Pee Wee Hook built a body repair business from trade taught to him in the 1950s

Longtime Philip resident and business owner of The Philip Body Shop, Pee Wee Hook has maybe slowed down in the business part of life but still maintains contact with his son in the body shop business. “Basically Toby brings us the mail every day,” said Pee Wee, “then we talk a little and he goes to work. I stop down from time to time”

Dwilyn (Pee Wee) Hook was born in Menahga Minnesota (Northern MN) The family moved to Quinn in the mid 1940’s and he attended school as a second grader that year. After High School he enlisted into the Army and was sent to Frankfurt Germany. “I was part of the Post Office and we handled the payroll for the soldiers,” said Pee Wee. “Every pay roll period we would get in two train cars of $20 bills that needed to be distributed. It was a big deal for all of us involved.” Hook spent two years in the Service. “When I got out I wasn’t even old enough to buy a beer,” Pee Wee said.

Back from the service and working for Dorothy Brothers body shop in Philip, he met Peggy Gittings, who was working for the County Superintendent who oversaw the 30 plus country schools in Haakon County. Peggy was raised on the ranch East of Milesville, SD. In 1960 the two were married, “almost 62 years ago” said Peggy. Later she went on to get her teaching degree, and Pee Wee continued on with the body shop. They have raised four children in Philip, Toby, Marty, and the twins J’Nai and Jared. 

A fire in the Dorothy Brothers Body Shop building in 1961 took out the entire building and the body shop business was forced to relocate. Dorothy Brothers purchased the former Owen’s Blacksmith shop on Railroad Street, now known as Oak Street.  (Where the present Philip Body Shop building is today) “I started in the body shop business working for Les Ankrum who was with Dorothy Brothers at that time.” said Pee Wee. 

Pee Wee took a leave of absence from the body shop business and went to work for DuPont Automotive Paint Company. He worked traveling to Omaha, Denver and Minneapolis and was in charge of putting on paint shows. “I could only take two paint guns with me when I traveled,” said Pee Wee. When asked how long he traveled working for DuPont, Pee Wee said about four years, but Peggy chimed in and said, “It seemed like a very long time when you are home with four kids, as the twins were born during that period in our life.”

In early 1970’s Pee Wee and friend Ken Dietrich, who both worked for Dorothy Brothers, had a chance to purchase the body shop business from Dorothy Brothers, and they did. “Hap Dorothy was quite a guy,” said Pee Wee. “Money was needed to be borrowed and the bank needed a security signature, and I said Hap will come over to sign the loan papers,” said Pee Wee. “The bank told me, well if Hap Dorothy said it was good to go, then we don’t need any extra signatures. That is the way things were handled back then. Hap really treated his employees very well, If someone working for him needed a winter coat, well he got it. He was a great man for the Philip area,” stated Pee Wee. 

In January of 1974 Pee Wee Hook purchased the business from Dietrich and became sole owner of Philip Body Shop, which is still known as Philip Body Shop, 48 years later. As one of the longest owners of a Philip Business today, Pee Wee feels proud to have been able to turn the business over to his son, Toby. In the mid 1980’s Toby began working with his dad in the body shop business after working with a survey crew out of state for a few years after high school graduation. 

One of the biggest changes to the auto body repair over the years, Hook commented, “Years ago we used to fix the body with lead, melting it into place, filling in, and then smooth over with putty. Now we order panels, and bigger parts that come all in one piece. They also have good glue now,” said Pee Wee. 

The deer population as of late, has kept the body shop businesses very busy, stated Pee Wee. “In my early years in business, there were not as many deer here on the plains that traveled over the highways.” 

When asked about one of the more interesting repair/refinishing jobs to a vehicle Hook was quick to say... “the Theadore Kjerstad Pickup that Toby and I worked on. It was a Black Model T and it had a lot of wood and metal that needed repair. It turned out very nice.” 

Hook was involved in the community and for 26 years was a member of the Philip Volunteer Fire Dept. He was Fire Chief for a few of those years and during his year’s as chief was when the grain elevator south of main street burned to the ground. “We did our best to save it, we climbed up the ladder attached to the elevator with the hose and we might have got it out if we had not  run out of water in the truck. That was probably not the smartest thing I have done over the years,” said Pee Wee. “Another big fire that was on my watch was the 4,000 acre prairie fire at the Harry Hanson place near Milesville. That took a number of firemen and three or more days to get around.” 

Fishing has been a love for Pee Wee over the years and the biggest fish he caught was from a canoe in Alaska. “We were fishing near Anchorage upstream in a canoe and I caught what was a 60 lb. Salmon. We got the canoe to shore as fast as we could,” said Pee Wee, “and then finished bringing in the big fish with our feet on the ground.”

“This area is a great place to live and work,” said Pee Wee, “We had the chance to let our kids and grandchildren hunt and fish and do many outdoor activities as well as school sporting events and extra curricular activities. Not every family in this country has had that opportunity. We feel very fortunate and proud to live here.”

When asked about the responsibilities of Pee Week Hook now. “We read the mail and make sure Toby gets to work on time,” said Pee Wee, as he smiled.