Simply the 'egg man' in green

Albert Steneck ~ 1928-2007

When Albert Steneck of Elgin took over the family business, Steneck and Son Egg and Food Service, his father's title came with it. To most of his customers, he was simply the "egg man."

The business dated back to 1930, when his father, Albino Steneck, loaded eggs, chickens and rabbits -- all raised on the family farm in Hampshire -- and drove them to Chicago's food district daily to sell to downtown restaurants and grocery stores.

That was in addition to his door-to-door egg business in the Elgin area, where his signature green trucks made deliveries.

The business now is in the process of closing, with the final deliveries having been made last week. Mr. Steneck passed away Sept. 14, at 79. That was less than three months after his son, Norbert, who had run the business in recent years, died as a result of injuries he sustained in an auto accident in June at the intersection of routes 47 and 72 in Hampshire.

Family members say that when Mr. Steneck took over the business after his Army service in the Korean conflict, he started mainly with the eggs and other farm produce his father had provided, though he had begun to rely on area distributors.

As the business grew, he added natural oils, cheese and butter to a product line that restaurants and other food service companies were seeking.

One thing that didn't change, however, was the company's color. Though they changed trucks over the years, they remained predominantly green, as did their delivery uniforms.

"My dad would be dressed from head to toe in green," Albert's other son, Erich, says, "from a green cap to a green shirt, slacks and jacket."

His son diversified the company's natural ingredients even more, providing authentic Spanish-styled foods for restaurants, grocery stores and other food service companies in the Elgin area.

"The business was built on honesty and trust," Erich Steneck of Chicago says. "The relationship with its customers was unbelievable, and for the most part went back generations."

Erich Steneck points to longtime customers like Herb's Bakery in Elgin and Allen's Corner in Hampshire that had ordered their core kitchen items from Steneck's for years.

"Some of the places were pretty remote, but my dad would drive there faithfully," Erich Steneck says.

Besides his son, Mr. Steneck is survived by his brother Charles (Marian) of Dundee, nephews Charles (Dana) Steneck of Barrington and Steven Steneck of Dundee, and his friend, Faith Storey of Las Vegas.

Services have been held already