Eastern Living - March 2022

&Pops Mom

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Publisher Kyle Stephens kstephens@ncweeklies.com

Editor Thadd White twhite@apgenc.com Layout

Becky Wetherington beckyweth@gmail.com Michelle Leicester mleicester@ncweeklies.com

Photo Editor Jim Green jgreen@ncweeklies.com Advertising

Kelly Ayscue kayscue@rmtelegram.com Chris Taylor ctaylor@rmtelegram.com

Staff Leslie Beachboard lbeachboard@apgenc.com John Walker john.walkernc@yahoo.com Brandice Hoggard bhoggard@ncweeklies.com Andre’ Alfred aalfred@ncweeklies.com Tyler Newman tnewman@apgenc.com

Entrepreneurs find perfect spots in Ayden to grow business, marriage

Story & Photos by Donna Marie Williams

Four years ago, husband and wife Dancia Carter and Lamar Frost had never heard of Ayden, let alone imagined they would one day call it their home and choose it as the place to host their businesses — Ayden Autos and Yellow Flower Boutique.

Today, both Carter and Frost have grown to love the once unknown town and have developed not one, but two successful businesses in Ayden’s downtown.

Their journey to small-town happiness began when the couple were living in Raleigh. At the time, Carter was working for the Department of Revenue and operating an online business that would grow into the storefront in Ayden. Frost worked alongside a partner buying and selling used cars as well as

selling cars from his home.

“My husband loves going to the auction and getting cars for people,” Carter said, adding that his home business outgrew the space they had at home.

“He said he wanted to open his own car lot. I agreed and said ‘me too.’”

With each other’s full support, Frost and Carter began exploring locations. That led to the discovery of Ayden.

“A building came up that would be perfect for a car lot. We came and did foot canvassing for about two weeks,” Carter said, adding at first others in the area tried to discourage them.

But Frost and Carter saw Ayden’s potential, took a leap of faith, and purchased the building

that Ayden Autos now calls home.

“There was a lot of potential down here. It was like a nice dish. It just needed to be seasoned right. It needed some spicing up,” Frost said.

“We liked it was small and community based.”

Ayden Autos

Opening in October 2019, Ayden Autos proudly serves as a budget-friendly used car dealership with offerings that will fit any person's style, accommodations and budget.

“I can’t have a bunch of $80,000 cars because of the demographics. But if you come in with a couple hundred of dollars, I can help you out. If I don’t have it here on the lot, I can get it for you within your budget. We are

budget friendly. We are here for the people,” Frost said.

While cars range in make, model and price, Frost is determined to keep everything as budget-friendly as possible and wants each customer to leave happy with their decision.

“If you come here, the cars are going to be affordable, even if it's a BMW,” Frost said.

“I’m going to keep it at a range that you are comfortable at and that I am comfortable at… At the end of the day, I am here to help people.”

This business model is intentional and backs Frost’s desire to help people. He sees first hand how essential having a car in a rural community is and remembers what it is like to be a customer.

“In the country if you don’t have a car, I don’t know what you are going to do… It can be impossible to get anything done,” Frost said. “Cars are an essential business.”

Cars have been an essential part of Frost’s life, having been dealing with them in one way or another for the majority of it.

“I’m from the city (Patterson, New Jersey). There, it’s like from the time you were born all you wanted to do was get your license and drive. We are into cars,” Frost said, adding he was in the car business even before he could drive.

“Selling cars, detailing cars, anything involving cars. It was something I was interested in.”

Since opening Ayden Autos has attracted customers near and far and business has done well Frost said.

“It’s been great. The people around here are good. Yesterday I had someone come from three hours away. I’ve had people from Virginia come in. If you have what people are looking for, they are going to come in,” Frost said, adding the internet also has helped drive sales.

Yellow Flower Boutique

Upon coming to Ayden, Carter had already successfully developed and conducted business for Yellow Flower Boutique online via Etsy and on her own website.

She maintained the online shop while helping Frost establish Ayden Autos and while obtaining her dealer’s license. While Frost was

busy buying and selling cars, Carter tended to more administrative work such as tags, titles and deadlines.

When she wasn’t at Ayden Autos, Carter was working for Yellow Flower, creating natural plant-based bath, body and facial products from a warehouse. Carter wanted more and soon found it, just around the corner from Ayden Autos.

“I wanted to get back to having interactions with people daily. It made me kind of an introvert not having that daily interaction,” Carter said, adding she soon began looking for a store front location.

“I prayed about it. I was looking at places in Greenville when this location popped up online. It was right around the corner from my husband’s business and it was perfect.”

It didn’t take long for Carter’s application to get approved, and in June 2021 Carter opened her yellow door to customers for the first time.

“At first it was slow because we opened up during a pandemic. Since pandemic requirements have lessened, we have had a lot of walk-ins and traffic has really increased a lot. We have really had a large increase. Since they are doing the revitalization and branding of the main street, that has brought a lot of people to downtown Ayden.” Carter said.

Having been established in the community already, Carter was familiar with the friendly people of Ayden. She was still amazed at the help she received from the town and others who helped her establish her storefront.

“The ultimate reason I decided to put it here was the people in Ayden. They have been instrumental in helping me with whatever I needed to get this business off the ground and get people in here,” Carter said. “This has been the best experience being between Linda’s

Flowers Shop and Gwendy’s Goodies. They have been a lot of help to me and showing me the ropes.”

Yellow Flower Boutique offers a full selection of facial, body and hair products all natural and plant based.

Like Frost, Carter’s business stems from her desire to help people.

Like most consumers, Carter would purchase her bath and body works products from retailers and found that a lot of the products would dry her skin out. She began a “quest” for more natural products with minimal ingredients.

“There were not a lot of products that had natural derivatives and if they were, they had a whole lot of extra detergent and preservatives in it,” Carter said.

Not finding her desired products, Carter began by making her own soap and natural

There was a lot of potential down here.

It was like a nice dish. It just needed to be seasoned right. It needed some spicing up.

Lamar Frost

deodorants. Others tried her products and were impressed, she said, and began requesting different things.

“Here we are. I never thought I would be making anything but these soaps and body butters, but now we offer so many things. With the market being overly saturated with bath and body, you do have to do other things to stay competitive,” Carter said.

Yellow Flower Boutique offers shampoo, a range of natural soaps of different smells, face masks, cleansers and moisturizers, body butters and scrubs, and more.

For men, Yellow Flower carries a selection of naturally made beard balms and oils.

Products are also available for children with toys embedded in soap and for dogs as well.

Recently, Yellow Flower created several unique products after partnering with Pitt Street Brewing Company, who contributed four pounds of beer to Yellow Flower.

“I made beer body wash, beer soap and hand wash,” Carter said.

Her favorite products include her hair growth oil.

“I blend about 46 different herbs for a four month period. It’s really good and helps people with alopecia and hair loss due to extreme hairstyles such as braiding,” Carter said. “I’ve had about eight testers who have

had success with it.”

The Partnership

Partners in both business and in life, Carter and Frost draw from each other daily, serving as support and motivators for each other.

“We are like the best of friends and helpmates. We try to make sure we help each other with whatever the other needs. Sometimes we overdo it to a certain fault. Helpmates and being friends has really helped both of our businesses grow,” Carter said.

Frost added, “Working with D (Carter) is great. She is that person. She is going to go the extra mile. She is a hard worker and she is dedicated. Whatever she puts her mind to, she is going to do it. Working with somebody like that it's easy and a no brainer for me. She gives 20 hours a day and thinks nothing of it. She will get up the next day and do it again.”

The couple has found having their businesses located within walking distance of each other is a huge advantage as it easily allows for assistance between the stores.

When things get difficult, they remember their “common goal” and each partner is willing to make an effort for the other, Frost said.

“We have a love for each other before anything. When you have that, that will make everything work. We have one common goal,”

Frost said. “If you want somebody to do good, no matter what it is, you are going to do what has to be done to help.”

The couple also maintains a healthy workhome life balance, Carter added.

“A lot of the time, when you are in a relationship, it’s hard to have a business with a relationship. You never cut it off. You never have a turned off moment or time away because you are always intertwining the business with the relationship,” Carter said.

“I would say we have done really good. We know how to take breaks, travel and do things to break away from the daily hustle and bustle to keep things good and great.”

The Future

Both Carter and Frost desire to remain in Ayden and plan to become more involved in the community.

Carter plans to start hosting soap-making and other classes at Yellow Flower while Frost is hoping to open his business up more to the community by having cook-outs.

Generating and creating community spirit is important to Frost, who feels that community outreach leads to safer, better developed and happier communities.

Carter would also like to expand into a more manufacturing role, offering her products at more retailers, salons and barbershops.

The couple also hope to serve as inspiration and hope that their journey to success inspires others who may be afraid to go out on their own.

“When people see local people like us (succeeding) they think we could have done that). Once they get confident, they will feel more comfortable and step out,” Frost said.

“If there is something you want to do, go for it. The only failure is thinking about something that you want to do and not going for it.”

Ayden Autos is located at 4186 Lee St. Around the block is Yellow Flower Boutique at 512 Second St. For more information check out aydenautos.com and follow Yellow Flower Boutique on Facebook.

Donna Williams is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Serving the Public

In the early 1990s, the late Stanley E. Dixon Sr., co-owner of Town-’n’College Cleaners at 207 S. Wynn St. in Murfreesboro, opined to a neighbor: “Joe and I have served the public for more than twentyfive years.”

Whereas it’s somewhat remarkable that a business lasts a quarter of a century, it isn’t remarkable when the verb in that sentence is considered; in fact, that’s the reason the business had then lasted twenty-five years and has now more than repeated that feat.

To Stanley and Joe (Dixon) - his nephew and business partner – the purpose of their business was to serve. Whether it was a bereaved family member needing a suit pressed for a funeral, a mother of a groom needing a dress altered for a wedding or a grandmother needing her grandchild’s heirloom Easter frock cleaned before the Sunrise service, the cleaners on Wynn Street was the place to respond to the need.

From before most businesses were open to well after they were closed, Joe was there to accommodate anyone’s needs, and if, by chance, a person couldn’t make those hours, well, their clothes could be left on the porch next door (where Stanley lived), and one could pay next week.

It was no coincidence that the cleaners was located next door to Stanley’s home.

A long-time maintenance supervisor for Hertford County Schools, eyeing eventual retirement, he began looking for a business opportunity that would occupy his time and talents. Next to his house was a piece of property that was part of Miss Lois Wynn’s property that fronted on College Street, one block east.

At the time, she allowed the Dixons (Stanley and Clyde Myrell) and Nationwide Insurance Agent Ed Forbes and his wife (Polly) the use of the land for a garden. The Dixons’ son, Stan, would pick vegetables and take

them to Miss Lois, and she, in turn, rewarded him with cookies and milk.

When approached about selling the property, she at first hesitated, then agreed to do so because young Stan had been so kind to her.

She sold the land, and in 1965, Town-’n’College Cleaners opened as an on-premises dry-cleaners. It continued as such until 2003 with the death of Joe Dixon.

At that time, Stan became his father’s partner, and the cleaning operation was moved to Dixon’s Cleaners at 406 Main St. in Ahoskie (originally Minton’s Cleaners) which Stan had owned since 1979. The Murfreesboro business then became a pick-up station.

In addition to cleaning and laundry services, one can also have clothes altered or rent formal attire. At one time, the Ahoskie business offered custom monogramming. With Belk’s across the street, it was convenient to purchase a shirt or sweater and take it to

Story & Photos by Sarah Davis

As a little boy, Stan Dixon served his community at first by extending kindness to a neighbor in Murfreesboro; in later years, as a businessman, he has served his neighbors throughout Hertford County and even beyond.

Dixon’s for that special addition.

That part of the business grew into an independent business that featured custom embroidery, engraving of trophies, plaques and awards, as well as silk screening, vinyl graphics and wraps. Known as Stitch Count and owned by Stan and his wife, Pat, it was a one-stop shop; a business could purchase a sign for its door, a wrap for its vehicle, t-shirts and caps for the baseball team it sponsored, and trophies for their success all at the one place on Railroad Street.

From supplying caps for Indy car driver Bobby Unser to appliqueing baby clothes for Tom Togs, Stitch County achieved quite a reputation beyond the many trophies and plaques it was constantly making for organizations in Hertford County.

Stepping into Belk’s, J.C. Penny, Target or K-Mart, Stan could recognize his work prominently displayed. After twenty-five years in this business, Stan sold to Daniel Hall, an employee who had begun working at Stitch Count when he was only 15. He had been there 16 years when he bought the business; so another small, local business continues, but it has moved from Railroad Street to 126 Commercial Road, off Hwy 42.

In addition to the Murfreesboro and Ahoskie cleaners, there was also a pick-up station in Winton for many years, closing in 2008, with the building sold to become another local business.

Ask Stan about the business, and you’ll soon learn about dry cleaning (which does seem to be an oxymoron); he’ll tell you about Perc, the non-flammable, synthetic solvent, considered a hazardous waste, used in the cleaning machine.

Being considered a hazardous waste, Perc is taxed by the state of North Carolina, but being non-flammable, the tax is offset by better insurance rates than on a flammable, but untaxed, solvent.

Water-based solvents are also nonflammable, but they do not clean as well

as Perc, definitely not cutting grease. A soap is used with Perc to cut moisture, thus controlling shrinkage.

He’ll also tell about the laundry side of the business where dry starch is added to the machine so that the starch can be dissolved into the fabric. Presses include: utility, shirts, pants, hot-head and puff irons.

Now computerized, the business has changed in the more than half a century the Dixon family has been serving the public, but the idea of serving has not.

Another change has been the hours, thanks in part to COVID19; once open almost from dawn to dusk six days a week, hours have now been reduced with both places opening at 8 a.m. weekdays and 90 on Saturdays; Ahoskie closes at 4 p.m. on weekdays, Murfreesboro at 3 p.m., both at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

And, don’t worry, if you can’t manage those hours, a phone call will still get you service.

