The yellow trucks are now retired, but Schwan’s Home Delivery is part of many a Minnesotan’s childhood memories

Paul Cool worked as a “Schwan’s man” out of the Marshall depot many years ago, and it changed his life.

“It was a great job. I have very fond memories of the families that allowed me to come into their homes and sell them all kinds of treats and frozen food items,” he said. “But the relationships made were priceless. Especially with that special customer who became my wife.”

They’ve been married almost 25 years now.

Yelloh, the company formerly known as Schwan’s Home Delivery, closed its doors last week, permanently parking those yellow refrigerated trucks in our collective memories. After 72 years, the route-based delivery service could not survive the rise of Instacart and other same-day delivery apps.

But many Minnesotans fondly recall the homegrown brand that would become a cultural touchstone around the country. We asked readers to give us their favorite memories.

For some it’s the taste of the ice cream — the best around, they claim. For others it was getting to know the same driver who came by at the same time every week.

“Schwan’s delivery day was a fun one in our house,” said Em Erickson. “Both my parents worked in health care, so they needed healthy, ready meals and snacks for us kids that we could heat and eat. I still remember sneaking Schwan’s frozen pineapple pieces from the deep freezer every summer.”

Lacie Truwe has an even closer connection. It was her auto mechanic uncle who mixed leftover paint to give Marvin Schwan’s 1946 Dodge panel van its signature coat.

“Carl took several of the yellow, brown and tan colors and mixed them to come up with the Inca Gold we now recognize as Schwan’s yellow,” Truwe said.

As a kid, Truwe would get in trouble for climbing on the Schwan’s trucks parked a few blocks from her grandparents’ house. Starting in 1995, she would spend 20 years working for Schwan’s, first in the distribution center and then in the corporate office in Marshall.

“These friendships built as part of the Schwan’s family have lasted for decades and will continue on,” she said. “I want to say thank you to everyone who worked so hard over the decades to make Schwan’s a great and respected company and wish all the best to each and every one of them in the future.”

The Schwan’s food manufacturing business is still going strong after South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang bought the Red Baron pizza maker in 2019 for $1.8 billion. The Schwan family kept the delivery business, which was rebranded as Yelloh in 2022.

But Minnesotans will now have to buy the food in grocery stores instead of having it delivered. Here are more of the memories.

Susan Gilroy Snitker: While living in very rural Montana, it was a treat to get ice cream at the house while it was still frozen! The drivers were so friendly and positive, and the kids enjoyed checking out their trucks. During the beginning of the pandemic, it was a special blessing, as so much food wasn’t available within 100 miles. Schwan’s will always be the gold standard for home delivery, and customer service over greed.

Heather Leigh: Schwan’s was a large part of my childhood. My grandmother would call me the day before delivery and read the catalog to me over the phone and would order the ice cream flavor and the treats that I wanted. She was on an extremely fixed budget and was wheelchair-bound. Not only was this a way that she could treat her grandkid, this was an amazing service for her that kept her in her home for years longer as the food she ordered was affordable and easy to prepare. It also gave her an opportunity to socialize with the driver. She felt less isolated, and, in retrospect, I’m so very grateful that this company and their service was available.

Stephen Schreiber: Growing up we had the same Schwan’s delivery man for well over a decade. Much like the mailman, they became a friendly, familiar face with consistently much better deliveries. There was nothing better than talking my mom and dad into ordering a box of Golden Nugget Ice Cream bars that we’d enjoy the rest of July. As a millennial I suppose it’s our turn to start saying those were the days. Before Bezos started dropping things we don’t need at our doorsteps seven days a week, we had the Schwan’s man. Delivering food staples and delights every now and again with a level of service and courtesy that is hard to find these days. What a joy, one that was for another era!

Wendy Abrahamson: Schwan’s became hugely important to my mother after my father died. The delivery driver was the same person they had for years, so his regular stop meant a friendly face, in addition to bringing food. He knew her regular orders, brought food in and put it in the fridge for her. He was very kind.

Bonnie McDaniel: At our usual Christmas gathering, someone brought up working at Schwan’s. It was a gathering of about 20 people, mostly family. I asked the question of how many have worked at or are currently working at Schwan’s? All but one person raised their hands.

Kevin Joachim: My summers in the Fox Cities (Wisconsin) were filled with playful memories. Summers of no homework, worries or a regulated sleep schedule. I always looked forward to Thursdays especially. That was when Mark, the Schwan’s man, would come to my house. He always had endless options to choose from, and my mom would always assign me to pick out this week’s ice cream flavor. Mark was truly a special man. The Schwan’s truck is my equivalent to other kids’ police car, fire truck, garbage truck, etc. I was always excited to see it! Since becoming an adult, I never personally ordered from Schwan’s, but every time I saw one driving on the street, it reminded me of Mark. Farewell, Schwan’s.

Jason Kramer: As a kid, my parents bought their cheese tortellini. We thought that was the best food on earth.

Martha Burton: I was a first-time mom with a newborn baby and no functional kitchen due to a renovation that took longer than expected. Schwan’s helped make a difficult period much easier. Every time I’d see a yellow truck, it would bring back happy memories of that part of our lives.