Bob Whittenberg has had several careers — none as long as the one he’s in now — which he calls “kind of a dying business.”

His Central Meat Co., at 1010 W. Broadway opened in Muskogee in 1892. At that time it had rabbits and wild game hanging on the wall.

The business is family owned. Whittenberg managed a finance company for six years, and earlier he worked at General Dynamics.

He and his family were working out of state when his father-in-law, Oscar Calvin “O.C.” Walker, decided it was getting time to retire. He asked Whittenberg if he didn’t think it was time to “learn this business.”

Whittenberg had been driving about 20 miles on a six-lane highway in heavy traffic every day. Sometimes it took over an hour to get home. It was time.

Whittenberg and his wife, Marilyn, now own and operate the small store known for its quality meat. She works along side him. He said they’ve never had a fight.

“He’s 73 and he still works 55 to 60 hours a week,” said his daughter, Marsha Murry, who started working at Central Meat Co., on Saturdays when she was 11.

“During the summers, I came down here with him every day.”

She’s still there and does everything — from cut and slice meat to doing the books and ordering.

Her son, Bryan, 20, started helping out in the store at age 8. He’s learned the trade. Whether he’ll stick with it is yet to be seen, but he was busy cutting meat and waiting on customers Friday.

Marsha said her father is amazing.

“He’s got so much strength in him, which is encouraging,” she said. “To top it off, he’s the greatest dad in the world.”

Tears fell from her face as she talked about the father she admires so very much.

She said he’s always jolly and fun to work with.

“He can be hurting so bad he can hardly walk, and he’s just as happy go lucky as he is when he’s feeling good,” she said, wiping away tears.