The ideas of longevity and service extend to employees as well.

In Murfreesboro, Fady Hicks was employed from the beginning and remained a faithful employee for about 30 years; coming on

board shortly after the opening was Pauline Eley (known especially for her ability to press pleats) who remained there until the cleaning process was moved to Ahoskie.

Sarah T. Davis began working there as a high school senior, continued occasionally when home from college and once she returned to Murfreesboro and began teaching math at HCHS, resumed part-time employment that has now continued for thirty-two years.

In Ahoskie, Chris Taylor has been Stan’s righthand man for thirty-four years, and Cynthia Holley has worked there for twenty-eight years.

Employment is also a family affair: Stan worked there as a teenager, along with his cousin, Blair Bennett; Pauline Eley’s daughter, Sandra, ran presses for years; and Sarah T. Davis’ mother and brother have also been spotted retrieving clothes for a customer in Murfreesboro.

As a little boy, Stan Dixon served his community at first by extending kindness to a neighbor in Murfreesboro; in later years, as a businessman, he has served his neighbors throughout Hertford County and even beyond: A lifetime member of the Ahoskie Jaycees, he served as president two terms and was named one of five top presidents in North Carolina; he served on the Ahoskie Planning and Adjustment Boards and was a leader in establishing Ahoskie Heritage Days. He has served on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Dry Cleaning and Laundry Association.

Currently he serves on the Board of Trustees of Chowan University where he is a member of the Executive Committee and chairs the Athletic Committee.

Town-’n’-College Cleaners/Dixon’s Cleaners/ Winton Cleaners operate as small town businesses do; they serve, and one can hear Stanley Dixon Sr., saying, “My family has served the public for more than half a century.”

Sarah Davis is a retired librarian and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Easy Living: The Herford Hub

f it weren’t for a farmer in Colorado, Hertford may not have a business center today.

Pamela and Patrick Morrissey’s neighbor planted the seed for the couple to move to Hertford when he sold his 3,000-acre farm to make way for 990 new homes.

“Colorado was getting way too crowded. We lived in a rural area, quiet, nice and peaceful area and the farmer down the road

decided to sell his property so they could build houses. That wasn’t for us,” Pamela Morrisey explained, sitting at a small conference table in the recently opened second floor meeting space at The Hertford Hub.

After relocating to Hertford in 2018, the couple purchased the W.R. Shannonhouse Building on Church Street, spent a year refurbishing the building and opened The Herford Hub in December 2019.

“We knew we wanted to be near the water. We looked at the two Sounds and after looking in Washington and Oriental we decided on Hertford.

“When we drove to the neighborhood we live in, it said welcome home to us. I have never been in such a tight, close knit community. When we were looking in Oriental, our realtor suggested the town needed a business center. When we decided on our Hertford home, we thought the concept would work here as well,” Morrissey said.

When the couple realized the Shannonhouse building was for sale, they immediately decided to purchase the oldest commercial building on Church Street, renovate it and open The Hub.

They had never operated a business center before, but had used them in the past for the business they sold before moving. The couple contemplated purchasing a local pack and ship store that was for sale but decided to open a more contemporary, full service operation.

“We weren’t too concerned or nervous about opening as we saw there was a need

Story & Photos by John Foley

for our services. Other people were more concerned for us than we were because they had not experienced the type of environment or services we were going to offer. We didn’t want to create a pack and ship store, we wanted to create an environment where people could come to meet and conduct business,” Morrissey said.

The Morrissey’s renovation pays tribute to the history of the area and the building. Exposing the brick from underneath the mortar that covered it was a major project, as was replacing the flooring on both levels.

Pamela, the creative arm of the duo, designed the renovation, repurposing pieces of flooring and mortar on the walls, paying homage to those who occupied the building previously. The exposed brick and mortar highlights the craftsmanship of days long gone.

“I love the rawness of the space. You don’t get to see this anymore. Its fascinating to me and I think it is beautiful,” Pamela said, pointing to the wall, supporting four newly donated computer desks. “That’s old flooring. I kept that piece of mortar on the wall because the walls used to be covered in it.”

The building’s history is reminiscent of times past. It was a number of general stores, Edward’s and Fleetwood and Jackson’s and eventually became Overton’s grocery store. It played host to the residents on a daily basis as four different owners operated The Hertford Cafe over the years.

“It was a staple in town. Everyone came

Pamela Morrissey

here for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Four different people owned it as that restaurant. The last owner fell into disrepair. It closed about 15 years ago,” Morrissey explained.

Morrissey knows this history first hand. While in the midst of renovation, a man slowly walked by and peered into the window. Pamela summoned the gentleman in, and he introduced himself as Sam Hourmouzis, son of the original Hertford Cafe owner. Sam shared tasteful stories of the cafe and how he would have his birthday parties there during younger days. He reminisced of how he knew Jimmy Hunter.

And while the aromas of bacon and eggs and fried shrimp have long ago wafted, the windows now boast the services of less tangible, but possibly more important nature.

Out of a 2022 business 101 playbook, The Hertford Hub has expanded what one thinks of a shipping store.

While the company prides itself on making sure packages arrive at their destination safely, the Morrissey business model is designed for today’s entrepreneurs.

The recently opened second floor meeting space can accommodate six people at the conference table or 60 networkers looking for a social gathering space. Monthly, Morrissey and other area business owners meet to

discuss how to promote and market Hertford and downtown businesses.

Aside from a wide array of business services, The Hertford Hub also offers complimentary desk space and Wi-Fi to students needing a place to work and study.

“We designed the upstairs space so students can come and use it to study and use Wi-Fi if they don’t have it at home. We also encourage the space be used for tutoring,” Morrissey said.

And while the second floor is a quiet place for study and meeting and reflection, the main floor offers the hustle and bustle of a community center. With retail.

Hertford artisan birdhouse builder Roy Chappell features his custom crafted houses in the front retail section of the store and jewelry designer Jana Smith showcases her craft in the form of hand wired jewelry.

The Morrissey’s wanted their business to be more than a pack and ship store.

The integrity they used to renovate their inviting space boasts a flair for design and a desire for community.

“We chose a ship’s wheel as our logo for more reasons than moving to the Sound. The spokes of the wheel signify our services, each going back to the hub. To the center of the wheel: The community,” said Morrissey.

For more information on complimentary student desk or tutoring space contact Pamela Morrissey at 252-435-5005.

John Foley is a retired newspaper editor and new contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

We didn’t want to create a pack and ship store, we wanted to create an environment where people could come to meet and conduct business.

A good meal with old friends

If one were to ever find themselves in Edenton, taking a hike down West Queen Street would lead them to none other than Westover General Store.

Hosted in relatively modest, simple digs on the west end of town, Westover boasts one of the most renowned deli counters in Chowan County. Slicing up meats and preparing hoagies has been the way of land at 801 West Queen for over 30 years.

First opened in 1988 to hungry local patrons, the store has forever remained under the Baird family name.

Douglas Baird, venturing to Edenton from his Connecticut home, took a gander about town before settling on West Queen with Westover.

Baird, no stranger to the deli business, had just left military service before the move and brought his wife and their 12 year old son, Douglas Jr., along for the ride. Not too long after, a daughter arrived: Kelsey.

These days, Kelsey and Doug Jr. run the show while their father enjoys retirement and vistas around the world.

While the store originally employed just Doug Sr. and his wife, as the years went on, the staff eventually doubled to accommodate the healthy demand from the community.

Open Mondays thru Fridays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the store now employs roughly seven to keep everything running ship-shape.

Westover may be known for their cold cuts,

Story & Photos by Tyler Newman

but the shop also hosts a small convenience store, complete with everything from snacks to cold drinks and even some fishing supplies. Two old gas pumps are lodged just out front as well, still offering fuel to travelers headed to and from Edenton.

Kelsey Baird says the store even offers hunting and fishing licenses as another convenience to the community.

Back in the late 1980s, when the store first opened, it was confined to mostly just the front half of the building, with the back half containing bedrooms and an apartment for the family.

After a house was built in the back, Doug Jr. says, the Bairds were able to take action on the growing demand and expand the store rearward.

The result? A dining room was added with better interior access to the bathrooms and maneuverability. Even a small bar – that seats roughly four – now protrudes where a living space once existed.

Otherwise, not much has changed at Westover since its inception. It has stood strong near the bridge over Pembroke Creek, weathering everything from sprawling hurricanes to the drenching southern humidity.

On any given weekday around the noon hour, one can find a variety of local

figures milling about inside, picking up a drink or placing an order. Law enforcement, firefighters, business owners, local leaders, tourists, contractors, you name it, Westover has seen it.

To-go orders and party trays also help rack up order counts each day. Large orders for local organizations are normal affairs at the store. Westover has provided meals for Vidant Chowan Hospital, Albemarle Boats, Olam Edible Nuts, Avoca, Regulator Marine, the town of Edenton and numerous other local businesses and industries.

The Bairds give partial credit to their longevity to the “tons” of frequent customers they see day in and day out.

“One family even picks up sandwiches before going to see their college student in Wilmington,” Kelsey said. “Their kid says ‘I want Westover,’ so they pick some up on the way down.”

For reference, the drive down U.S. 17 to Wilmington from Edenton is roughly three hours. Any locals who move away surely get a hankering for a Westover sandwich now and then.

Some of the most popular orders on a normal day? Cajun turkey, Italian, ham, roast beef, the list goes on.

“Pretty much everything,” Kelsey says.

While Kelsey and Doug Jr. say they enjoy

seeing their frequent flyers and running the show, it can also take a lot more effort than people realize to keep things in working order.

“There is a lot of behind the scenes work,” Kelsey says. “A lot of inspections and paperwork, keeping utilities going. It’s not always as easy as people think.”

Despite that, Kelsey says that nothing beats a quiet Sunday in the empty store doing her paperwork. A time to unwind after a busy week of eager customers.

She also says she enjoys seeing some of the morning customers, who will typically come in as a group of older men. The entourage would enter, order their cups of joe and tell old stories. When one generation passes away, a newer one would come in and continue the tradition.

Doug Sr. is part of that group now, Kelsey says. Their father – who remains a stakeholder in the store – will always come get a cup of coffee when he’s home and not traveling abroad.

Since taking over the store, Doug Jr. says that one can learn a lot from the service industry and running your own shop.

“When you work for the public, you learn how to treat people,” he says. “But you also learn that you can’t make everyone happy and that’s just how it is.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck,

One family even picks up sandwiches before going to see their college student in Wilmington.

Kelsey Baird

a vast majority of local restaurants – and the service industry at large – were affected. For many, the pandemic was crippling to the industry. But not at Westover.

“COVID never hurt us,” Kelsey says. “We got a lot of new customers when people realized we accepted food stamps.”

Through good times and bad over three decades and counting, Westover has found itself becoming a tentpole of the Edenton community. Whether it is through donations to local organizations, sponsoring youth sports teams, being an active member of the chamber of commerce, or just walking across the street to support Old Colony Smokehouse, the Bairds have done it all.

“If they ever run out of bread at Old Colony, they’ll run over here and buy some. We eat there, they eat here. We support each other, there’s

never been any competition over here,” Kelsey says.

Doug Jr. says that local shops like Westover provide a personal connection that a corporate store like McDonald’s may never be able to give to folks.

“It’s that interaction with customers,” he says. “We know their orders, we remember them. Some have been coming all 34 years. We all grew up and went to school here. It’s that personal connection.”

In a day and age when the hometown deli counters and quaint mom & pop’s seem to be disappearing, Westover has held the line in Edenton and plans to continue indefinitely.

“I’m hoping we never have to close it,” Kelsey says. “I’m hoping we can always keep it open.”

Tyler Newman is a Staff Writer for the Chowan Herald and Eastern North Carolina Living.

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A family business in every way

Story & Photos by Thadd White

Do what you do, and do it very well.

That is pretty much the way the folks at Aunt Ruby’s Peanuts have been operating their business for three generations and nearly eight decades.

“We believe in customer service and providing a quality product,” said Robert Allsbrook III, who represents the third generation. “We have been in business a long time, we have a recognizable product and we are known for providing a quality product.”

While Aunt Ruby’s is now known for quality

peanuts – from country style to cajun – the business began as A&B Milling Company way back in 1945.

“My grandfather (Robert Allsbrook Sr.) and his brother (George Allsbrook) were working in a feed mill in Rocky Mount when they decided to come here (Enfield) and open their own company,” Allsbrook III said. “It was primarily a feed mill. We ground feed and delivered to dairies.”

That business, which also offered seed and fertilizer to local farmers.

“In the mid-1980s, the federal government had a big dairy buyout and basically that put an end to feed business,” Allsbrook III said.

At that point, Robert Allsbrook Jr. had taken control of the business and he helped move the company into the mail order peanut business. While peanuts had always been a part of the business, it wasn’t the focus until the mid-1980s.

“We made the migration in the mid-80s and we’ve been doing it ever since,” Allsbrook confirmed.

The company prides itself on providing the best Virginia Peanuts around, which they buy from a broker, but are produced mainly in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina.

While considering the name for the peanut brand, Robert Jr. made the decision to honor his mother, Ruby, and call the peanut business Aunt RUby’s in her honor.

“My father named the business after his mother, Ruby,” Allsbrook III said. “That’s her imagery on the can.”

Allsbrook said his mother was a nurse by trade, but joined the business in her retirement years, working on the chocolate to produce the chocolate clusters. She also became “Aunt Ruby.”

“She grew into the role of being ‘Aunt Ruby.’ She was a little apprehensive at first, but grew into the role,” he said. “She enjoyed meeting people who came off the interstate.

“A lot of people come off the interstate and think peanuts grow on trees,” Allsbrook mused. “She enjoyed explaining the process to visitors.”

Ruby Allsbrook remained part of the business for many years and was popular among those who stopped by.

