It's All In The Name

Anyone and everyone in Apple River know Greg and Val Stocks. After more than four decades in the community, they could arguably be the longest tenured residents, business owners, and champions of the community.

Greg moved to Apple River back in 1961 at the age of five with his parents who came to the region for work reasons. In his adult life, he worked on a construction crew building bridges, and later was buying hogs at the local stock yard while bartending on the side.

Meanwhile, Val, began her professional career working in the K-Mart "money room," (where she first met Greg) before taking...