SPANNING THREE GENERATIONS

Siblings Timmy Crawford, Kim Crawford Blount, and Bruce Crawford with Kim's daughter, Tera Blount.

STORY BY SHAN WALKER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHAD MERRELL, MERRELL PHOTOGRAPHY SPANNING 3

GENERATIONS Crawford Jewelers

The Crawford family has over 50 years of happy customers who turned into faithful friends through a legacy of loyalty and trust.

Would you believe that a successful, multi-generational business in Waycross started with a watch and a $500 loan? That’s how Crawford Jewelers began, and what a tremendous start it was! Happy customers have turned into faithful friends that appreciate the high quality, customer service, and closeness they’ve felt with the family behind the business for many years.

To call the long-standing business of Crawford Jewelers a rarity would be an understatement. Through hard work, family ties, and a persevering spirit, Crawford Jewelers has celebrated 50 years in business and the pinnacle of a third generation entering the business. And that’s something that the Okefenokee region can certainly be proud of.

"Customers still come in and tell us stories about our Dad and how he would allow them to purchase jewelry with credit and just make small $2-$4 payments every paycheck all based on a handshake. This helped his customers and helped build his business based on trust," Kim Crawford Blount explained.

Nesbert (Neb) Crawford was born in Bristol in 1930. When Neb was old enough to work, he didn’t believe that working one job was enough. According to his family, Neb basically worked two jobs for 20 years to get ahead. His main objective was to work for a jeweler in Waycross be

cause of his deep interest in watches. Eventually, the strong desire grew to have a store of his own. His aspirations to be successful were strong, so he enrolled in watch school and learned how to repair watches. With a $500 loan from another jeweler, he opened Crawford Jewelers in Blackshear on December 2, 1957. By 1984, Neb and Joyce Crawford’s three sons had “tried came disabled, Joyce and the boys worked hard together to continue the family legacy that Neb had worked so hard to obtain. Neb and Joyce’s daughter, Kim, loved jewelry since she was raised around it and had always wanted to be in the business as well.

Neb’s first store was part of the Main Street Blackshear business All four children became deeply rooted in the business with community where he lived. In 1973, he Bruce, Timmy, and Kim owning and opened a second store in Waycross. Not operating the store in Waycross, while only would this expand the brand, but “I’m very thankful to have served my Gary opened a store in Douglas in it also helped secure a job for his oldest 1985. In 2005, the first grandchild son. At that time, his son promised his community since I started working in came into the business, Shon Crawford. dad that he would “try out” the business 1974. I’m thankful for the community In 2006, another grandchild, Chad for six months to see if that was what Crawford began designing of jewelry he wanted to do. Today that son, Bruce that has supported us and proud of the out of New York featured in stores Crawford, is still there, along with his work our family has been able to do.” across the country called “Andrew siblings and their children as well. -Bruce Crawford Hamilton Crawford.” In 2007, Gary Crawford opened a third location in The decision was made to open a Amelia Island, Florida. And then in second store in Waycross’s Flanders 2012, another grandchild, Ryan CrawShopping Center, where it continues to operate today. In 1981, ford, began to work for his dad in the Douglas store. In 2016, Neb Crawford sold the Blackshear store and worked full time in Chad Crawford opened up his own store called 13 Secrets in the Waycross store. Savannah. In 2018, the youngest grandchild, Tera Blount, began to work for Crawford Jewelers in Waycross. out” working in their stores and were all employees. When What’s so special about a jewelry store that keeps loyal customers Mr. Crawford suffered a massive stroke that year and becoming back for more than 50 years?

Bruce Crawford is one of the few remaining watch makers in the country. Photo by Chad Merrell, Merrell Photogarphy

Crawford’s Jewelers has been located in the Flanders Shopping Center since 1973. The shopping center is now owned by Kim Crawford Blount. Photo by Chad Merrell, Merrell Photography

Neb Crawford opened the first Crawford’s Jewelers in Blackshear in 1957 with a $500 loan from another jeweler.

"I spent a lot of time at the store after school as a young child while my Mom, Grandmother, Aunt Jerry, Uncle Timmy, and Uncle Bruce worked. As I got older, I found myself gravitating to the store during summer and Christmas school breaks to help them out. Even when I was away at college, when I came home, I would still go to the store to just hang out. I like how I always feel at home there. The store is our common factor. It has always connected the entire family and keeps us close." -Tera Blount

Ned Crawford's daugher and grand daughter, Kim and Tera Blount. And what is it about this place that has led three generations of family members to stay involved in the continuation of its legacy?

When asked what made Neb choose Flanders Shopping Center and what has kept the business stationery for so long, the family explains that the shopping center was new at the time and the location on the Blackshear Highway appealed to Neb’s early customers. The Waycross location has continued to be a great asset to the company with many customers from the Blackshear area.

It's very unusual for a business to stay in one place for many years, but that’s exactly what has occurred with the Waycross store. The original building within Flanders Shopping Center in Waycross continues to house Crawford Jewelers - just as it has since 1973. Kim, the daughter, owns the shopping center now. Along with all of the family memories within the store, one very special memory about this location stands out to Kim in particular. It’s where she met her husband when he came into the store to buy a watch!

“Through our business relationships, we have been able to build personal friendships that are priceless.” – Timmy Crawford

Timmy and Bruce Crawford

Nesbert (Neb) Crawford was born in Bristol in 1930. According to his family, Neb basically worked two jobs for 20 years to get ahead. His main objective was to work for a jeweler in Waycross because of his deep interest in watches.

Joyce Crawford, Neb’s wife, was a vital part of keeping Crawford's running after Neb had a stroke in 1984. She passed away in 2011 from ovarian cancer. Neb instilled his family with the belief of quality products at a fair price. The main focus of the family business today is to continue providing quality products at a fair price and back it with quality customer service, honesty, and integrity. The focus of the company’s origin was mainly watches because watches were the big thing back in the day. Now the focus has also shifted to fine jewelry and repairs and all three stores work to help each other out. One secret weapon within the company is having one of the few watchmakers left in the country, Bruce Crawford.

The family agrees as a whole that they have been very blessed to have a community that still supports small businesses like them, as they compete with the larger stores and online shopping. They are grateful for the generations of families that have shopped with them and blessed them with their business and friendship.

"We see the people that have walked through the doors over the years as much more than customers. Through our business relationships, we have been able to build personal friendships that are priceless,” Timmy Crawford said. Being able to do business with friends and neighbors that have turned into an extended part of the family is what keeps them going. Along with the opportunity to deal with generations of friends as their kids get older as well.

Kim Crawford Blount loves what she does. “I’ve loved being able to create jewelry collections for my customers that not only last a lifetime but continue the legacy on through multiple generations with pieces that I’ve been a part of making.”

Speaking of generations, the Crawford family looks toward the future with excitement. What foreseeable changes do they see ahead? The next generation taking the reins and carrying on the legacy that will continue to touch the lives of families for many, many more years to come. O L

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