Kessler's Food and Grocery recently celebrated its 87th anniversary, marking nearly nine decades of service to northeastern South Dakota communities.

The celebration included a program, a donation presentation and product sampling, according to a community announcement.

The company, which operates stores in Aberdeen and Miller, has maintained strong ties to the communities it serves since its founding in 1939.

During the celebration, Kessler's presented donations to Northern State University to support its athletics and music programs. The company also pledged $1,000 to the Aberdeen YMCA's Playland Project, which aims to create a year-round space for children and families to play and stay active.

Kemps, a partner in the event, donated 2,500 units of milk to Feeding South Dakota to help families facing food insecurity.

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Kessler's was founded by George and Elizabeth Kessler in 1939. In 2025, the company became part of Coborn's Inc., bringing together two family-owned grocers with a shared commitment to serving local communities.

After 86 years as a family-owned business, the Kessler's Food and Grocery in Aberdeen and Kessler's Food and Fuel in Miller became part of Coborn's, Inc. out of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

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Kessler's has long been more than just a grocery store; it has played an integral role in supporting local growers, makers and organizations. The company offers more than 2,000 locally sourced products across its stores.

The celebration highlighted the importance of local partnerships and the company's ongoing commitment to supporting the communities it serves.

"It's about showing up for our communities and supporting organizations doing important work where our guests and employees live," said Ryan Stoutenburg, Aberdeen store director.

This story was created by reporter Charles Rankin, [email protected], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Kessler's celebrates 87 years of service in northeastern South Dakota