Business continues to adapt to changing times
Staff reporter
It's been a name that's been on a downtown Marion storefront for 140 years.
It's one of those names that has been in Marion County history books since the county was formed.
Case & Son Insurance is the oldest insurance agency in the state of Kansas to operate continuously in the same location and under the same name, doing so since 1868.
Five generations of the Case family have owned and operated the insurance business.
It began on Jan. 25, 1868, when Marion pioneer Alex E. Case received his first appointment as an insurance agent in Marion.
Alex E. was a busy man as representative in the Legislature in 1868. His resume was a long one, serving in numerous capacities during his life which included county surveyor, county attorney, member of the board of School District #1, land agent for Santa Fe Railroad, real estate agent, organizing officer on first committee to form Old Settlers' Day, cashier of Cottonwood Valley State Bank, organizer of Presbyterian Sunday school, hotel owner, and all around entrepreneur.
Alex's son Rosse joined his father on Jan. 25, 1893, thus began the tradition of Case & Son.
Rosse's son, Alex H. became a partner in the family business on March 24, 1920, and was active until his death in 1981.
Alex H.'s sons, Rosse B. and Alex Case Jr., became partners in the firm on Dec. 25, 1955.
Alex H. (Casey) Case joined the firm on Oct. 14, 1988, and currently serves as president of the corporation.
In January 2001, the business became incorporated and the name was changed to Case & Son Insurance, Inc.
Alex Jr. died March 20, 2001.
Rosse B. recently retired but remains active in the firm.
It wasn't an automatic career for Rosse B. After graduating in 1945 from Marion High School, he attended the University of Kansas, transferred to Kansas State College of Emporia where he earned a degree in business. After a stint in the U.S. Navy, Rosse returned home and got married.
"I had to go to work then," he said with a smile.
Rosse and wife Janice have three children — Tamara who currently lives in Overland Park; (Rosse) Bryant, of Denver, Colo.; and Teresa of Amherst, N.H.
It was 1951 and Rosse's father, Alex H., retired.
When Rosse's brother Alex Jr. joined the firm and they became partners in 1955, the work was divided with Alex working in town and Rosse visiting farmers.
The Marion-based insurance agency served Marion, Marion County, and Chase County. Ralph Linnens served as a sub-agent at Cedar Point.
From the 1940s until the 1970s, Bill DuVall was the salesman for farm policies.
Another longtime employee was Evelyn Ollenberger who began in 1931 and retired in 2004, serving the company for more than 70 years.
Lori Freutching now serves the firm as customer services representative.
Changing times
"Insurance was a sideline when Granddad (Rosse) started," Rosse said. "The real estate business had dropped off and insurance became a bigger business."
My how things have changed now.
Casey summed it up. "The insurance business has changed more in the past 20 years than it has in the past 140 years."
When he joined his father and uncle, there weren't any computers. Policies were typewritten in the office. Adjustments also were done in the local office.
"Twenty years ago we'd go out and do claims, invoicing, and collecting premiums," Casey said. Nowadays the insurance provider, with the Cases serving as agents, issues bills and policies, and collects premiums.
Now everything is sent to the appropriate insurance companies for processing.
With the use of the Internet, applications are processed faster and more efficiently.
Licensing now requires continuing education.
Casey said he renews his license every two years and is required to take 12 hours of training for each field of insurance he serves.
What used to be a five-person operation now has become a two to three person team.
Slight change of scenery but not location
Case & Son Insurance always has been at 220 E. Main, Marion.
It began in the upstairs of Duckwall's, which was located at that address until a fire in the 1970s destroyed the building.
Downtown Marion on Saturday nights was the boom time for many retail businesses because families throughout the county would come to make purchases and socialize.
It was no different for the insurance company.
Many farmers trekked up the staircase to the office of Case & Son to update a policy or to visit. Just like the retail stores below them, the Case family always had their door open for business during that time.
When the fire occurred, the insurance firm had a large steel safe where customers' policies and company documents were stored. The safe fell from the second story office to ground level as a result of the fire but nothing inside was damaged, Rosse said.
"We were able to reconstruct customer information and carry on," he said.
While the building was razed and a new one constructed, Case & Son operated out of Dr. Magee's office, formerly Cottage Crafts, just east of The Big Scoop on Main Street.
Hannaford Abstract & Title Company and Case & Son decided to partner on a building and both businesses continue to share the location in separate offices.
Casey and wife Nicki have two sons — Wil, 15, and Grif, 11.
