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There are not very many service stations that still offer full menu of service options to their customers - towing, service and repair, and gasoline sales. And McCollough Brothers Service, on the corner of Superior and Second Streets, is the only station in Webster City to still offer a full service lane to their customers, where motorists can have an attendant pump the gas, wash their windows and check the oil.

Keith and Don McCollough opened the business in 1959. Now, 50 years later, the two brothers are planning for retirement. McCollough Brothers Service will close its doors for the last time on Saturday.

The two Webster City natives purchased the station and opened their doors on Nov. 1, 1959.

"It was a little two-bay operation with pumps that sat kitty-cornered across the front," Keith said, pointing across west side of the office and shop. Over the years, the business has grown and changed with the industry. The station has represented many different oil companies, including City Service, Citco, Gulf, Pro, DX, Sunoco, Conoco and lastly Sinclair.

"The change in oil companies was always because the company pulled out of the state of Iowa," Keith McCollough said.

The two brothers said that implementation of computers in cars and for diagnostic purposes has changed how service stations repair autos.

"The industry has completely changed from when we first started out. We do more things by diagnosing than we did before. It takes machines to make cars work now. Everything is computerized now," said Don McCollough.

The station has been a real family affair over the years, with Don's wife Donna and Keith's wife Martha helping with the bookkeeping and Keith's son, Randy, working in the afternoons. Will Mourlam has also been working for the business for the past 3 1/2 years.

Towing has always been a big part of the station's business. It wasn't uncommon to see their tow truck pulling a car out of a ditch, helping to jump start an auto on a snowy, cold morning, or bringing a car and stranded motorist in from the highway. Don said the business had gone through five different wreckers in the 50 years of business.

Having reached the half-century mark with the business, Don, 71, and Keith, 73, felt it was time to retire. Don said he hopes to do some traveling, while Keith said he had many hobbies, such as woodworking, that will probably keep him busy for a long time.

Don said he's looking forward to the retirement, but it's also been a time of mixed emotions.

"Anytime you make a major change like this, it's a little hard to do for a while," he said.

The brothers said they were uncertain as to what will happen with the station after the doors close on Saturday.

"We've got several people looking at it, and if something happens or not, it's too early to tell," Don said.

Until the close of business Saturday, the brothers will still be pumping gas and checking oil in the full service lane.

"When we started out, there were 15 businesses that offered that service. But for about the last 15 years, we were the only ones," Keith said, adding that most places that sell gas are now convenience stores with no attendants on duty.

The McColloughs said they were grateful for their many customers over the years.

"We just want to thank everyone who has come here over the past 50 years. We've even had several people come in and tell us they've been coming here for the entire time we've been in business," Keith said.

"It's really been fun for us over the past 50 years and the time has gone so fast," Don said.

Contact Anne Blankenship at (515) 832-4350 or editor@freemanjournal.net