‘The grand cure’ - “Trader” Vic Witthaus known for more than seven decades as Centertown businessman

“Trader” Vic Witthaus is pictured in the late 1950s unloading appliances from a railcar in Centertown. His store, located near the railroad tracks, relied on rail shipments for much of its inventory. Known for his business acumen and community involvement, Witthaus operated his appliance store until 1996, capping a remarkable 77-year career. He died in 1999 at the age of 96. Courtesy of Lucille Rosenmiller.

The childhood of “Trader” Vic Witthaus was shaped by hardship, but also by resilience.

Losing his father at a young age, Witthaus was raised by a mother determined to provide stability despite difficult circumstances. That early exposure to adversity—and the work ethic instilled by his family—would later define his remarkable career as one of Mid-Missouri’s most enduring businessmen.

Victor J. Witthaus was born Aug. 17, 1903, in Gasconade County, the grandson of German immigrants who were part of the wave of settlers that shaped much of central Missouri’s agricultural and commercial landscape in the late 19th century. His father, Adam Edward “William” Witthaus, worked as a teamster, operating a delivery wagon in the Hermann area.
Tragedy struck in October 1911.

“William Witthaus, the teamster … died Monday as a result of his injury,” reported the Advertiser-Courier on Nov. 1, 1911, after a gasoline tank fell and crushed his foot. He was just 38 years old.

Only eight at the time, young Vic was forced to grow up quickly.

Two years later, his mother remarried Justin Cramer, a widowed farmer. The family relocated to a farm near Sandy Hook before eventually settling in Centertown. There, Witthaus attended local schools and began to envision a future far beyond the fields. By age 16, he had already set his sights on business ownership.

“He was just a young man when he concluded to venture into the grocery business,” the Missouri Observer noted in 1949. “He begged his mother for enough money to get started,” though she reportedly had little confidence in his abilities at the time, noting his greater interest in fine saddle horses.

Undeterred, Witthaus moved forward.

In May 1919, he opened his first store in Centertown in partnership with Charles Higgins. Within a year, he sold his share, and by 1921 had purchased a local drugstore from Pat McKenna—an early sign of the entrepreneurial instincts that would define his career.

“We continue to sell clean groceries, fine candies, cigars, tobacco, drugs, toilet articles, etc.,” he advertised in the Central Missourian on Dec. 30, 1921. “Yours for business—Victor Witthaus.”

As Centertown grew alongside improved transportation routes and increased commerce in the early 20th century, Witthaus adapted. With his store located near both a primary roadway and the railroad, he and his wife, Amelia—whom he married in December 1922—began serving lunches to travelers and locals alike. The couple became active members of the Centertown Baptist Church, further embedding themselves in the fabric of the community.

Witthaus’s business ventures continued to expand. He later opened a store in Russellville, and his operations shifted locations several times within Centertown as he pursued new opportunities. His willingness to buy, sell and adapt became a hallmark of his success.
Beyond business, he also played a role in local civic life.

In 1938, the Jefferson City Post-Tribune reported that Witthaus, then a Centertown merchant and former county Republican chairman, had been appointed to the Cole County Highway Commission—an unpaid position that reflected both his standing in the community and his interest in public service.

Never one to stand still, Witthaus later purchased a service station in Centertown, relocating it in 1942. After selling that venture, along with his Russellville store, he turned his attention to farming, acquiring land near McGirk in 1948 where he raised prize horses—one of his lifelong passions. 

A defining chapter of his career began in 1950. That year, Witthaus purchased the J.R. Craig store building across from his existing business and opened an appliance store. With post-World War II America experiencing rapid growth in consumer goods and home technology, the timing proved ideal. Soon earning the nickname “Trader Vic,” he became known for his knack for making deals and his ability to connect with customers. Appliances arrived by rail, unloaded near his storefront—a visible reminder of how closely tied his business was to the rhythms of the community.

His success was widely recognized.

In 1959, the California Democrat reported that Witthaus had earned an all-expenses-paid trip to Nassau in the Bahamas through outstanding sales of Philco products—a testament to his skill as a merchant. Despite his professional success, personal hardship again touched his life.

In early 1980, his wife Amelia, his partner of more than 57 years, passed away. Later that year, he married Della Swinney, a widow who shared his commitment to community and business. The two continued operating the appliance store together for several years. After Della’s death in 1994, Witthaus remained at the helm of his business until 1996, when he finally retired—closing a remarkable 77-year career in commerce.

He died in 1999 at the age of 96 and was laid to rest in Centertown Cemetery.

“Work is the grand cure for all the maladies and miseries that ever beset mankind—honest work, which you intend getting done,” wrote Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle in 1866.

Few lives illustrate that sentiment more clearly than that of “Trader” Vic Witthaus. 

From a boy shaped by early loss to a businessman whose name became synonymous with Centertown commerce, his legacy endures, not only in memory, but in the buildings that still house businesses today and in the community he helped shape through a lifetime of work. 

Jeremy P. Ämick is author of the historical compilations "Hidden History of Cole County," "Moments on the Moreau," and "Beyond the Moreau." 

Vintage advertisement for the Witthaus I.G.A. Store highlights the range of goods offered, including groceries, meats, ice cream and soda, while thanking customers for their patronage. With locations in both Russellville and Centertown, the ad reflects the expansion of “Trader” Vic Witthaus’s business operations and his role as a prominent Mid-Missouri merchant during the mid-20th century.