The milkman still delivers in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- Lucinda Santiago has fond childhood memories of the milkman dressed in his white uniform and white cap when he brought milk to her home. He talked to her as he put the glass milk bottles in the refrigerator.

Santiago, 39, of University City, thought the amenity of home-delivered milk was lost to modern life. Then she learned that Oberweis Dairy delivered in the St. Louis area.

"In this age, when technology is closing people out, it's nice to say 'Hi' to the person who delivers your milk," Santiago said.

Milk delivery to homes has pretty much gone the way of cars with fins. Prairie Farms, one of the largest dairies in the area, ended its home delivery service nearly 40 years ago, although some smaller dairies continued deliveries. The ability of supermarkets to offer milk for less without delivery costs was one of the reasons for the milkman's demise.

Rita Duncan, executive director of the St. Louis District Dairy Council, says that as far as she knows, Oberweis is the only dairy delivering in the St. Louis area.

Darice Jados, marketing manager for Oberweis Dairy, says the company has 5,000 customers in the St. Louis area.

Oberweis, which has been in business since 1927, has its headquarters in North Aurora, Ill., near Chicago. The company began with the Oberweis family dairy farm and an Oberweis still heads the company, which now employs 1,000 people.

Milkman delivers more than milk

Jados says one reason the company can turn a profit on home delivery is that it has expanded the number and type of products it delivers. Besides dairy products, the milkman brings eggs, juice, bacon, pizza, quiche, hamburger and banana bread.

Jados says customers are drawn by the facts that the milk is free of hormones, the cows all live on small family farms and the chickens are free range.

The milk costs more than it would at the grocery, and there is a $2.50 delivery fee. Oberweis charges $2.65 for a half-gallon of 2 percent milk delivered. Schnucks charges $1.89 for a half-gallon of 2 percent milk that you carry home.

Oberweis also sells its milk at Dierbergs, where a half-gallon of 2 percent sells for $3.84, including an 85-cent deposit on the bottle.

Oberweis home-delivery customers also pay $19 for a gray cooler to leave outside to be filled.

So why do people sign on for home delivery?

The glass bottles, say Dianne Kutis, of Sunset Hills, and Emerson Crutchfield, of Webster Groves.

Kutis said, "It's wonderful that the milk is in glass bottles. They keep the milk much colder than plastic."

Kutis began getting home-delivered milk when she had four young children. She found that delivery of heavy bottles of milk made her life easier. "It's more expensive, but it's such a convenience," she said.

Crutchfield uses the service because he has trouble walking, and a trip to the store is an ordeal.

Margaret Withington, who is retired and lives in Chesterfield, also finds it hard to get to the grocery. She doesn't drive. She looks forward to the arrival of milkman John Nahlik each week. He knows she takes pride in her heritage. She said the Withingtons are one of St. Louis' oldest families. She keeps tabs on his baby girl, Mary, 3 months.

Nahlik doesn't wear a white uniform. He wears a gray T-shirt emblazoned with three Holstein cows chewing their cud and looking well fed. The cows are Oberweis' registered trademark. Nahlik brings that old-fashioned, human touch.

Withington says, "I rely on John."