Allsbrook said his grandmother’s photo on the can did make a difference.

“Obviously we work hard to provide a

Robert Allsbrook III

quality product,” he said. “We are proud of her image and legacy, and we promote that image and legacy through quality.”

While Robert III is vastly involved in Aunt Ruby’s peanuts and represents the company’s third generation, he said his dad is still “very much in charge.”

“Dad is 80 and I hope he stays involved for a long time to come,” Allsbrook said. “This is his brainchild, and he is still the captain of the

ship.”

While giving his dad credit for the leadership it took to get Aunt Ruby’s going, and the work still occurring, Allsbrook also praised the people who work for Aunt Ruby’s.

A key figure, Mike Williams, is a longtime employee who is instrumental in getting everything done. He said there are 11 fulltime employees at Aunt Ruby’s and about 40 seasonal workers.

“We have people who have been with us for many, many years, whether it is full-time folks or seasonal workers,” Allsbrook said. “They are all very important to what we do.”

The process at Aunt Ruby’s begins with the purchase of the peanuts, which is followed by properly storing them. They are then cooked at different times as needed.

“We batch cook,” Allsbrook explained. “We cook the same amount each time for the same amount of time. We have tight reins over quality.”

The quality shows forth in the product Aunt Ruby’s put on the shelf, whether it be from their highest selling product – Country Style – to their roasted cashews and almonds.

The two top-sellers for Aunt Ruby’s are the Country Style, which are blister fried and salted, and the chocolate clusters. The company also offered roasted and salted

We are proud of her image and legacy, and we promote that image and legacy through quality.

in-shell peanuts, honey roasted, roasted redskins, chocolate peanut crunch, white chocolate clusters, peanut brittle, salt and pepper, cajun and the roasted cashews and almonds. In addition, those interested can also buy raw shelled peanuts.

Allsbrook said his favorite was the same as his customers – the Country Style.

The last two added came a number of years ago, and they were the cajun and salt and pepper varieties.

The peanuts are sold mostly on the internet, via the online store at auntrubyspeanuts.com, they can still be purchased over the phone at 800-PEANUTS.

Despite the dominant online presence, which delivers peanuts to the lower 48 states, there is still quite a bit of traffic at 200 Halifax Street in Enfield, where the company operates.

“We advertise on billboards along the interstate, and we get quite a bit of traffic from people traveling on I-95,” Allsbrook said. “Once we get them here, they usually come back when they travel north or south. We

have a lot of repeat business both online and in the store.”

Allsbrook said the people of Enfield and Halifax County also support the store by coming in to visit and buy peanuts.

The business sees its highpoint every year from September to December, when peanuts are bought a lot as holiday gifts, but stays busy all year around.

While three generations have already operated A&B Milling Company, the fourth generation is still a good number of years away – if they follow in the family footsteps.

“My wife, Julia, and I have twin girls – Ruby and Clara Ann – both family names,” Allsbrook said. “They are named after powerful, strong women and we are proud of that.”

The daughters are still pre-teens, meaning a decision on their longterm future is still a number of years away.

“I will allow them to make their own life choices just like my parents did for me,” Allsbrook said. “I went away for a while, went to college at Elon and tried some other things. When I grew up, I was proud of what my

family had done here, and I was ready to be a part of it.

“I have a sister who went to do other things, and I chose to do this,” he continued.

“We are glad our parents let us make the decision about what was best for us, and I’ll do the same for my daughters.”

Until that time, Aunt Ruby’s Peanuts will continue to do what they do well – and what their customers want.

“We did a survey a little while back asking our customers what they wanted,” Allsbrook said. “What we found out is our customers like what we provide, and they want us to focus on doing what we do well.

“It was great to hear that they want us to stay the course and are happy with what we provide,” he added.

And that’s exactly what Aunt Ruby’s has done for all these years, and what they will continue to do.

Thadd White is Editor of five Adams Publishing Group publications, including Eastern North Carolina Living.

“Meet me at the Moon”

Agem on Greene Street, Half Moon Marketplace has served as Greene County’s premier gift shop for the last six years.

With its unique gifts and custom gift wrapping, Half Moon offers customers the perfect gift-buying experience guaranteed to leave customers saying “meet me at the moon.”

But the store serves as more than a gift store and offers a unique business model that seeks to make a difference in the community and world.

This has been the mission of the store since it opened, according to owner Annell George-McLawhorn, who owns the store

alongside her husband, Ed McLawhorn.

“By profession, I am first and foremost clergy and I am an educator. This has always been a bucket list thing - to have a little boutique. I always thought it would be fun,” Annell said.

“For me, if I was going to have a store, I was going to have a store with a purpose,” she continued. “I believe that we are brought into the world to make the world a better place than when we found it. That generates down to love - love self, love neighbor. I feel like what I do - in order for it to have value to me - has to somehow make a difference.”

With this in mind, Annell has sought

Story & Photos by Donna Marie Williams

out items not only uniquely different and not offered elsewhere in the county, but items that have a purpose.

“We try to do everything socially conscious. We can’t do everything that way otherwise we couldn’t stay in business, but we’re very intentional about what we buy, where it comes from, what kind of give-back it may give to the community or the world and what kind of impact it may have on the environment,” Annell said.

Many items in the store are handmade by local artisans who participate in giveback programs where all or a portion of the proceeds of the sale benefit non-profit organizations.

Causes and nonprofits have changed over time with artisans choosing for proceeds to help the environment, local churches, missions, senior citizens and more.

“Some of our artisans are doing it because they need the resources from it. But a lot of our artisans are people that have some cause that they are passionate about. They found this as a chance to support that cause. To do something they enjoy, put it somewhere where it can be sold and then let their proceeds go back to whatever their cause is,” Annell said.

“I really feel called to serve the community, and I love the give-back aspect of the store. As small as we are, it may just be a tiny touch of sand, but we are making just a little bit of difference in the world.”

With its hand-picked selection of unique gifts, the inventory of Half Moon Marketplace is always changing with offerings from handcrafted paintings, lotions, soaps, honey, pottery, jewelry and more.

The boutique also offers a variety of instyle clothing for all ages, stylish umbrellas and gifts for the men in your lives.

Half Moon itself consists of what were once two storefronts merged together to form the boutique, children’s room and the Crescent Moon Tea Room, which was added in 2019.

Inspired by local bridge clubs and using china left behind from the resale store that

formally occupied the building, Annell added the Crescent Tea Room services of tea and coffee, which are derived locally from the Lanoca Coffee Institute in Farmville. Tea and coffee are available anytime with tea parties available by reservation.

Since offering this service, it has been well-received with many utilizing this service for ladies day out, club meetings, showers and more, Annell said.

Half Moon’s children’s room is filled with gifts perfect for baby showers, birthday parties and other special occasions and offers toys that may not be customarily found at department stores.

receive the gift and that maybe in getting something that looks so bright and cheerful, it will make a difference for them too,” she continued. “And no matter how much a person spent on it, that is their gift of love for someone else. If they are giving that gift of love, I want it to look nice when they are giving it to that person so I want it to reflect that.”

Like the moon itself, Annell and Ed strive for Half Moon to be a place that reflects light, casting love and hope to the community and beyond.

“The moon has no light of its own. The moon only reflects light. When we see light from the moon it is only reflected light. That’s what we try to do here. We Are not the light, but we try to be the reflection of the light,” Annell said, adding as part of the brand they refer to the store as moonshine.

“That has made the name - since I made that realization - that has really endeared the name to me,” she said.

The name Half Moon Marketplace, was derived from Ed, who partners with Annell in the business, takes on a more behind the scenes approach, Annell said.

“The street we happened to live on at the time in Greene County was Half Moon. My husband kind of adopted it when our son was doing the derby races with the Boy Scouts. My husband builds drag cars in his spare time, and really got into that. He called his cars after he started making them Half Moon racing. I took that and ran with it,” Annell said.

Gifts range from dolls, puzzles, kites and wooden toys all which are guaranteed to provide joy and delight to young children.

Along with its extraordinary gifts, Half Moon provides exceptional gift wrapping free of charge providing extra flair and allure to the already amazing gift meant to brighten that special someone’s day.

“People love our gift wrapping and I love it because it makes people happy. I can see their happiness when we bring out a gift,” Annell said.

“I think about the person who is going to

“He’s the reason this store has stayed open… If it were not for Ed, even though you don’t see him in here, we would not be open, because he has floated this business many times when it was not making it on its own.”

Annell admits that the road has not been easy and Half Moon has had its fair share of struggles. She is thankful for the support she has received from Ed, the community and her sister Connie Nelson, who has dedicated her time to the store.

“It’s great to have their support… Connnie has donated so much of her time and Ed has donated a lot more than people would think. Not only has he floated it when we were not

I really feel called to serve the community, and I love the give-back aspect of the store.

Annell George-McLawhorn

able to float ourselves, he also has without complaint allowed me to work a job for six years that I don’t bring any income from. I have to give him lots of credit,” Annell said.

Despite the obstacles and struggles, Half Moon Marketplace is a place worth saving and an important asset in Greene County.

“When we contemplate whether to keep the business open - and sometimes we have to based on the economics of it - the thing that pulls me to keep it open is the fact that we are the only one offering a service that we

offer to Greene County,” Annell said.

“I think it's a very important service for many reasons. It’s important that people who live here have places where they live that they can shop. It’s important for their quality of life, but it’s also important for our tax base. If I’m not here and if Ace (Hardware) isn’t here or Hardy’s (Appliance and Furniture) and all the places people can shop then our tax dollars go to our surrounding counties and they need to come here. We need to be able to support our own businesses and to bring our own revenues back to our own homeplace,” she said.

Annell also hopes that the way Half Moon conducts business will serve as a model for others and be a beacon of hope that business can be conducted and profits made while benefiting the world in a socially conscious way.

“I really love the fact that we’re trying to model a different kind of way of doing commercial business. We are trying to model an example of how you can both earn money

and give back and do so in a socially conscious way that helps us as a world and country move forward. At the same time it helps the community and you can make a living from it hopefully,” Annell said.

When opening six years ago, Annell never imagined she would develop the relationship with the customers she has today and truly enjoys interacting with her now friends each day.

“I really enjoy talking to and meeting the people when they come in. After six years, there are so many people who come in that they are not customers, they are friends now and I didnt even know them when they first came. I love that aspect of it,” Annell said.

Half Moon Marketplace is located at 219 North Greene St. Snow Hill and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 252-717-4938.

Donna Marie Williams is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Care and Courtesy: Customer Comes First

If one could just imagine times like they used to be: hand-dipped ice cream heaped high on a waffle cone — a scoop of chocolate boosting a scoop of vanilla capped with a scoop of strawberry; a chunk of hoop cheese cut from the round wheel and just the size one is craving; or, as one pulling beside the gasoline pump, a bell clanging twice, as someone comes to the car window to ask, “How much gas do you need?”

Actually, there’s no need to imagine this at all; one can experience it firsthand at Gibbs Enterprises, Inc. Moments like this are not of times past, but times present, where customers come first.

Decades ago, many small family-owned stores dotted and dominated the landscape of Hyde County’s rural communities. These small stores sold food, supplies and other

sundry items that were first brought in by boat, and later, when roadways improved, transported by truck.

History and tradition, as well as knowing what a community needs to maintain a way of living, to move into the future is important to the people of Hyde County.

This is true for Jesse Gibbs Sr. and his wife, Dottie, who have owned and operated Gibbs Enterprises, Inc. since 1992, with help from both of their children, Lisa and Jess.

Before their ownership, the business had been known as the W.H. Cox Service Station, owned and operated for many years by Bill Harvey Cox.

Shortly after Jesse graduated from East Hyde High School in 1959, he worked with J.B. Cahoon, T. Etheridge, and Bill Harvey Cox doing a variety of jobs such as pumping fuel,

washing cars, changing oil, balancing tires, waiting on customers and delivering fuel, jobs that would give him the experience needed to one day operate his own business.

He married Dottie Mooney when he was 25, and they moved to Newport News, Virginia where he worked in a shipyard for four years as a mechanic on cranes and other equipment.

One weekend while visiting home, Bill Harvey asked Jesse, “How about coming back to work with me and drive the oil truck?”

Jesse explained that his wife didn’t care for Newport News, he couldn’t get the raise he wanted at the shipyards and his father had recently passed. After a couple weeks, he decided to return home.

“I run the oil truck for Bill Harvey and then I helped him at the store nights and mornings

Story & Photos by Sandy Carawan

until I had to go back out on the oil truck. It went on for fifty years that way.”

During that span of time, Jesse drove for Coastal Oil Company, which later became known as Eastern Fuels.

Jesse’s son, Jess, who started working at his father’s store in 1994, said that, “Dad was one of them when someone called late at night to say, ‘I am out of kerosene,’ he’d go take it to them. When boats would come in, he’d go right to the boat and fill them up off of the oil truck. And farmers, too.”

Similar to Jesse, Dottie has an early connection to Bill Harvey’s store before their ownership. When local television stations were limited to half a dozen channels in much

of Hyde County, reception poor most of the time, Dottie rented out VHS movies inside a room of that store.

During their ownership, they have provided a variety of services.

Jess said, “We pump gas for people, which gives us a chance to get in touch and talk to them. If people want us to check their oil, we check their oil. You get to talk to everybody and see how they’re doing.

“We also tote things out to the car if people need help,” added Jess. “I’ll meet them at the door, get what they want, and take it to them because some people can’t get in and out.”

“Dad’s the front man and mom’s the back person,” Jess said. “She runs the cash register and does the bookkeeping on the computer.”

Beyond the storefront window, the

building, built by Bill Harvey with the help of Tony Spencer in 1932, has a 90-year history of being exactly what it is today: a store offering convenience for a community’s everyday needs no matter who the customers are: fisherman, farmer, out-of-town worker, local or anybody passing through.

