For plumber, retiring is tough

Larry Christianson, a successful plumber in Blooming Prairie for 44 years, has been looking forward to retiring. Just ask him how it’s going.

“It was a relief to shut down the Prairie Plumbing business,” Christianson admitted while sitting in a sun porch that he says is his relaxation mode.

Christianson and wife Sandy announced in early 2023 that they were no longer going to be in the plumbing business when 2024 arrived.

“It’s all gone,” a smiling Christianson said.

Most of his plumbing supplies and tools were sold online. When the online auction weeded out much of his inventory, Christianson said he had no equipment or necessary tools to continue in the business. He owns the building that housed his plumbing business. He hopes to sign a lease with an interested person.

Christianson tries to be firm in saying he won’t help previous customers.

“I’ve had to say ‘no’ many times,” he said, and that has been difficult.

Turn the clock back to 1979, and that’s the year Christianson started in the plumbing trade. He joined forces in 1989 with Gene Myre and worked with him for 10 years.

“I guess Gene had a change in life,” Christianson said.

Toward the end of his career, Christianson worked solely with wife Sandy.

“I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said, adding that she kept the books straight and took care of ordering plumbing equipment.

Jim Prihoda and Joe Morgan joined the Christianson team early in the business.

“It was time,” Christianson said of his retirement. “I feel better physically, and it’s much easier to get into the business than out of it.”

Christianson said he misses the daily interaction with customers.

“Every day was different. I went to work knowing what I wanted to do but at the end of the day, I didn’t necessarily do any of those projects I brought to work with me,” he said. “It was the squeakiest wheel that got the grease.”

He and Sandy have already been enjoying retirement; they claim traveling and camping as their favorite pastimes. Their mode of transportation is that silvery Airstream trailer sitting in their yard.

The Christiansons did some traveling in the Adirondacks this past summer, including upstate Vermont and New York. Larry said Sandy has a sister residing in that part of the country.

The plumbing business has changed during Larry’s time.

“Everything has gotten computerized and has gotten more smart,” he said.

Christianson said the advent of computerized bookkeeping moved the business into high gear.

The drive for more efficiency has been necessary, he said. The cost of everything has gone up.

Christianson attended Albert Lea Vocational Technical School for two years to learn more about the plumbing trades. Codes and laws have changed over the years.

Many trades develop into family businesses, but the Christiansons said their two sons, Craig and Aaron, had no desire to enter that line of business.

Both Larry and Sandy enjoyed their customers in a small town. A small town has its advantages, “everybody knows everybody,” and disadvantages, “everybody knows everybody.”

Sandy and Larry reside in a house built in 1913. Larry said Matt Braaten discovered a photo of the house taken in 1915. The image was printed on a post card written in Norwegian. Sandy has laced the entire home with green plants.

The Christiansons have both been involved in their church at First Lutheran in Blooming Prairie. Larry also logged 24 years on the Blooming Prairie Fire Department.