[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 17 (Tuesday, January 30, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S285-S286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     RECOGNIZING PENN DRUG COMPANY

 Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize 
an outstanding Iowa small business that exemplifies the American 
entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize Penn 
Drug of Sidney, IA, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.
  Penn Drug Company was founded by John Newton Penn in 1863 after he 
moved to Southwest Iowa from Pennsylvania to open a medical practice. 
He

[[Page S286]]

purchased the medicine he needed from a local doctor and, in 1864, 
built the drugstore at 714 Illinois Street in downtown Sidney, the same 
building Penn Drug continues to operate in today.
  After years of serving the community, John Newton Penn sold Penn Drug 
to his son Alphonso Valdeze Penn in 1876. In addition to being one of 
the first registered pharmacists in the State of Iowa, Alphonso Valdeze 
Penn served in the Iowa General Assembly from 1909 until 1911. Alphonso 
Valdeze Penn's son Alphonso ``Val'' Valdeze Penn, Jr., began working at 
Penn Drug in 1910. Val Penn took over the family business with his wife 
Christena Penn in 1925. In 1970, William ``Bill'' A. Penn, Val Penn's 
son, became the owner of Penn Drug after working at the store since 
1949. Bill Penn ran the store with his son Jeffrey Penn, the fifth 
generation of the Penn family in the 1990s.
  In addition to being a community pharmacy, Penn Drug also offers 
delicious drinks from a soda fountain. Initially installed in the store 
in 1898, the soda fountain was expanded in 1946 to serve customers 
lunch in addition to ice cream and sundaes while they wait for their 
prescriptions.
  Today, Penn Drug is owned by Angie and Leo Ettleman and Mark Vogt, 
who purchased the store in 2015. Angie Ettleman is no stranger to Penn 
Drug. She started working at the drugstore in 1990 at the store's soda 
fountain. Penn Drug has the distinction of being the oldest pharmacy in 
Iowa, which is largely due to the dedication of each new owner to 
maintain a piece of Iowa history and honor the Penn family legacy.
  Penn Drug is active in the Sidney community. Over the years, the team 
has hosted events, including Christmas open houses and customer 
appreciation days. Penn Drug also provides delivery options for 
prescriptions from the pharmacy throughout Southwest Iowa. In 2024, 
Penn Drug celebrated its 161st business anniversary.
  Penn Drug's commitment to providing rural healthcare services while 
preserving a historic Iowa business is clear. I want to congratulate 
Angie and Leo Ettleman, Mark Vogt, the Penn family, and the entire team 
at Penn Drug for their continued dedication to the Sidney community. I 
look forward to seeing their continued growth and success in 
Iowa.

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