Elderly grocery store owner refuses robber

MARSHFIELD, Wis. —A masked robber apparently thought the 96-year-old owner of a neighborhood grocery store in Marshfield would be an easy target for his crime. But, he was so wrong.

Margaretta Wolf has owned the store bearing her family name for 54 years. And she wasn't about to turn over her cash to the armed intruder after he ordered her to open the cash register.

"I said: 'I'm not opening up that cash register and that's it, I'm not opening it. I said you can have all the Tootsie Rolls you want but I am not opening that cash register,'" said Wolf.

The man in the silver mask and carrying a knife continued to give Wolf orders during the robbery attempt Monday.

"He said, 'Walk in the back of the store,' I said, 'I'm not walking no place, I'm standing right here,'" Wolf recounted.

The elderly store owner stood her ground when the man flashed a pocketknife and placed it on the counter.

"I said, 'I'll press a button and I'll have somebody here in seconds,'" she said.

Wolf said the would-be robber appeared frustrated, looked around, spotted a security camera in the corner, grabbed the knife and fled.

Marshfield Police Lt. Darren Larsen said he's just glad Wolf is OK.

"In this instance, certainly again while not recommended with what took place, we're just very, very happy Marge was not injured," Larsen told WAOW-TV.

Wolf said she has a few words for the suspect when police catch up with him.

"What do I say to him? I say I think you got some punishments coming, and it will be a little bit more than scrubbing the floor," she said.