Kreisler Drug originated on the north side of the square in downtown Clinton, Missouri.  The store was formerly Poague Drug.  Elmo Kreisler of Ionia, Missouri, bought the store on September 6, 1941.  There were six drug stores in Clinton at the time. 

   The Kreisler family moved to Clinton from Ionia, where Mr. Kreisler had owned a drug store since 1924.  During the first year, Elmo operated the store with the help of his daughter, Betty, now Mrs. John Brecht, and one girl clerk.  The store was opened from 8am to 11pm, seven days a week. 

   The soda fountain was a popular place for young and old.  There was no hot lunch program at Clinton High School and many students came to the drug store to eat.  Georgi Hartle, who worked there for many years, recalls that the staff made sandwichesahead, so students could be fed quickly.  Also, after a 7 o'clock show at the Crest Theater, everyone walked over to the soda fountain to feed their dates and shoot paper straw covers to the ceiling. 

   Elmo Kreisler was a highly successful businessman.  His philosophy was that this success created a debt to his community.  He worked hard to repay that debt by his civic involvement.  In 1968, Mr. Kreisler decided to retire from the drug business and he sold the store to Peter Leodler of Jefferson City, Missouri.

  In 1972, Mr. Leodler sold 49% of the store to Jim Naber.  Two years later Pete and Jim branched out to create Store No. 2, next to the former Gerbes Supermarket (now Country Mart) in the Eastgate Shopping Center.  With growth, came the need for more pharmacists, Paul Hendricks, the current vice president of the corporation, joined Kreisler Drug as a pharmacist in 1974.  Paul started working for Elmo at the age of thirteen.  His duties consisted of clean-up and working the soda fountain.  In 1976, Bill Kernohan, now the secretary of the corporation, was hired.  Bill was able to bring much needed marketing and merchandising skills to the corporation.  Four years later, Dave Hubble joined as a staff pharmacist.

  With Store No. 2 having only 2,000 sq feet, the owners made a decision to move to the New Truman Lake Mall in 1984.  Having five times more room, an outdoor center, gift department and beverage department were several of the new services added. 

  The year 1992 was a busy expansion year for Kreisler Drug.  In May, the Wetzel Clinic Pharmacy was purchased.  It was located in the Wetzel Clinic on the north side of town and was renamed Kreisler Clinic Pharmacy.  In the fall of 2006, Wetzel Clinic completed the construction of a new clinic next to Golden Valley Memorial Hospital.  The new clinic was renamed Golden Valley Medical Plaza.  Kreisler Clinic Pharmacy offers much more with the current 1,000 sq feet compared to 350 sq feet in the old Wetzel Clinic.  Also, in August of 1992, Kreisler Drug continued to expand with the acquisition of Country Pharmacy in Appleton City, Missouri.  The store was renamed Kreisler Country Pharmacy.

  In 1997, Kreisler Drug ventured west to the town of Adrian, Missouri.  A new drug store was born and named Adrian Kreisler Drug.

  Tragedy struck the original downtown Kreisler Drug on June 26, 2006.  A sixty -five year run came to an abrupt end following a multi-building collapse involving our store and the Elk's Building to the east.  The collapse of buildings closed many years of Clinton history.  The new building was completed in Fall of 2008. With the opening of the new facility, we envision new opportunities in which to serve our customers and make more contributions to the community.

  In sixty seven years, Kreisler Drug has grown from three employees to almost seventy.  Our current staff of pharmacists have over 300 years of pharmacy experience to help answers your healthcare questions.  We hope to continue to provide "Classic Service with a Savings" to our customers for many years to come.