The day Jess bought one TOO MANY HATS

“Shannon, I just wanted to let you know Jess was in the shop today.” So began the call “Hatman” Jack Kellogg placed to his friend Shannon Littlejohn.

Jack wouldn’t normally call Shannon to report that her husband had stopped into his regular storefront on Douglas Avenue in Wichita’s Delano District. He had already purchased a handful of hats not long before, including a sombrero — all from the shop’s substantial inventory. Now he wanted to place a special order.

“Jack said, ‘I knew there was something wrong when he inquired about ordering another sombrero,” Shannon recalls.

Shannon already knew her husband was struggling. He had not yet been diagnosed, but Jess would go on to be treated for bipolar disorder. Through his treatment and recovery, Shannon advocated and cared for Jess. She had her “hands on him,” is how she puts it.

“It's one of my favorite stories from that time,” Shannon said.

“Someone else had his hands on him, too.”