Although their hours are 4 a.m. until 8 p.m., Jesse typically opens the store at 3:30 a.m. By the time he arrives, the early morning customers are either lined up waiting at the gas pumps or waiting to go inside to buy food and supplies for their workday.

“I open up early mornings to catch the crabbers and fishermen that’s going out and the farmers that leave early to go into the fields. I have a station full of people waiting for me when I come to work. And there’s people

I open up early mornings to catch the crabbers and fishermen that’s going out and the farmers that leave early to go into the fields.

Jesse Gibbs

that’s passing through and don’t have enough gas to get to Manns Harbor,” said Jesse. “We have a lot of hunters who come in here mornings to get what they need.”

Hydraulic oil is a popular item for both fishermen and farmers, but Jesse sells motor oil, white waterproof boots, blue gloves, belts and a variety of groceries including handdipped ice cream, coffee and hoop cheese and a lot of it.

“I have a whole crowd of coffee drinkers here shooting the breeze and lying and everything else,” laughed Jesse.

As a matter of fact, Jesse sells about sixty pots of coffee a day. Considering that he is open seven days a week nearly all year, he goes through over 21,000 pots of coffee a year.

Hoop cheese is also popular and the average container weighs a bit more than 21 pounds. Each year Jesse sells more than two

hundred containers of hoop cheese which amounts to more than 4,200 pounds a year.

But owning a business is not only a huge responsibility to a community; it is a chance to make a difference and Jesse and his family have placed the community in their best interest.

“People depend on me a lot,” Jesse said. “I just try to help the community.”

At age 82, when some people are slowing down, Jesse continues to work a day of twelve or more hours.

“Ever since I’ve been working, I’ve always worked seven days a week. I’ve had one vacation in 82 years and that was one week that I took off and that’s the only time I ever took off unless I was sick. But I love coming down here and being with the people,” he said.

But Jesse’s is more than what is sold behind the storefront windows and between the tongue and grooved walls.

Behind those windows and between those walls lies the heart and soul of the store: the Gibbs family who have selflessly devoted their lives in helping to build their community stronger not only through their commitment to keeping products stocked to help sustain people’s needs, but also through the exchange of daily conversations and care they give to their customers where friends become family and where memories are made.

Gibbs Enterprises, Inc. is located at 32399 U.S. 264 in Engelhard. Their telephone number is (252) 925-1870. Their hours are from 4 am. – 8 p.m., unless you need Jesse at an earlier time.

Sandy Carawan is an English Language Arts teacher at Mattamuskeet Early College High School in Swan Quarter and a longtime contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

TE PA C

Happening by Motsie Brooks,watercolor, 2010

Wysors find home in ‘Recycled Reader’

ention the word “books” while in Elizabeth City, and you could instantly be pointed toward The Recycled Reader.

A community institution in Pasquotank County for 25 years, the used bookshop has seen a couple of different storefronts since its inception in 1997. Just within the door, the heart has remained the same: recycling old books from around the area for others to give them a good home.

Jane and Bud Wysor, owners of the bookstore, say while things were slow in the beginning, it has paid off. They now boast a burgeoning number of loyal customers who always return to bring in their used books, and hope to find more.

Wandering aimlessly through the store’s

tall aisles, one is presented with a clean, yet homey layout. Books adorn the shelves, clustered and stacked every which way, all of them feeling slightly familiar while also quite novel (pun intended).

Looking for a book on Cleopatra? They are sure to have it. A detective romance? Without a doubt. Upton Sinclair? Stephen King? Allison Brennan? Yes, yes and... yes.

The Wysors say that while romance may have been the most popular genre 15 years ago, things have slowly shifted towards the mystery genre in recent years.

“People liked to read romance books a while back and some of them were mystery romance,” Bud said. “From there, they can cross over into mystery and find a whole new genre.”

Genre names in the store can be found laid out on the floor as decals or stickers, arrayed in various colors. Some of the more popular genres, like mystery and romance, take up entire walls, their labels hanging high above for all to see.

Near the front of the store, one can find gifts such as recycled puzzles, wax melts, apparel and other unique little gifts and trinkets.

Soft classical arrangements and symphonies ooze overhead through the speakers, courtesy of local public radio station WHRO.

While customers can peruse to their heart’s content, some of the real fun can take place at the counter. Those who wish to bring in used books can utilize their trade-ins as store

Story by Tyler Newman

Photos by Tyler Newman & Chelsea Bartell Taylor

credit, with the Wysors keeping track of each customer via a myriad of individual index cards, alphabetized by name.

Originally, the customer base was not very large. Over time, and through a couple of relocations, it grew larger.

“We were originally downtown in front of Todd’s Pharmacy,” Jane says. “Elizabeth City had a couple of bookstores at the time, but no used bookstore.”

This original location was on South Poindexter Street.

Since then, they have moved the store twice. The first time to a location on West Ehringhaus Street near the now defunct Southgate Mall and the second to the F&H Building off of Halstead Boulevard Extended.

The latest move, taking place in 2016, gave the Wysors a bigger store and more room to work with and sell books.

Throughout the life of each location, however, the couple has always had company to share it with — and not just the customers.

When the store first opened in 1997, the pair welcomed a child. They have since had another, both being raised in the bookshop. Jane says that she did not want to return to her original life as a teacher, which prompted her to open the shop in the first place. Bud soon joined her, fresh off of a stint with a local fuel company.

It was the first bookstore they had ever owned. It may be safe to say that they have not looked back.

As the Wysors speak about their business and the passage of time, customers come and go. Some browse for a bit, others linger and chat.

Many customers from Elizabeth City and surrounding environs often come in and strike up all sorts of conversations with the owners. New construction in the area, internet or broadband availability, dining options, driving directions, recommendations, you name it.

One customer shopping recently had just traveled from Virginia Beach. She said she is a regular, and ended up collecting two full stacks of mystery novels to carry northward with her – many of whom authored by CJ Box.

Another customer stepped in around the same time, saying of the Wysors that “you

couldn’t ask for better people working here.”

Long-distance customers are no strangers to The Recycled Reader, with some venturing as far as Manteo, Greenville and, of course, Hampton Roads.

Amidst stacks of trade-in books decorating the counter, the couple works in tandem to ring up multiple customers at a time, clearly engaged in a longstanding rhythm that has persisted for years.

Since opening, the store has taken part in numerous community projects and involved itself in local happenings. Offering high school band cards, helping out with local library sales, providing discounts to marathon runners and even assisting the College of the Albemarle in creating a virtual lending library are just some of the ways the store gives back.

To this day, Elizabeth City still has no other dedicated used bookstores. The nearest corporate chain, Barnes & Noble, is close to 50 miles away in Chesapeake. Plenty of room to cultivate a niche market in a rural area.

While one may think that selling books all day, every day, would give the Wysors no time to read in their spare time, but that is incorrect. They both have their own favorite books and frequently recommend others to their loyal customers.

For Jane, at least today, the favorite is “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving.

Bud’s favorite as of this writing is “The Memory of Running” by Ron McLarty.

The couple says that while they are cautiously optimistic about the future of used bookstores in the community, they may not feel so comfortable about minted bookstores that focus on selling new books and releases.

Jane says that she worries larger companies like Amazon will eat into the share of bookstores that sell primarily new books. She feels that the used bookstore will survive, learning to live with a happy balance between real books and e-books, which dominate Amazon’s market.

About 10 to 12 years ago, Bud says, they began to worry about the onset of e-books and the threat of the Kindle and Nook in the book market. Those worries were soon assuaged when their customers continued coming in, still taking a preference to hard

copies. For others, it was a healthy blend of both: use an e-Reader and buy plenty of actual books.

The Wysors credit the plethora of repeat customers and their valuable trade-ins that have helped the store persist for so many years.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work to build up our customer base to survive,” Jane says.

“You can’t put a lot of time and money into this and expect to immediately make bank,” Bud added. “It takes time. But we’re finally at a comfortable spot.”

Tyler Newman is a Staff Writer for the Chowan Herald and Eastern North Carolina Living.

For Jane, at least today, the favorite is “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving. Bud’s favorite as of this writing is “The Memory of Running” by Ron McLarty.

Photos by Deborah Griffin & Contributed

Ivy Garden Designs by Donna is a smalltown florist with big values.

Located in historic downtown Plymouth, the full-service flower shop is a stone’s throw from the mighty Roanoke River.

Owner Donna Shaw has been delighting customers with her whimsical arrays for 12 years at the 105 Water Street shop.

The Bear Grass native has worked with flowers almost half her life.

She cut her first flowers at Designers Corner in Williamston under the tutelage of Sandra Moore (now retired), who ran the shop for years, located in Piggly Wiggly.

“She called me years ago to see if I wanted a job,” she said. “[Moore] taught me everything I know.”

Shaw was between jobs at the time.

“She thought I was a nice person; and thought I could get along with people and be good with the public,” Shaw added.

“She is a very special person to me. She led me to going to church. She was a big inspiration to me,” she continued.

“She showed me the ropes of doing the flowers. I give her all the credit. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t learned from her,” she said.

Shaw’s son, Brian Tripp, is now the owner of the shop inside Piggly Wiggly, renamed Tripp’s Florist.

“Once I started playing in flowers at Piggly Wiggly, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I like helping people,” she said.

Shaw loves helping people at Ivy Gardens

After Shaw left Piggly Wiggly, she opened a flower shop in the (now closed) Clark’s Pharmacy on Main Street in Williamston, called Clark’s Downtown Flowers and Gifts.

When the opportunity arose for her to take over an existing flower shop in Plymouth, she decided to take a chance.

“I didn’t know how it was going to work out,” she said. “I was really scared to go out on my own.”

Her husband, Charles, who comes to the shop with her almost every day, kept encouraging her.

“He is my rock,” she said. “He is the one who pushed me. He would tell me, ‘It’s going to work. You are doing fine.’ I bought it and it took off. It’s been good ever since.”

She and Charles have been married 41 years.

“He has put up with me that long,” she said, laughing. “He was my childhood sweetheart. I

couldn’t do this without him.”

Shaw and Charles also have a daughter, Mindy Johnson, and two grandchildren, Layla Price, 15 and Skyler Price, 11.

Shaw puts her whole heart into her business.

“When I moved here, I didn’t know anybody. I worked hard to build my clientele. I treated people good and was nice to people. They kept coming back,” she said. “I’ve got good customers. I treat them well. I give it my whole life.”

She has a hard time saying no.

“I’m real tender-hearted. My customers are like family. Sometimes I work seven days a week.”

When she leaves her shop for the evening or weekend, she switches calls to her personal line.

“Sometimes I take orders while I’m out to eat on Saturday nights,” she said. “You have to

be there for people when they need you. I’m always there to help.”

She knows not everything can be done during traditional business hours, especially funerals.

One of the saddest things about COVID for Shaw was the uptick in the number of funerals.

“Some out of town flower shops were not open. People were calling me asking me to do flowers for funerals because their florists wouldn’t do them,” she said.

“I had grown men calling me crying, asking me to do flowers for their mothers’ funerals because it was the weekend, and nobody would do the flowers. It was sad,” she added.

She sometimes had eight or nine funerals in one week during the pandemic.

“It was unreal,” she said.

Still, at times, she has more than one funeral in a day.

Even though weddings are much harder, she would prefer weddings outnumber funerals.

But she realizes arranging funeral flowers is a way to give a final gift to people.

“It is the last thing you can do for someone - and you want to get it right as a comfort to the family,” she added.

Shaw said she and Charles feel embraced by the surrounding community.

“The people love us here,” she added.

Shaw has one full-time and one part-time employee who help her service Plymouth, Williamston, Columbia, Creswell, Roper, Washington and Windsor.

Shaw loves being a small-town florist.

“I love helping people, making them happy, and getting them what they want,” she said.

When her own mother died in October, her son, Brian, did her mother’s (Brian’s grandmother’s) flowers.

“I was going to do them, but I didn’t want to take that away from him,” she said. “They were beautiful. It was exactly what I would have done.”

Ivy Garden Designs by Donna is located at 105 Water Street in Plymouth and is open 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday.

Deborah Griffin is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

I worked hard to build my clientele.

I treated people good and was nice to people. They kept coming back.

Donna Shaw

Spencer’s Snack Bar is a staple in Windsor

Story by Leslie Beachboard Photos by Leslie Beachboard & Contributed

Food made with love and a smile.

That’s what locals and visitors will get when visiting Spencer’s Snack Bar in downtown Windsor.

The restaurant has been a popular destination for many generations with a rich history that has seen trials, like multiple floods over the years. But with God’s help the businesses current owner’s Nancy and Vic Thompson continue to serve its patrons in memory of Nancy’s late father, Spencer Pierce.

It’s a simple take-out restaurant for those looking for breakfast or lunch with no entrance or tables. Just walk up to the window, place an order and wait for the order.

“I am so grateful and thankful to God for putting me at Spencers. I give Him all the glory. I love and so very much appreciate each and every customer He had blessed me with,” said Nancy Thompson.

Long before Spencer’s Snack Bar became famous locally for its double cheeseburgers, it was known as the “bus station,” and helping travelers get to their destinations.

The history of Spencer’s Snack Bar goes back to the Bus Station. In fact, some longtime locals still refer to it as “the bus station.”

The Windsor bus operations originated in the Hotel Pearl, which was located on the north end of Queen Street circa 1905.

William and Lillian Smallwood began selling bus tickets in 1931 in the second bus station location at 124 South King Street.

Afterwards, the Smallwoods sold bus tickets across the street from the previous location at 124 South King Street, where the Smallwoods opened a little restaurant.

Later, a new building was built, and the bus station moved to 208 West Granville Street, the current home of Spencer’s Snack Bar.

Western Union telegraph services were added when the bus station moved to Granville Street.

Bus systems developed quickly as better equipment became available and roads were improved.

