A storied old alley, still rolling along
Staff writer
Everyone from families to business owners to city council members drove down to SherBowl Lanes last Wednesday for the fifth week of their autumn bowling league.
As pop-rock played over the radio, bowlers sat at SherBowl’s brightly colored red and blue tables, chatting and waiting their turn while sipping on Busch Lites and Michelobs. One woman ripped her vape sneakily.
On each bowler’s turn, he or she would let fly down the lane. If they were lucky, they’d collect some hi-fives from grateful teammates on the way back to their table.
Shyla Harris was out bowling for Robinson Trucking. (All eight teams in the league are named for their sponsors.) A Marion native, she spoke fondly of her SherBowl experiences.
“I love the bowling. They used to do a youth league when I was, like, 12,” she said. “I’ve bowled on my dad’s team since I was like, 19, 20.”
SherBowl certainly has a retro feel to it.
From its yellowed walls to a locker crammed with bowling shoes to a bulletin board with pictures of deceased local bowlers, it feels a bit like stepping into an alley from “Kingpin” or “The Big Lebowski.”
Eight square, boxy monitors hang from the ceiling above the eight lanes. One is broken; the other seven display game scores in a font reminiscent of computer hackers.
A second set of monitors are used on the ground level to display and occasionally correct scores.
Danny Sherbert co-owns SherBowl with his sister, Donna Bryant.
“My parents bought it somewhere around ’03,” he said. “This place has had leagues ever since the early ’60s.”
According to Sherbert, the alley was open four or five nights a week for most of its history. These days, however, it’s only open Wednesday and Monday nights for league play.
There occasionally are open play hours on Friday and Saturday, but only if people call in advance.
“We’d be open if somebody showed up,” Sherbert explained.
He says his alley has a lack of young customers, which he attributes to the rise of technology, and, interestingly, an increase in travel sports leagues.
“Kids have got too many sports going on all year,” Sherbert said. “Back when I was a kid, we only had football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. And baseball was in the summer. That was all we had. We didn’t have travel leagues.”
On Wednesdays and Mondays, however, the alley springs into life.
Buckets of beer are constantly brought around by staff at Willy J’s, a beautiful old restaurant connected to the space, open on league nights as well as Friday and Saturday evenings.
Lu Turk, in her first year in the league, spoke about how important bowling has been for her since losing her husband in 2022.
“Even though I’m not very good, it’s great to get out and socialize,” she said. “These guys accept me for who I am.”
Turk plays for the Marion National Bank team, who are currently in first place in the Wednesday league. She’s been holding her own against stiff competition.
“I’ve got one strike, and quite a few spares,” she said.
Although the league never seems to get too competitive, there is a $10 entry fee, as well as cash prizes and certificates given out at the end of the season for the best team and best bowlers.
The Vondy’s Liquor team is in the hunt for first.
“We’re in fourth now.” Kevin Burkholder, a city council member who bowls on the team, lamented. “Dropped down a bit.”
There is also the Carlson’s Grocery team, currently in fifth.
“We’ve been worse,” bowler Mindi Hess said.
Hess joined the league because of friends, and said she enjoys it for its communal aspect.
“I sometimes meet people I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for bowling,” she said.
The Carlson’s team also features 88-year-old bowler Wilma Nice, who has attended the alley since 1998.
“You don’t want to know,” Nice said when asked how long she has bowled. “Too many years.”
SherBowl is always looking for more people to come out and bowl. While the Wednesday league is full, teams can still join the Monday league.
The lanes can also be booked Friday and Saturday evenings.
Sherbert’s name was misspelled in some editions of this week’s paper.