After more than three decades as a pharmacist in Muldrow, Gary Lookebill is handing over the keys to Muldrow Pharmacy to another generation.

Saturday marks Lookebill's retirement from the pharmacy business and the start of Stigler resident A.J. Self's beginning as owner.

Lookebill's wife, Evelyn Peters-Lookebill, said her husband, who started his career as a pharmacist in 1963, purchased Muldrow Pharmacy and moved to Muldrow in 1969.

Over the years, Lookebill received a variety of honors and served in a number of civic roles. He has been a member of the Muldrow Chamber of Commerce since 1969 and is the co-founder and chairman of the Muldrow Community Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to two graduating seniors who do not receive other scholarships.

The Lookebills' pharmacy is believed to be the oldest business in Muldrow under the same ownership, Evelyn said. The original store was opened in 1963 by the late Lee Whitmer, who in his later years worked as a relief pharmacist for Lookebill.

Until 2004, the pharmacy was located in Eastern Heights Shopping Center, which is now the location of the new Armstrong Bank building. The pharmacy temporarily relocated to the Muldrow Square Shopping Center until moving to a permanent home in the old bank building just west and across the street from their first location.

Evelyn, who retired earlier this year as a nurse for Dr. Ben Cheek of Muldrow, said their plans for retirement include a lot of travel.

She said they plan to take short trips at first, but they are planning a trip in the spring to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. The couple just returned from a trip to Alaska.

Lookebill's plans for retirement also include golfing, spending time with grandchildren, fishing, hunting, and catching up on home projects.

"Right now his title is husband, he said," Evelyn said, laughing.

She said Gary, who will be 66 in November, has wanted to retire for the past several years, but the Lookebills were selective about to whom they said the store. Their main concern was choosing someone to carry on their tradition of service.

Self, who has been working as a part-time pharmacist for the Lookebills for the past three years, was the natural choice. She will take over full-time duties on Monday.

"She has been taking care of you for the past three years when I was away," Lookebill said in a letter to customers. "She will continue the same service for you. I hope you will continue to support her as I will since she is now my pharmacist too."

Self, 35, and her husband, Bill, an assistant football coach in Stigler, have five children. She graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy in 1997, and up until this week, she worked for Head Pharmacy in Stigler.

Evelyn described Self as a hometown girl from a tight-knit community like Muldrow.

"That's what's really important to us," she said.

Evelyn said that with a little promotion, Self will probably increase service and be even better. Since moving to the new location, business has doubled, which Evelyn attributed to the new location and the convenience of a drive-thru.

What the Lookebills say they will miss most is their customers. Evelyn said she will especially miss a patient in her 80s who has brought the Lookebills dinner several evenings a week for years and has also kept them in garden vegetables all summer.

"It's those little things," Evelyn said. "You can't buy that."

The Lookebills said they would like to express a special thanks to their valued customers and friends.

"Everybody who walked in the door was a blessing," Evelyn said.