In the 1930’s, two buses left Windsor daily, but by 1968 there were eight buses daily. In the early days, a one-way ticket to Norfolk, Virginia, was was $1.25, but by 1968 the same ticket cost $4.20.

The Smallwoods retired in 1968 after 37 years of continuous service. The couple was awarded a

plaque which read, “Carolina Trailways Service Award.”

In the 1970’s, Lewis and Inez Tadlock moved to Windsor to run the bus station. The Tadlocks operated the station for approximately 10 more years.

In the early years of the bus station, when the buses would arrive, Otis Mitchell would be in the yard to say, “the bus is coming.”

Even after Windsor no longer had buses coming, Mitchell would still holler, “the bus is coming.” He thought is was his job to announce the bus.

Their son, Milton Tadlock, ran the bus station for an additional year at the Granville Street location before it was relocated to Roberson’s Service Station on South King Street in the 1980s.

The bus station continued to operate a few more years until it was closed due to bus operations being discontinued in Windsor.

According to records, Locke Smallwood closed in the front porch of the bus station on Granville Street, the current Spencer’s Snack Bar location, for serving food and Locke ran the bus station.

Frank Byrum and his wife, Ruth, sold fast food in the early 1950s from the closed in porch, known as Frank’s Place. The menu consisted of fast food like hamburgers and hot dogs. Families would get food and go to the movies.

Frank ran the snack bar until his health got

bad in the late 1960s. It remained closed for a long time.

Milton and Barbara Tadlock took over the snack bar when their children were small to earn extra income. It became known as Tadlock’s Snack Bar.

Barbara did a lot of the work while Milton continued to work at Lea Lumber Company. Their children, Mark and Jill, help in the snack bar as they got older.

The Tadlock family ran the snack bar for eight or nine years until the late 1970s.

In addition to the Tadlock family, other owners/operators of the snack bar were Betty Joyce Castelloe, Ruth Phelps, Robert and Ann Turner and Freda Hoggard.

Nancy’s father, Spencer, changed the name to Spencer’s Snack Bar when he purchased the business in 1993.

“My daddy, Spencer Pierce, ran the business beginning in 1993 until he retired in 2003 and I took over. There have been many wonderful families that owned and operated the business before us,” said Nancy.

Since the Pierce/Thompson family started Spencer’s Snack Bar, it has been hit by flooding from several hurricanes and tropical storms. Beginning with Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and several more times including twice within two weeks in 2016 with Tropical Storm Julia and Hurricane Matthew.

Each time the family, along with employees and community members, would clean up

the devastation and reopen the doors to serve its patrons.

In 2017, Nancy was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award from the Windsor/Bertie County Chamber of Commerce for her hard work and dedication to the citizens of Bertie County.

If someone was in need of a meal, Nancy always has made sure they had something, no questions asked, even if they were unable to pay.

“I consider each and everyone, my friend and family. I love them so much. Many heartfelt thanks and love to my husband, Vic, and my employees. They are awesome to me and I couldn’t do it without them,” said Nancy.

Spencer’s Snack Bar is known is its double cheeseburgers, but also serves a variety of other items. Breakfast and lunch is served from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Spencer’s Snack Bar is located at 208 West Granville St. in Windsor.

When she is not cooking and spreading joy and God’s love at the snack bar, Nancy enjoys spending time with her mom, Margaret, her husband, Vic, her son and daughter-in-law, Spencer and Kristy and her two grandchildren, Harry and Skylar.

Leslie Beachboard is the Managing Editor for the Bertie Ledger-Advance, Chowan Herald, Perquimans Weekly and The Enterprise. She can be reached via email at lbeachboard@apgenc.com.

I am so grateful and thankful to God for putting me at Spencers. I give Him all the glory.

Nancy Thompson

Insurance is a Family Affair

Walking in the doors of this office, one will immediately feel the warmth, care and friendliness from this office family.

Located in the beautiful Harbor District in downtown Washington, Sloan Insurance Agency, Inc. has been an independent and family operated business since 1950.

Walking in the doors of this office, one will immediately feel the warmth, care and friendliness from this office family.

After serving our country with the United States Air Force during World War II, Lloyd P. Sloan Jr. of Charlotte, attended Louisburg College.

There, he met his future wife, Marion Ruth Hodges, a native of Washington. He then continued his education at East Carolina Teachers College (now East Carolina University),

graduated with a degree in accounting, and married Marion.

Deciding to make Washington their home, Lloyd put his degree to work and was hired as a bookkeeper for the Talley Brothers’ Farm Supply Company on Main Street in town.

In September, 1950, Lloyd decided to venture into the world of insurance, thus Sloan Insurance was born, opening its doors to selling property and casualty needs to peoplefocusing on the needs of the local farmers.

With his vision of a family-owned business, Lloyd hired his mother, Myrtle Sloan, who worked in the business from 1955 to 1985. During that time, Lloyd and Marion had two sons, Mike and Lewis.

After each son graduated from East Carolina University in the 1970's, they too had the desire to become involved in the family business and selling insurance. At that time, making three generations working together under the same roof.

The agency continued to flourish and although they changed office locations three times, they stayed loyal to Main Street with each move. Their current office building is across the street from where Lloyd was originally employed.

Mike and Lewis have since taken over the family business and are committed to continuing the legacy set before them.

What began as an insurance company offering policies only through Iowa Mutual Insurance Company in 1950, has expanded to a multitude of different companies. Moving into their 72nd year in insurance, they currently offer auto, homeowners, life, health and business insurance for your protection.

As Mike and Lewis say, “We offer insurance products and services for many of the financial perils our clients face today as our agency has for the entire 72 years of our existence here in Beaufort County.”

The agency is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each Monday through Friday.

Kelly Grady is a retired educator and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Story by Kelly Grady

Photos by Kelly Grady & Contributed

The Petaler: Built by their own hands

Story & Photos by Thadd White

Riding along U.S. 158 in Gates County, there is natural beauty as far as the eye can see. There is the sightly Gates County Millpond and the lovely fields and forests.

Dotted along the way are the beautiful residences in which Gates County residents make their home.

Nestled along the highway, tucked nicely between Gatesville and Sunbury, is a business that has been adding to Gates County’s beauty for more than three decades.

While the outdoor beauty is natural, so likewise is much of the beauty inside The Petaler Florist and Gifts.

“My husband, Danny, and I built the building by ourselves,” said Leslie Douglas, who has been operating The Petaler for some 32 years.

She said it took them about six months – Danny had been a construction worker before moving on to a new trade - to build the beautiful structure, which started with just two rooms.

While the idea of operating her own business hadn’t always been paramount in Leslie’s mind, she was not nearly a neophyte to the flower business.

“I went to school for horticulture and floristry,” Leslie said. “It was something I had been doing since I was 16 years old.”

Douglas was born in Norfolk, Virginia and it was there she began working with flowers, starting at a Farm Fresh in Virginia Beach as an intern when she was still a teenager.

From there she moved on to the Norfolk Vocational Center, where she earned her education in horticulture and floristry. She was putting that education to work in Suffolk, Virginia as she and Danny constructed what would be the home of The Petaler.

“When we opened, it was just a two-room florist, but we quickly had people asking for gifts,” Douglas said. “This was back before there was a Dollar General or Wal Mart on every corner. Folks here wanted a local place to pick up gifts and we were able to add that.”

Douglas and her husband added an

When we opened, it was just a two-room florist, but we quickly had people asking for gifts.

Leslie Douglas

upstairs, complete with a spiral staircase, before adding a third room which is primarily gifts.

While the florist is still a primary reason for the customers to drop by The Petaler, customers also come for last-minute gifts, gift baskets, flowers, plants and edibles.

“People come in and ask for gifts for me and at first you might think we wouldn’t be the place for that, but I can put together a basket of edibles – we carry all kinds of excellent food and snacks – and they are popular,” Leslie said.

In addition to the flowers and the food, among the most popular items at The Petaler are T-shirts, jewelry and yard ornaments.

In fact, The Petaler is chock full of gift items – from the obvious Willow Tree Angels and flowers to peanuts, cheese straws and toffee. There are also an abundant assortment of candles, signs, flags and college fan items.

“We also have inis, which is shipped to Gates County from Ireland,” Leslie said. “It’s not exactly the best-selling item, but for the people who love it, they love it.”

The line includes body butter, cologne spray, lotion and nourishing cream.

The product is one of many reasons people from Gates County and the surrounding region make their way to The Petaler.

“It’s hard to survive in a small business in a

small county,” Leslie said. “We just do the best we can. I’m certainly not getting rich here, but I enjoy working with the people who come in. It feels good to have the folks here support me.”

One of Leslie’s favorite things to do is door wreaths – something she does all year because people like to change up their décor.

Though obvious, weddings are a key demographic of the florist business and something The Petaler still handles regularly.

“We do a lot of weddings and, of course, funerals,” Leslie said. “As I’ve gotten older, the funerals are tough. I end up crying right along with the family a lot of times.”

As for seasonal work, Christmas is still the one that brings the most business, according to Leslie.

“Christmas is obviously the longest holiday,” she said. “You have to prepare for it a long time in advance and be ready a month or so beforehand.

“Mother’s Day is also a big holiday because most everyone has a mother whether they are still living or not,” she continued. “That means we get a lot of arrangements for living mothers and then do flowers for people to put on the graves of their mothers.”

Leslie also says The Petaler does a lot of work for churches in Gates County.

“We do a lot of churches in the area –

providing flowers for them weekly,” she said. “I like to get them something that is not monotonous.”

During the last two years of COVID, Leslie said she has changed how work has been done. She said at first the business closed like most, but then went back to work with precautions – many times including leaving deliveries outside.

Some 30 years into working on her own, Leslie said she does look forward to retirement at some point, but isn’t sure when it will come.

“I have enjoyed my work,” she said. “It is very life-consuming though. We can be getting in a car to leave, but if we get a call we have to stop and do what we need to for our customers.

“One day I would like to retire,” Leslie continued. “That day is sooner rather than later, but some customers really depend on me and I hate not to be here for them.”

The Petaler is open from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. It is located at 76 U.S. 158 in Gates.

Thadd White is Editor of five Adams Publishing Group publications in northeastern North Carolina, including Eastern North Carolina Living.

Seven decades of serving Dortches

From country store to ultramodern wedding venue, Smith’s Red & White has been serving the Dortches community almost 70 years.

In some ways, walking into Smith’s Red & White, located on the outskirts of Rocky Mount, is like taking a step back in time.

Home-cooked aromas waft among grocery store aisles and are reminiscent of walking through the screen door of Grandma’s kitchen.

Even the name Red & White is a throwback to when Red & White grocery stores were found in small towns throughout the country in 1930s and ‘40s.

Second generation owner Bruce Smith is in the business of balancing nostalgic deliciousness with modern convenience.

His father, S.B. (Sherwood) Smith, (now deceased) started the store in 1954 as a small feed, seed and fertilizer store when Dortches was a simple farmland crossroads. Bruce was 4.

Now 72, he sometimes longs for the slower pace of the iconic country store where farmers would stop in for a “pop and a ‘Nab’.”

(Most eastern North Carolinians know ‘Nab’ is Southern slang for Nabisco’s packaged, orange-colored, square-shaped, peanut butter-filled crackers – although, at times it can refer to any snack cracker.) Pop is short for soda pop.

Over the years, the Smiths, (which now includes third generation Derrick, Bruce’s son), grew the store into a contemporary 20,000foot grocery, expanding four different times - keeping close ties to its country store roots.

Smith’s Red & White’s store manager Terry Coggin said to be competitive in the grocery store business, “you have to be different.”

One way they do that is through comfort food.

Bushels of hard-to-find county-store candy greet customers as they enter the store.

“In November and December, we change it to holiday candy. We transform the entire

store into a massive winter wonderland,” he said.

On a bigger scale, the store’s famous meat processing center distinguishes them from modern food-store chains.

“Sausage and country ham are what we were built on,” said Coggin.

“Our fresh meat is what put us on the map,” agreed Smith.

Their sausage, loved by customers all along the Eastern Seaboard, is ground daily.

“We use the same recipe we’ve used for 60 years,” Smith said.

Each week, they produce over 10,000 pounds. During Christmas, that amount doubles and triples, as people buy it for gifts; the line sometimes snaking to the front entrance of the store, he said.

Smith’s offers cuts of meat not found in most stores.

“We cut meat every day - whatever people want,” said Coggin.

They also offer old-fashioned cuts of

Story & Photos by Deborah Griffin

hog, such as knuckles. They even sell souse and chitterlings, or “chitlins.” (Ask a Southern grandma about these.)

Smith’s Red & White also grinds their own hamburger beef; a practice, according to Smith, that truly sets them apart – and was critical throughout the early days of the pandemic.

“I remember when everything shut down, nobody had hamburger. But we did. We would grind hamburger all day, one batch behind another. People couldn’t get it anywhere else,” he said.

“I think ours is a whole lot better than preground. You always hear about E. coli recalls. That comes from pre-ground meat,” he added.

Adjacent to the store, Smith’s Red & White Restaurant, established in 2010, serves everything you would expect from a country

grill. They use Smith’s meat products, which include tenderloin, country ham and bacon, along with homemade cheese- and sausagebiscuits. They are open 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and do a hearty business.

“On Fridays and Saturdays, it is just a zoo,” Smith said.

Back inside the store, the Deli, which is answerable for the store’s savory smells, daily churns out old-fashioned flavors of what were once staples of country kitchens.

Chicken pastry, Brunswick stew, barbecue, chicken salad, pimento cheese, and green beans taste just like Grandma’s. They use a two-day process to cook their collard greens. And every night they roast 30 pork shoulders for barbeque. Most days they sell out of these Southern specialties.

Coggin said the grocery store also

Smith

We use the same recipe we’ve used for 60 years.

Bruce

emphasizes fresh produce.

“Any time it is available, we buy it,” he said. “It is all seasonal-dependent. Right now, we are waiting on local strawberries.”

