Founder of Iconic Lebanon Chocolate Shop Passes Away
(photo courtesy of Donaldson's Finer Chocolates)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowGeorge Donaldson, who along with his late wife Peg founded Donaldson’s Finer Chocolates in Lebanon, passed away last week at the age of 90. The Donaldsons purchased the chocolate shop in 1966 and turned it into a household name in central Indiana and a must-stop location for legions of travelers on Interstate 65 in Boone County.
In 2016, Donaldson was honored by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb as a Distinguished Hoosier as part of the 50th anniversary of the business.
A lifelong resident of Lebanon, George Donaldson also managed a lumber yard and served as an officer at Union Federal Savings & Loan and later Citizens Bank, before getting into the chocolate business.
George and his wife Peg purchased what was a small chocolate shop from Charles and Eva Callane in 1966. At the time, the store was located in an abandoned, two-room school house north of Lebanon.
Donaldson’s moved to its current location in Lebanon in 1973 and today distributes its sweet treats around the globe. Donaldson appeared in Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick in 2016 to talk about his company’s 50th anniversary. You can watch the full interview by clicking the link below: