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Savelkoul and her husband, Gene, took ownership of the convenience store at the intersection of Highway 55 and County Road 181 on Saturday, Aug. 25.

A native of Atwater, Patty has worked for Tom Thumb for 19 years, including six in Paynesville. She has been manager of the local store for five years.

"I like being my own boss," she said. "The store is what I know and what I have done for the past 19 years. It's all I've ever done."

Gas Plus More has six employees in addition to Savelkoul.

Someday she hopes to change the name of the store but will keep Gas Plus More for now. This is the second time in six months that the store has changed hands.

The store was purchased from Tom Thumb by an out-of-town businessman in late March and the name was changed to Gas Plus More after that.

Savelkoul has three children: Kyle, a tenth grader; Brett, a sixth grader; and Aaron, a fourth grader.