Rows of kitchen gadgets and knives line the shelves of one aisle.

“You don’t go to many grocery stores and find quality stainless steel,” he said.

The store has hoop cheese, once a country store standard.

“You can pretty much find anything here you could have in a country store, unless it has gone by the wayside,” Coggin said.

Smith’s also offers an array of North Carolina products, including peanuts by various vendors, and a multitude of homegrown jams, jellies, sauces and honey.

Both Coggin and Smith believe diversity and quality are two characteristics that has helped Smith’s Red & White endure.

People know when they see the Smith’s label it has quality, Smith said.

“It just amazes me how much we sell because of our label. That is one reason we don’t buy pre-ground hamburger meat. I just can’t stand the thought of it,” he added.

But he realizes it will take more than diversity and value to keep Smith’s a family business.

“It is hard for families to stay in business generation after generation,” he said.

His son Derrick, 46, is becoming more involved in the business. He and his wife have two sons, 16 and 18.

“Maybe my grandboys will be interested in it,” he said. “There is plenty to do here that is for sure.

“I’ve got to start stepping back a little bit,” he added.

That might prove to be difficult, as their latest initiative of diversification opened in March.

“Smith’s Pavilion of Dortches,” located on Smith’s property behind the store, is a venue “to celebrate life’s greatest events,” such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and reunions.

It began as a remodel of a century-old

community center, which blossomed into a much larger structure, complete with a fullkitchen, bar, reception hall and outdoor patio. A bride and groom suite is in the works, he said.

“They were planning to tear down the old community clubhouse, where everyone - since the early forties - had community functions,” said Smith. “I hated to see that - it was constructed from old knotty pine.”

He bought it and moved it to his property.

“People kept encouraging me to fix it up. They said I’d be surprised how often I would rent it out,” he said.

Just recently completed, it has already begun to book up.

The outside patio, complete with a fireplace and firepit, is over 2,000 square feet. Three acres of open space are available for outdoor events. Inside, there is a 2,800 square-foot reception area.

The pavilion is an example of the Smiths’ commitment to the area. The restored old center is a link to the community’s past – as well as an investment in its future.

Smith said he remembers when, “We were just a little country crossroads in Dortches.”

He always knew he wanted “to come back here work, get married and have kids,” he said. “I married the preacher’s daughter [Janice Dickens], and it’s been good ever since.”

They have been married 51 years.

“We started courting each other in 8th grade,” he added.

Smith’s Red & White seems to be one of the best kept secrets along the East Coast.

There is no sign at Exit 141 off Interstate-95, less than five minutes from the store’s parking lot entrance.

But people find them.

“People from up North come here and buy all that sausage and carry it back to their friends,” he added. “On Saturdays you see a lot of out-of-state people here.”

Smith said they employ about 80 people in the restaurant and grocery store, and another 20 at the new Pavilion.

Smith’s Red & White has embraced another old-fashioned tradition, which for many has gone by the wayside.

They choose to be closed on Sundays.

“It’s the way it’s always been,” he said. “We stay busy enough, I don’t see the need. I think it makes our employees happy.”

The store is also closed July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Smith’s Red & White is located at 3635 N. Halifax Rd., Rocky Mount.

For more information, visit smithsredandwhite.com.

Deborah Griffin is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Browning finds a better way for his family

Story & Photo by John H. Walker

addy, there’s got to be a better way.”

Rex Browning, now 88, was recalling his youth in Plymouth and the time a mule’s tail, filled with cockleburs, slapped him on the side of his face and prompted his statement to his father.

“We lived on a farm,” he recalled. “We had a mule cart and no electricity.”

He recalled that he found what he called “a dollar pocket watch.”

“I don’t remember where or how I found it, but I did. We had a jeweler in town, Edgar Bateman, and I went to his store,” Browning recalled.

Browning said he asked Bateman if the jeweler had a little screwdriver he could purchase and was asked why.

“I told him I wanted to fix my watch,” Browning said. “He told me that when my daddy was done with me (working), I could come to him and he would teach me how to repair watches like he did.”

Browning said that he took the jeweler up on his offer in the tenth grade and when he graduated, he was fixing all of Bateman’s watches.

He had figured out that better way he had suggested to his father.

To this day, Browning has Bateman’s photo on the counter located next to his workbench.

Browning recalled that he went off to “State College” (N.C. State) and fixed watches while he was there.

“Then, I went to Campbell and I fixed watches while I was there. When I graduated, I came here.”

Browning opened Rex Jewelers on March 1, 1957.

“I’ve been here since then,” he said. “I’ve been in three locations in this same block.”

He explained that he first opened under a stairwell in the former W.S. Clark Building, then moved to a location about three

storefronts up the street and then settled in at his current location.

“We bought this building (401 Main St.) in 1979 and have been here since,” he explained.

Back before that final move, in 1964, Browning had a bit of a health scare.

“They sent me to the sanitarium in Wilson. Said I had TB (tuberculosis). I was there six months, five days and four hours,” he explained. “My wife would bring watches over to me and I would repair them and she would pick them up and take them back.”

Browning said that one day a nurse told him that he didn’t have TB.

“I went and found the doctor and told him what she said and they sent me home,” he recalled. “They made me go… said if I had TB, I wasn’t sick enough to hurt anybody.”

His daughter, Lynn Browning Taylor, who joined him in 1981, went to watchmaking

I just can’t say enough about what this community means to us. The people have been so supportive over the years.

Lynn Browning Taylor

school at Wayne Community College.

“There were probably five people in that class and three of them were on VA (the VA bill),” she recalled.

She said her intent was to do the same work as her father as a watchmaker.

“When we started looking at everything and setting things up, there was only room for one watchmaker’s bench … and he was already here,” she said.

But she got busy with other things.

“I do engraving and buying … stringing pearls … whatever else is needed,” she explained.

She said that over the years, the people of Tarboro and Edgecombe County had been supportive of the business.

Her father said that there had been good times and bad times, but that through it all, he repaired watches and clocks and did whatever their customers needed.

Some of those tough times came in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd hit and filled the store with four-and-a-half feet of floodwater.

“It ruined everything,” he said. “We lost everything. My tools, my workbench, our merchandise. Everything.”

Browning said other merchants who had flooded property just tore out walls to the level reached by the floodwater, but ran into problems.

“They wound up with mold,” he said. “We tore out everything. We put plastic over the brick walls, then put new paneling all the way around.”

While there may be some difficulty in finding parts for some old timepieces, Browning stays busy.

“Every day,” he said. “I fix watches every day.”

He explained that he recently had customers who lived in Burlington, Raleigh and Virginia drop off watches for him to repair.

“Just nobody does it anymore,” he said.

Watch repairs are just a part of the services provided by Rex Jewelers.

“We’re a traditional jewelry store,” Lynn said. “We do the engraving and restringing pearls. We’ve got gifts (and gift wrapping) and all the jewelry … rings, bracelets, earrings, wallets, necklaces … everything.”

Lynn also has a deft hand at ear piercing and has sent more than one young lady on her way with her first set of “real” earrings.

“I just can’t say enough about what this community means to us,” she said. “The people have been so supportive over the years.”

Support was strong back in November 2018, when an armed robber struck.

A story published in The Rocky Mount Telegram on Nov. 29 recounted the incident:

“Taylor described a harrowing ordeal during which a gunman entered the store and ordered her to lay on the floor. Browning, 84, is well-known for sitting in a rolling office chair behind the store counter, wearing his magnifying glasses and using special tools to work on watches and other intricate jewelry. He didn’t know at first that he was being robbed.

“Dad was in his chair and didn’t even know the man was in the store until the man went behind the counter and tried to take things,” Taylor said. “That’s when the fight started. Dad had the man in a headlock until his chair flipped over.”

In a later story, her father recounted the well-wishes and prayers he had received from the community.

Two men were later arrested in Norfolk, Va., and charged with the crime.

Father and daughter may be in the jewelry business, but they are also in the people business — often greeting customers by name and asking how a spouse or child is doing, also calling them by name.

And when the customers are absent, the store is empty in more ways than could be imagined.

During the 40-day shutdown brought about by the pandemic, persons passing by Rex’s windows saw a hand-lettered sign that read, “We miss you!”

As reopening day neared, Lynn did a countdown on the store’s social media.

A visit to Rex Jewelers is good for conversation, as well.

Not to mention a look at Rex’s little minimuseum on the front shelf of his counter.

There’s a baseball autographed by the legendary Connie Mack during a visit to Tarboro on April 11, 1939, and there are children’s wristwatches that feature Hopalong Cassidy, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. There is also a hummingbird nest and old coins and other collectibles.

And behind the counter, Rex has an oyster shell with a pearl attached that’s about the size of three peas.

“If that pearl was formed properly,” he said, “it would probably be worth $3,000 or so.”

Rex Jewelers is located at 401 Main Street in Tarboro, on the corner of Main and St. James. The phone number is (252) 823-4700 and the store is open from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

John H. Walker is a Staff Writer for the Rocky Mount Telegram and Eastern North Carolina Living.

Providing for Wilson for over a century

Story by Nancy West-Brake Photos Contributed

Businesses come and businesses go, but one establishment in Wilson sank down farm and garden roots in 1898 and is still growing.

P.L. Woodard’s at 108 Barnes Street, also known as Womble Tackle & Hardware, is a family business owned by a mother, Penny Womble, her daughter, Allison Moye, and son, Jimmy Miller, who is the General Manager of P.L.Woodard’s.

The two-story brick building is the original structure at the site, once attracting farmers who would leave their mules and wagons at a nearby Blacksmith’s shop

and come in to buy seed and other supplies.

The store even had its own currency in the form of credit coins, used to replace paper credit vouchers during the Great Depression. Some of those coins, bearing the stamp of “P.L. Woodard’s & Co General Merchandise and Fertilizers, Wilson NC,” and “Good for 5.00 Merchandise” can be seen at the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly.

Farmers still come in, Miller said, to buy seed, fertilizer and animal feed for horses,

cows, chickens, dogs and cats - but so do property owners needing advice on lawn care or looking to buy mowers or power equipment. And so does pretty much everybody in Wilson, especially when it’s garden time.

“We sell most seeds by the scoop, and put it in snuff cans,” said Miller, who said people buy okra, watermelon, squash, zucchini, cabbage, collards and kale.

The snuff cans, Miller said, “have been here forever” but work out just right for the seed.

Shelves of healthy early season plants were outside the store by March 3, strawberries and buttercrunch lettuce vying for space with herbs like sage, chives and spearmint. Just above them, reaching for the sun, were packs of pansies, violas and French marigolds among others.

Horse feed and dog food are the two hottest sellers, Miller said, among the animal feed, although P.L. Woodard’s also caters to

the exotic birds at Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck.

“We’re the closest Purina dealer who can get the specialized Mazuri food for flamingos, parrots and toucans,” Miller said.

Miller and his family have owned P.L. Woodard’s for seventeen years, having bought it from Carolina Agribusiness in Greenville, who purchased it earlier from five owner/stockholders. Miller’s family had been the proprietors of Womble Tackle & Hardware and Moye Real Estate at 230 Tarboro Street, but a fire five years ago at the Tarboro Street location caused a merger of sorts, and the businesses joined in name and location at Barnes Street. Their website, www.womblehardwareplwoodard.com, also reflects the union.

The Womble Tackle store, Miller said, operated for fifty years, starting with his great grandfather under the name W.W. Furniture

We sell most seeds by the scoop, and put it in snuff cans.

Jimmy Miller

and Appliance Center. His grandfather, J.M. Womble Jr., was the first Mercury Motor Dealer in the state. P.L. Woodard’s doesn’t sell fishing tackle, but does sell fishing and hunting licenses.

“I just don’t have the room for fishing rods,” said Miller, who makes it an art form to stock as many items on the shelves that he does, using a freight elevator from the 1930s to shuttle overstock upstairs.

Once buyers with planting on their minds pick up a hoe and shovel and navigate through displays of garden flags, garden hats, gloves, sacks of grass feed, fertilizer and lawn chemicals, they inevitably find their way into the adjacent and connected building that is home to the modern powerhouse of P.L. Woodard’s: its lawn equipment department and Miller’s personal nest, the repair shop.

“We are one of the major sellers in North Carolina,” Miller said proudly of Z-Spray Stand-On Spreader Sprayers, part of Z-Turf Equipment.

It’s used, Miller said, to apply seed, insecticides or herbicides to large areas with a lot of ground to cover, like ballfields. P.L. Woodard’s is also a dealer for Snapper and Echo along with eXmark, having recently hosted a day-long eXmark event at the local Elks Lodge with product demos and a pest management seminar complete with lunch.

“When we first got the place, we didn’t have zero turn mowers, but now we’ve got those and mowers of every size, even up to the big commercial units,” Miller said.

Mowers, along with blowers, string trimmers, chainsaws and hedge trimmers top the list, Miller said, for what gets brought into the repair shop.

“People use bad gas,” Miller explained about why machines go awry. “Ethanol is terrible for small engines.”

He and his crew clean out and repair engines, replace air and fuel filters, sharpen blades and sell a lot of parts for the brands they sell along with others they don’t, like Husqvarna, AYP and NTD. P.L. Woodard’s services other brands, but customers who bring in machines bought at the store “get to go to the front of the line.”

P.L. Woodard’s keeps true to its oldfashioned heritage by also selling delectables like locally made blackstrap molasses, pickled eggs, jalapeno peppers, Dutch Kettle brand jams and jellies and honey, some from local bees and some from Yadkinville.

Retired USDA tobacco grader John L. Pippin Jr., of Fremont said he’d been coming to P.L. Woodard’s for sixty years, having started his visits with his Granddad and Dad.

“It was the place I thought had it all,” Pippin said. “You could get nuts, bolts, any seed in

any quantity and was an all-around store for lamps, cast iron frying pans to safety matches. Even to this day when you go in, you feel just as welcome as you did 60 years ago, and it’s still the best farm supply and feed store. I will continue to shop there until they close, or I die - whichever comes first.”

