Ralph Ketner

In 1957, he opened the Food Town grocery store in Salisbury, North Carolina, with two friends, calling people in the phone book and asking for $50 or $100 investments. About 125 people gave him money, and that one store grew into the Food Lion chain with stores across the Southeast. With stock splits over the years, an investor who bought $28 in stock originally ended up with $1 million, according to Food Lion. Ketner remained loyal to Food Lion even after the grocery store was rocked by a 1992 hidden camera report by ABC News that showed employees selling spoiled meat. Ketner is survived by a son, a daughter and four grandchildren, according to Summersett Funeral Home in Salisbury North Carolina.