hopes to pass the reigns down to them someday, which would be the fourth generation of Weavers running the store.

Tim says working with family can have its challenges — just as anyone would expect. But he emphasizes the importance of calmly working out issues and having an attitude that every issue and be solved and worked out. Tim feels the last hundred years of business prove that sitting down and talking things out leads to good results.

As for Leroy’s secret to longevity? “Drink the right kind of beer,” he says, “moderately.”

Weaver’s Leather Store is open from 8 AM to 5 PM on weekdays and from 8 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays. You can find more information on the Facebook page. The Weaver family will officially celebrate the store’s 100th anniversary on May 3rd.