Miller said out of everything at the store, what he liked best was the customers.

“Everyone has a different attitude,” Miller said, “and we have the chance to put a smile on their faces. That makes a difference.”

P.L. Woodard’s is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. until noon. They are closed on Sundays.

Nancy West-Brake is a freelance writer and a new contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Sunset Stables is more than meets the eye

Story by Lewis Hoggard Photos by Deborah Griffin

If one ventures off U.S. Route 64 in Robersonville, a few miles to Winslow Road, one’s automobile travels under the ranch sign “Sunset Stables.”

Now, with the fencing all around and horses in the pasture, you realize that you have left the hustle and bustle of the modern world behind.

A working stable and farm is located on about two hundred acres. They are also known as a wonderful wedding venue site. Multiple buildings are present on the property, including where the wedding event space is housed. They also offer horse boarding, host parties and other events.

Sunset Stables has a chapel and two cabins

for bridal preparations, along with the main building which can host the weddings and receptions. The main building is divided up into two large areas which offers plenty of space for large weddings or events including the Cowboy Cookhouse Party barn which includes a kitchen and large fireplace.

There is plenty of parking on the property. There are picnic tables outside and inside. One will not feel crowded at this property, but will instead feel at home on the farm with plenty of space and amenities.

The buildings have a rustic appeal that certainly authenticates the perception that

you are on a working farm and not a wedding venue that has been created to be like a working farm. This is a real horse farm where one can keep and train their horses.

On the farm, hay is raised, cut and baled. The hay is used for the horses on the property and sold for horses and cattle in the area; just another part of the work that occurs at this property.

“Sunset Stables is an excellent venue that draws on our equestrian and agricultural themes throughout the county. Sunset Stables is tucked away on a beautiful farm in Robersonville, and their food is fantastic.

Sunset Stables

Definitely a place to visit while in Martin County,” stated Chase Conner, who is the director of the Martin County Tourism Development Authority.

Tim and Amy Roberson are the owners of Sunset Stables. They were the first couple to be married on the property, and that is where

is tucked away on a beautiful farm in Robersonville.

the whole idea of being a wedding venue started.

Since that first wedding, many additions have occurred on the property to improve the experience. It has been many gradual improvements that has occurred from seeing what was needed and adding those pieces

“The Roberson’s are a hard-working couple that do things the right way and with pride in what they do,” said Christi Bryant, who grew up in Martin County and is realtor on the Outer Banks with Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

The Robersons take satisfaction in the experience that they give to visitors to the stables and to the food that they provide. They will host approximately twelve weddings a year, predominantly in the spring and summer. The catering can also be done with the same folks as they operate the Filling Station Catering company.

A common theme when people talk about Sunset Stables is the quality of the food. They

are a catering business which for many years provided the food for the Sen. Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center, also located in Martin County. They also owned the Filling Station restaurant in Robersonville which has transitioned into their catering company.

The Roberson brothers owned the Filling Station restaurant for twenty years or so. Tim and Amy became the sole owners of the restaurant in 2005. They served the community for many years and then closed the restaurant side of the business in 2012 and concentrated on the catering part of the business, including the Sundown Café at the Bob Martin Center.

The closing of the restaurant was influenced by traffic being diverted away from downtown because of the new U.S. 64 four-lane. While the improvements in highways help traveling times it has hurt downtowns across eastern North Carolina like Robersonville.

The food options range from seafood,

chicken, pork and beef prepared anyway one would like it. They will custom design your menu for catering and event needs.

There is no limit to how far they will travel to cater.

Tim Roberson says, “We will go anywhere, so long as they pay us when we get there.”

The Roberson are a family that likes to work together and have their work be something that they enjoy doing. Whether it is making the bride have that truly special day or feeding a large crowd really good food or working out the horses on the farm.

The Filling Station restaurant is going to reopen on Sunday’s for a lunch buffet from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. starting April 10. They are excited to get the restaurant back open and hopefully draw a large crowd every Sunday. This family certainly stays busy.

Sunset Stables, as a wedding venue, event destination and a working farm with Filling Station Catering are truly family businesses that are reminiscent of bygone era of Mom and Pops type businesses that dominated the local economy.

The Robersons have had to diversify what they do to be successful yet not compromise their values in doing what they enjoy to make a living.

Call to set up a visit to Sunset Stables, or drop in for Sunday lunch at the Filling Station restaurant and see what they have to offer. More information can be found at their website at sunsetstables.org.

Lewis Hoggard is Executive Director of the Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

around the corner, just across the tracks”

Story by Gene Motley Photos by Gene Motley and Contributed

There’s a saying that seven percent of the country provides our food, but 100 percent of us eat it. After all, who doesn’t love to cook and eat?

Sometimes cooking is something mundane that is done at home, but turning it into a passionate earning career – especially in these challenging postpandemic times – can be an exciting experience. Yes, there’s a lot of work to do, however, all that work becomes fun if you give your heart to it.

That’s exactly what the husband-andwife team of Corey and Tracy Laws have done with Trackside Restaurant & Tavern on U.S. 158 at 137 East Main Street right in the heart of the Northampton County hamlet of Conway.

Tracy, a native of Hertford County, migrated to north Florida, and enrolled in nursing school in the late 1990’s. Fifteen years later she returned to the region with not only her soul-mate, but also with a dream. She says her family kind of ‘hog-

“Right

We’ve gotten so acquainted with people and they’ve gotten used to us that they know us well.

Tracy Laws

tied’ them together, but it was much more than that.

“I guess it was God,” Tracy Laws recounts reflectively. “My husband had said in 2019 that we were going to get a restaurant, and we had passed by this establishment several times, and so one day early that year we decided to stop in and made a call on the owner.”

The transition didn’t happen immediately. In fact, it took until the fall of that year before she and the owner got back in touch. When the owner reached out, it didn’t take long for Tracy to return a phone call.

“They said you were ready, right and I said, ‘Yeah,’ and that’s how one thing led to another,” Laws said.

Within a few months’ time the Laws had

opened for business.

They didn’t come into the food service business exactly cold. They had owned a food truck which they set up on Conway’s Main Street across from the Feed Store.

“We had more than the food truck, we also catered for festivals and, at one point, we ran the food service at Roanoke-Chowan Community College,” Corey Laws said. “We were there for some four years.”

Both Laws worked various local jobs to accumulate the capital they needed helping familiarize them with the community.

From his Sunshine State roots, Laws admits he has always had a passion for life in the kitchen.

“It was my Mom, and my uncle,” he

recalled. “They were probably the biggest influence because they used to cook all the time. They cooked a lot of wild game, like deer and stuff.”

Coming up with a name for the new restaurant took some time and effort. They wanted it to be something completely different from the food truck concept.

“Our food truck was just called ‘Burgers and Wings’ because that was what we had specialized in,” Tracy acknowledged. “But I didn’t think that was appropriate for the new place because we wanted to have more than just fast-food on the menu. So we were between ideas since we also wanted to sell soul food, comfort food and other menu items.”

Laws said they also pondered bar and tavern names like ‘The Wild Horse,’ among others, but none ever really hit the mark of what the couple wanted for their place of business. Then one day something came through the air, literally.

“I was sitting here one day and I heard that (CSX Rain Line) train go through town going ‘Toot, Toot!,’” she excitedly declared. “They were blowing their (whistle), lights were flashing, cars were backing up trying to come through, and that’s when it hit me: Hmmmm, how about ‘Trackside?’ Because we’re right here beside the tracks.”

Corey agreed, and that’s how the name came about.

“We named it Trackside Tavern and Grill because we were going to later get a permit to serve alcohol,” she stated. “We wanted something that said Corey and Tracy because we wanted something on our own, and it worked.”

While the menu is traditional Southern cooking, the Laws don’t try to pigeon-hole

themselves, as they want to also feature ‘haute cuisine.’

“We try to do a little bit of it all,” she observed. “We do pig feet, chitterlings, pork chops smothered in gravy, turkey wings, collards, chicken and gravy, cabbage; we try to do it all.”

Trackside is open Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a breakfast buffet. Sunday’s menu features a dinner buffet line from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Beginning in January they added something special to the Tuesday-Friday menu.

“It’s called the ‘Five-Minute Meal’,” said Corey. “We set up what looks like a buffet, but you don’t return for seconds. You get a meat, sides, rolls, dessert, mostly ‘to-go.’ It’s actually 50-50 because we also have Philly Cheese steaks, seafood, different burgers, wingettes, whatever they want; a combination of fast food and a sit-down meal depending on what the customer is in the mood for.”

The Laws say the ‘Five-Minute Meal’ specifically caters to working folks at GeorgiaPacific, Meherrin and other local businesses and farmers.

“It’s for folks who don’t have a lot of time to eat,” she added. “You can sit in and eat, or grab and go. We just guarantee that we will fix it and have it for you in five minutes. It’s worked and it’s really going great.”

The Laws say the greatest asset of Trackside are their customers.

“Conway has just the greatest people,” Tracy declared. “We’ve gotten so acquainted with people and they’ve gotten used to us that they know us well.”

For now, the Laws are grateful for their small business and are keeping any future plans under wraps, for now.

“We’re going to take it slow,” she said. “We aren’t doing nothing else without listening to what and where God takes us.”

Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

ALL IN A Day’s Trip

Fearrington Village

Story & Photos by Meghan Grant

provides a terrific day away

One of my favorite places for a day trip is to Fearrington Village. It is located right outside of Chapel Hill and Pittsboro and the perfect place for a getaway without having to go too far.

Fearrington Village includes a community of about 2000 residents, an inn, a spa, several restaurants, acres of gardens, an independent bookstore, boutiques and walking trails to name a few.

This time of year, there are great outdoor dining options, gardens to explore, and beltie cows and goats to say hello to while visiting. Here is an itinerary for a gorgeous afternoon day trip at Fearrington Village.

Grab a coffee and a pastry from The Belted Goat

Start your trip out with a coffee and a chocolate croissant from the Belted Goat. While you are there, browse the market with the variety of prepared foods from Colin Bedford to Thomas Keller chocolates, specialty olive oils, affordable wines and Fearrington’s house ground coffee.

Pick up a new book at McIntyre’s Books

This independent bookstore offers a great variety of books, with staff picks, featured authors and recommendations, unique gift ideas, and a sweet kids section of books and gifts. Curl up and start a book while you’re there.

Shop the Boutiques

There are three boutiques on site: Dovecote, Nest and Sprout. Dovecote features statement pieces and luxury basics with thoughtfully-curated apparel and accessory options from designers near and far. Nest is a charming lifestyle boutique focused on home, gifts and celebration located next door to Dovecote. Sprout recently opened after the children’s corner in Dovecote was so popular. This shop features gift ideas for newborns to four years old, natural skincare, unique apparel, books and games.

Take a walk over to the see the Belties

Fearrington is famous for their Beltie cows and goats, plus the chickens and donkeys. The Beltie cows are a rare Scottish breed and have been a part of Fearrington’s barnyard since 1982. There are also Tennessee fainting goats and a rare breed of chickens, whose eggs are used in the Fearrington House Restaurant’s seasonal menu. And the three donkeys can be found in the pastures with the Beltie cows to protect them from predators.

Have a Fearrington happy hour

Whether you decide to grab a drink from the Belted Goat to enjoy on the patio or want to head over to the Adirondack chairs again, Fearrington has a great selection of beers and wine to sip on for a happy hour.

Explore the English Gardens

The gardens and grounds in front of the Fearrington House Restaurant are some of the most beautiful. I love the English Gardens and I also like to peek in the herb garden for garden inspiration for myself as well.

Enjoy lunch al fresco

There are two fun dining options for lunch on site at Fearrington Village. Grab lunch from the Belted Goat and have a picnic in the gardens or in the field in front of the Fearrington House Inn. I’d recommend either bringing a blanket or pulling together the Adirondack chairs.

During warmer months, Roost is open on Thursdays and Fridays with woodfired pizzas and local beers and wine. Roost has an outdoor patio perfect for relaxing and doing a little people watching while waiting for your pizza.

Grab dinner at the bar at Fearrington House Restaurant

Fearrington House Restaurant is an award-winning restaurant and has recently started serving a more casual menu at the bar. While the dining room requires reservations, there are no reservations needed for the bar. The bar menu still features delicious, unique options like the savory cheese doughnuts and scallop toast.

Other favorites to do while you’re on site are afternoon tea service. This is by reservation and a really lovely experience! Their hot cinnamon tea is a favorite of mine plus their pimento cheese and egg salad are just divine.

The Spa at Fearrington is another option if you are looking to relax. Make an appointment online for a signature massage or facial to kick off your day trip.

And lastly, if you decide to make your day trip an overnight trip, the Inn at Fearrington is absolutely gorgeous! It is a fabulous experience to stay.

Now that spring is here, the grounds are exceptionally beautiful and it is a delightful spot to enjoy the outdoors.

Enjoy the day trip and the experience that Fearrington Village offers!

Grant is the author of the blog “I’m Fixin’ To” and is a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Meghan

Story by John h. Walker PhotoS Contributed

Burress gives all to Pinetops

For all practical purposes, Steve Burress says he is a lifetime resident of Pinetops.

Born in Wilson in November 1954, Burress moved to Edgecombe County about 1957, when his father, a Baptist minister, accepted the call from a church near Pinetops.

Burress, who currently serves as fire chief for the town of Pinetops, has also served the community on the original rescue squad, as a town commissioner as well as its mayor.

“It’s just what you do in a small town,” he explained. “You volunteer and you try to serve and make a difference.”

These days, the Pinetops Fire Department is part of the town’s operations, while EMS services are now a function of Edgecombe

County Emergency Services. That wasn’t always the case, Burress noted.

He recalled the early days of the rescue squad, which began operations in September 1972, and the first piece of equipment for the group to purchase.

