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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.”
[Pam Cooper displays
some of the many kinds of
candles she sells at her craft shop, The Other Side
of the Fence, at 109 S. Kickapoo St.]
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.
(To
top of second column)
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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]
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