Meijer founder passes away at 91

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Frederik Meijer, the founder of the supercenter retail chain of the same name, died Nov. 25. He was 91.

A Michigan native, Meijer first entered the grocery business as a bagger in his father's store. By 1962, Meijer opened its first “Thrifty Acres” supercenter in Grand Rapids, a food and general merchandise store that touted one-stop shopping for customers. The chain now operates 197 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. The company also celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009.

Meijer is survived by his survived by his wife Lena, three sons, Hank (Liesel) Meijer, Doug (Starr) Meijer and Mark (Mary Beth) Meijer, and seven grandchildren.