Buhl remembered as kind, humble businessman who built lasting legacy

During his 50-plus years as the owner and operator of Buhl’s Chevron in Williamsburg, Howard "Disel" Buhl developed a pretty simple formula for success. Treat people right.

"Be nice to them. Be good to them and don’t overcharge them that is the main thing," Buhl said during a 2004 interview. "Word of mouth is the biggest part of it. You can always go a step out of your way, and do a few little old things that will make people think a lot of you and come back to you.

"You go to them if they need a boost or air a tire up for them. You just don’t get that any more. It will pay off that’s what people like."

Karen West, one of Buhl’s granddaughters, credits her grandfathers’ personal approach of getting to know people as one of the keys to his success in business and in life.

"He really took time to come out and do face to face business," she said. "He was always very friendly. He always had a smile. He truly and genuinely loved people and talking to them and getting to know their story."

Buhl, 86, died at his home Thursday.

Funeral services were held Monday at the Croley Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Gerald Mullins officiating.

Mullins said he thinks the thing people will remember most about Buhl was his smile and the caring he had for others.

"He was a giving guy. He was humble," Mullins noted. "If you were down and he talked with you, he would have you laughing in just a couple of minutes. He was just a great guy."

Buhl, who was one of 11 children, came from humble beginnings.

When he was 13 years old he joined a group of migrant workers traveling around the country digging potatoes one summer.

When it came time to come home, Buhl went to the train station but didn’t have enough money for train ticket.

A man in a suit took pity on him and bought him a train ticket home. Buhl got the man’s name and address.

"He carried that with him for years. As soon as he was able he mailed $100 to that man to pay him back," West noted.
"He truly came from nothing. He didn’t inherit a dime."

Before building the service station in 1954, Buhl worked at a factory in Detroit and sold candy bars and single cigarettes during his breaks. He saved that money, which went towards opening the service station when he came back to Williamsburg.

Buhl was 26 years old when he went in with his brother-in-law, Harvey Alder, to open the station. Each put up about $1,900 to lease the station and purchase everything they needed to run it.

At the time the station opened, gas was 22 cents per gallon, postage stamps were three cents and a new car ran $1,700.

West said that her grandfather was generous and truly cared about people recalling a story about an out-of-town family, whose car once broke down on Main Street. They had no money for a tow let alone a car repair.

Buhl towed the car back to his service station free of charge, repaired it and even paid to put the family up in a hotel overnight.
He was a believer in doing things not wishing.

"You could say around him, I wish something would happen or I wish I could do something and his attitude was always don’t wish just go out and do it. He would always say that," West recalled.

Buhl enjoyed traveling during his free time.

"He really did keep a suit case packed, he and my grandmother. He would walk in and say let’s go somewhere and it might be off to Vegas. It was spur of the moment. He loved to travel, fish and be at the lake," West noted.

In addition to his home in Williamsburg, Buhl also kept a home in Florida and one on Norris Lake.

Many of his trips included grandchildren or great grandchildren because Buhl wanted them to see places he could only dream about as a child.

West said that one thing that stands out most to her about her grandfather was his optimism even in spite of several family tragedies in recent years.

For additional information, see Buhl’s obituary, which is located on page B-4 in this week’s News Journal.