Craft shop a new venture 
for Mount Pulaski woman

Pam Cooper is taking a break from being a farmer’s wife.  Now she’s sitting “On the Other Side of the Fence,” or to be more precise, on the other side of the counter in her craft shop of that name at 109 South Kickapoo Street.   “I was just a housewife with two kids.  I did my civic duties by being in school activities and I stayed home and raised both my sons.  Now that my children are out of the house, this gives me something to do.”

Being a farm wife for Cooper Farms west of Mount Pulaski is no small job.  This 2,000-acre farm and hog confinement operation is run by Pam’s husband, Gary, and their two sons, as well as Gary’s brother, Lee, and Lee’s two sons.  In addition, Pam and Gary have their own private farm operation, for which Pam has always kept the books. Until her boys were old enough to help, she also pitched in on farm work and took her turn cooking for the six men who run the corporate farm, in addition to a farm wife’s regular household chores.

Pam has always liked crafts, and in 1997 she and a partner began buying crafts and renting booths in a couple of craft malls.  Pam soon decided it would be much better to have a store of her own and “have what I wanted.”

The first location for The Other Side of the Fence was at 113 South Sangamon St., which opened in August of last year.  The partner bowed out, and Pam decided she would get more customers if she moved up to the square.   Her shop reopened at 109 S. Kickapoo on March 1 of this year.

 

 

One of the highlights of the store is its variety of candles.  There are miniature candles and big ones, candles in crocks and in jars, and candles that look and smell like loaves of banana nut bread or cinnamon rolls.  She also has candle tins, trays to put her odd-sized candles on.

Baskets of all shapes and sizes are included in her merchandise, as well as stuffed bears and rabbits, greeting cards, denim shirts and jackets, T-shirts and sweatshirts, dish cloths and towels, pictures and even a special Christmas nook with seasonal decorations. 

She also takes work on consignment from a number of area craftmakers.  Her shop features board games made by Karen’s Keepsakes of Lincoln, including a ring toss, checkers and Chinese checkers.  She carries ceramic jewelry boxes and other small items made by Barb Reinwald of Lincoln.

Julie Higginson of Lincoln has quilts for sale in the shop, and Christy Cross of the New Holland-Middletown area displays a variety of both fabric and pottery items.

 

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Ron Stoll of Mount Pulaski has small fabric hangings displaying the Mount Pulaski, Postville and Lincoln courthouses, as well as Christmas items.  Mary Lou Vaughan of Rochester displays jumpers, shirts, jackets and T-shirts.  Springfield crafters bring Time Out Kids.

Jerry Felton of Lincoln has musical carousel horses and whimsical “people stools,” while Joanne Litterly of Elkhart displays hand painted clocks, boxes, and pictures.  Larry Cyrulik of Mount Pulaski has wood crafts, and Carlene Begolka of Lincoln contributes dish cloths and towels.  Marilee Coulter of Morton shows refrigerator magnets, which can be sent as greeting cards.

 

 

Learning the craft trade has given Pam some opinions about its future.  “When I go to the craft markets in Chicago I tell them they have to think of the small business people, too.  They can’t expect us to sell at the same prices people sell in resort areas.  I also tell them their minimum order requirements are too much for little people.” 

Still she thinks there is a future for craft shops, especially in smaller towns.  “Specialty shops are going out of big malls because they can’t afford the rent.  The future of specialty stores is places like Lincoln.”

She believes it takes time to make a business successful.  “In big craft malls there is a huge turnover of exhibitors..  If people who rent booths don’t move a lot of merchandise in two or three months, they pull up and leave.    They should realize that to be a success they have to stick it out.”

 

She likes her new location in Lincoln and plans to “stick it out” here.  “I just hope I can meet the needs of Lincoln people.  If there is something specific they want, I will see if I can find it,” she says.

Her hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  On Tuesday and Thursday, her sister-in-law, Pat Grathwohl, minds the shop while Pam catches up with her home chores.  She says her family is very supportive of her venture, but they have to do a little more at home now that she’s not there full time.  “I have to remind them that if they want it washed, it has to get to the utility room.”

 

[Joan Crabb]