“It was a 1956 Cadillac,” he recalled. “We went to Fremont and paid $400 for it and were proud to have it.”

He said the squad had had numerous pieces of equipment donated by Carlisle Funeral Home in Tarboro and Shingleton [cq] Funeral Home in Wilson, but this was the first it had purchased.

“They (funeral homes) had been in the ambulance business, but were getting out of

it,” he related.

The fact funeral homes also provided community ambulance services is something many younger folks are unaware of, but it’s the way things were — especially in smaller, rural communities until rescue squads started being created.

Burress remembers that he was 17 when the rescue squad was created and he was too young to become state-certified.

But he persevered and earned his certification, continuing to serve until June 30, 2008, when the Edgecombe County Rescue Squad took over. He served as chief from 1981 until 2008.

“We bought our first new truck in 1973,

as part of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program,” he recalled, adding, “We’ve worked to maintain our equipment and training.”

He admitted that there had been struggles at times, but that, “we’ve kept our people trained.”

Burress said that in the mid-1970s, when North Carolina required EMT training, “We were one of the first groups in the state to become trained and certified.”

Pinetops Rescue functioned independently until 2008, but in 2019, the fire department started handling medical responder calls.

“We go and assess and do what we need to do until the County EMS arrives on-scene,” he said.

Burress said the EMS is stationed at South Edgecombe Rural Fire Department, located at 6697 US Hwy 258 South, about six miles northeast of downtown Pinetops.

As proud as Burress is of the work performed over the years by the Pinetops Rescue, he beams like a proud father when he talks about the Pinetops Fire Department.

He is perhaps most proud of his department’s Class 3 fire response ratings from the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal.

To put things into perspective, Pinetops has one paid employee, while other Class 3 departments, such as Tarboro, have more than 20 paid firefighters and two stations.

At the time State Fire Marshal Mike Causey announced the Class 3 rating, Pinetops was the fourth-smallest community in the state to earn it.

Burress explained that while equipment and gear are included in consideration for the rating, so is the amount of interaction and communications between the department.

“We go to the seniors and the churches and talk with people and tell them how they can be safer,” Burress said, pointing out that it’s a neighbor-on-neighbor connection in almost all instances.

“For the kids, we go to the schools, sponsor bike rodeos and the fire house,” he added.

The bloodlines of the community run deep in the department.

“We’ve had many, many fathers and sons and even grandfathers in the department,” he said. “Right now, we have three brothers. My father was in the fire department until he passed on.”

Burress said that over the years, many of the town’s commissioners have been firefighters.

“It’s (membership) a community thing,” he said. “It’s spread out a bit over the past few

years as people move, but we try to maintain people in the department as close to town as possible.”

Burress said he thought that was important because those waiting on a fire department response would know who was responding.

“I think it makes a difference, even in a difficult time if the people who are there helping you are people you know,” he said.

Burress is also proud of the department’s equipment, especially the newest addition — a LUCAS 3 chest compression system.

“As a fire department, we don’t do fundraising, but last year, we raised $18,250 in about five months to purchase the LUCAS unit,” he explained.

He explained that the county had one unit.

“We saw what it could do the first time it was used in our area,” Burress said. “It was used on one of our retired firemen.”

With the money raised, the department bought one LUCAS and two mannikins for training.

It’s just what you do in a small town. You volunteer and you try to serve and make a difference.

“ “

- Steve burreSS

Burress explained that the LUCAS performs compressions on the cardiac arrest patient and helps give relief to the resuscitation team.

“We’re really proud to have that unit,” he said. “CPR is not anything like it is on television, a lot of times, you get a person back for a little while and then you lose them.

“You do the best you can and you keep it going,” he continued. “The act of trying means a lot to the family.”

Burress became chief in January 1997, when Chief Robert Varnell retired.

In January 1998, the department applied for a state fire grant and has since received over $400,000 from the state.

He said it is sometimes a struggle to maintain the department.

“Now, you have to have 15 firefighters signed up to qualify as a department. It was 20 and there were times it was a real struggle,” Burress said.

But the department delivers.

“Our response time will rival that of a lot of paid departments,” he said. “On calls, we average 10 to 12 people during the daytime. It’s better at night when people aren’t working.”

Burress said the department, which has three trucks, is working to replace a 40-year-old truck to better serve and protect the residents of Pinetops.

“That’s the next goal because the objective is to take care of our neighbors,” he said.

John H. Walker is a Staff Writer for the Rocky Mount Telegram and Eastern North Carolina Living.

Photo Courtesy of Washington County TTA

Grandma’s Kitchen

We are all feeling the effects of higher prices at the grocery store and the gas pump.

From what I am hearing this week, predictions are that prices are going higher still, much of it from the effects of the war in Ukraine.

You would think it has nothing to do with us but markets are affected and thus everyone is affected. It could be with us for a while. I surely cannot do anything about prices, but I do have a few recipes that are economical to make.

The price of food is especially hard on families. Even without inflation, it is often a struggle to make ends meet and feed the family.

Often young married people are buying a home, furnishing it and starting a family. It is a struggle to do all this while trying to clothe and feed everyone. I well remember those days. I had a small amount to feed a husband and two children for a week. Yet, we never went without.

Thankfully my family was not hard to please. My husband was happy if he had a hot dog and a slice of bread. Thadd Jr. was happy if he had nothing but a pan of biscuits

and Scott would eat whatever you placed on the table.

We had a small garden that provided vegetables. One thing we never got from our garden was lettuce. We had a rabbit who ate it all. I never tried to stop the loss because sitting at our large kitchen window watching her eat was such an enjoyable experience. My sons and I both gathered at the window when she came in the morning or late afternoon to eat.

We had neighbors who shared the fish they caught and the game they hunted. We had fresh trout, bass and perch often in spring, summer and autumn. Once hunting season started we often had venison roast or the tenderloin from a deer.

All in all, we always had good food on the table. Frugality and good neighbors are a blessing not to be overlooked.

I have two main dish recipes that are very economical. The Barbecue Treet is much better than you can imagine. It is a recipe from a friend – Mae Goss. Since strawberries will soon be plentiful, a dessert that is from Shoney’s Restaurant.

Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.

Sylvia Hughes with her grandmother, Bertie Dameron.

Barbecue Treet

4 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

1/8 teaspoon pepper

¼ cup catchup

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

sauce

1 can Treet

Fry meat in thin slices until very brown. Remover from pan.

Add remaining ingredients and cook until blended and hot.

Pour over meat.

Scalloped Hot Dogs and Potatoes

4 ½ cups thinly sliced potatoes

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

7 teaspoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

8 hot dogs, split lengthwise Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In 1” boiling water, cook potatoes with 2 teaspoons salt, five minutes.

Drain Melt butter in frying pan, stir in flour

Shoney’s Strawberry Pie

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons cornstarch

Strawberry jello

1 pint whole strawberries

Pie shell

Bake pie shell and cool.

Mix and boil until clear and

thick: water, sugar and cornstarch. Remove from stove and add 3 tablespoons of strawberry jello.

Put strawberries evenly in pie shell.

Pour liquid over berries. Refrigerate until firm.

1 teaspoon at a time.

Add salt, pepper and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened.

Arrange 1/2 of potatoes in 9X13 dish. Top with half of hot dogs.

Add remaining potatoes followed by last of hot dogs.

Carefully pour sauce over entire dish. Top with enough cheese to cover well.

Bake 35 minutes

Grace & Truth Moms and Pops…

Once, there was a time when all of life centered on the home.

The Industrial Revolution brought unparalleled advances into the world, and more and more, we began to move out of our homes to fulfill our duties to the home.

It became simpler to work with large groups, and management of those larger groups began to treat people like digits… no longer humans. It served us well by making goods cheaper and people richer. Everyone now had the place to chase their dreams, and many chased the entrepreneur’s dream.

Such people parented me, who dreamed a dream and chased it. As they saw some of it come to pass, the big box world made it more difficult to keep what they desired. Production overcame perfection.

Soon, it was about meeting bottom lines and having enough workers to cover, but not too much that people stood around purposeless. The Information Age has taken an epic toll on the Industrial, and we are losing another symbol of a bygone era, hopefully not completely.

Today’s most destructive attack on our world is not injustice, pandemics or even

health and destructive habits.

The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians tells us that, even then, there were plenty of teachers, yet not many fathers. The same people needed to keep the industrial machine alive are sick due to the lack of health provided by intact families.

As we continually attempt to become more efficient, each generation waits later to start families with all its unknowns. We, instead, focus on what seems more profitable and essential to life. Careers become the focus over the home.

Providing for the life you want is increasingly more important than life itself, and as we place home-making on the back burner and out of focus, new problems come to light creating confusion for many. The longer we wait to begin families, the smaller the impact of grandmas and granddads.

As we lose the real Moms and Pops in our lives, a noticeable wholesome factor is gone.

There are existing organizations now aimed at destroying the nuclear family. Adult Christians are deconstructing their faith given them by generations before. The further from our homes, the worse we are all together. We

P astor W ebb H oggard

Bring back actual moms and pops. Let’s bring back stories. Mom and Pop stores hear fishing stories and memories of what life used to be. We don’t look at real life, anymore. Instead, our children look at the glossy overedited world of YouTube and TikTok. Bring back people who didn’t chase big-paying jobs, but instead learned how to save a dollar and save everything, for that matter.

My grandparents taught me a more earthy living - wisdom that had been tested and not simply downloaded. They fed me rich meals full of love and genuineness. They kept the memories of precious people alive and were not receptacles to which I could get what I wanted and get out like the big box places.

Yea, I remember Mr. Bud’s store where I’d get my ten-ounce Pepsi. I also remember Ronald’s, where I could get the best grilled cheese and Sunbeam’s honeybun. Those places seem to be falling away, but those who served me will never be forgotten.

It’s like Jesus who said, “They will know you by how you love.” Make sure your family knows that first.

Webb Hoggard is pastor at

Emanuel

County: Halifax Marker ID: E-84

Original Date Cast: 1973-P

MARKER TEXT

Established as Anglican 1747; James Moir first priest. Became Baptist 1783; inactive since 1933. Present building, 1849, moved 1 mi. S.W. in 1878.

Information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

On August 18, 1747, Stephen Cade deeded three acres of land in Edgecombe County to churchwardens Col. John Haywood and William Kitchen for the use of the local parish of the Church of England.

In 1749 the Rev. James Moire reported to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts that a church was “almost finished” on the property. The small Anglican Church that Moire led there took its name from the Conoconnara Swamp that lay nearby.

As the area grew, new parishes and counties were established and Rev. Moire chose to serve a newer parish in 1759. At that time the Conoconnara churchwardens employed the Rev. Thomas Burges, who remained rector until the American Revolution. Following the Revolution, the Anglican Church lost its leaders and most of its followers, and the Conoconnara chapel building could

be used by any congregation that needed it. It was, however, used exclusively by Baptists and in 1783 it was the meeting place for the Kehukee Baptist Association.

The Primitive Baptist congregation at Conoconnara became inactive around 1815, and the second church building that had been constructed in 1810 eventually came to be used as a school.

In 1833 the Conoconnara Baptist Church was reconstituted as Missionary Baptist, and was admitted to the Chowan Association the following year. A third chapel was erected at the original site near Tillery in 1849, and that building was moved to the Crowell community in 1878 to “better serve the convenience of the members thereof the congregation and the general public.” Conocannara Baptist Church remained active in various eastern North Carolina associations until 1933.

REFERENCES

Halifax County Deed Books, North Carolina State Archives Cushing Biggs Hassell, History of the Kehukee Primitive Baptist Association (1886) James A. Delke, History of the Chowan Baptist Association, 1806-1881 (1882)

Conoconnara Chapel

George Washington Paschal, History of the North Carolina Baptists, I (1930) Stuart Hall Smith and Claiborne T. Smith Jr., The History of Trinity Parish, Scotland Neck, and Edgecombe Parish, Halifax County (1955)

I grew up in Askewville. Well, technically a mile outside of Askewville, but you get the point.

Anyone roughly my age from our part of Bertie County knew there were two options when you went to “town.” You could visit Phillips or Macks. I couldn’t begin to tell you what the real name of either store was, but they were located right across the street from each other.

Mostly, I went to Phillips because my grandmother, the late Vivian White, worked there for most of the years I can remember as a child. But, like most people in or around Askewville, we supported both.

Most of my money was spent buying

PARTING SHOTS

By Thadd White

baseball cards that I then used to trade with Tracy Byrum, Stacy Mizelle or Lee Byrum.

While I was buying baseball cards, I was also getting a drink and a candy bar. During the summer, we may get a few extra bucks from the parents to have a sandwich for lunch.

My parents bought hoop cheese, seasoning meat and a variety of other things from “the store.” It was a place we went nearly every day.

Askewville folks supported both stores for many years and frequented both establishments. It was a way of life. We bought food, gas and a sundry of items.

While I’m proud to say one of those stores is still alive and well, the other – like many throughout our communities are long since gone.

In this edition, we wanted to share stories of some of the local businesses that many of us refer to as “Moms and Pops.” These businesses are locally owned and operated and, in many cases, are the backbone of the community.

We have stories about florists, gift shops, book stores, peanut businesses and even local

stores similar to the ones I’ve been telling you about.

We hope that not only will you learn about some of the local businesses in our 18 counties, but maybe stop by and say hello when you get a chance. It’s a wonderful thing to support local businesses.

In our next edition, we’ll introduce you to some of the educators who make a difference every day. We will have stories about the many teachers and other educators who have given their all every day.

Until next time, remember… all who wander are not lost. Continue joining us as we wander through Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington and Wilson counties.

Thadd White is a father, a fan of Chelsea Football Club and a fan of the late Betty White. He serves as Group Editor of five Adams Publishing Group publications, including the N.C. Press Award-winning Eastern North Carolina Living.

It’s a wonderful thing to support local businesses.