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JERRY'S STORE
The Heartbeat of Fayettevilleby
John Troesser |
Jerry
and Shirley Chovanec
TE
photo, May 2010 |
Fayetteville,
Texas, population 281 (or 263, depending on which way you enter the town)
nearly lost Jerry’s Store in 2001 when it was sold to someone with the mistaken
notion that this Fayetteville institution could be run like a Houston convenience
store.
At the time of the sale, the most frequently-asked question on
the Fayetteville square was: “What would Jerry and Shirley do with themselves?”
The answer wasn’t long in coming. On their first day of “freedom” the couple visited
the local nursing home to visit former customers.
The new owner’s approach
just didn’t work. It wasn’t long before Jerry and Shirley were back, greeting
their customers in their genuine style and carrying purchases to the customer’s
cars. All was right with the world. |
Jerry's
General Store
TE photo, May 2010 |
After replacing missing
infrastructure and taking inventory, the couple suffered through the painstaking
process of submitting new applications to their suppliers – suppliers who had
known them for years.
Jerry and Shirley married in August of 1965 and
after a four-day honeymoon in Columbus, Nebraska where Shirley showed off her
new Texas husband, they started to work as “apprentice grocers” under the tutelage
of Jerry’s father Ed Chovanac.
Ed was selling the business to his son and
daughter-in-law, but not before the couple was taught the ropes (as well as the
hardware, groceries, plumbing supplies, ad infinitum). After their total immersion
program in the care and feeding of a small town, the papers were signed in 1966
and the legend began. |
Ed
Chovanec in his store c. 1955
Courtesy
Jerry and Shirley Chovanec |
| Today things are back
on track and visitors to Fayetteville can
once again marvel at what one Texas author called “a monument to over-stocking.”
Don’t expect to find antique merchandize on the shelves. Jerry and Shirley’s recreational
time is attending trade shows where they shop for the necessities of rural living
– as well as occasional fun items – like pastel butterfly nets (good for rescuing
wayward hummingbirds that find their way indoors). |
The
replacement
antique nail bin.
A
missing swivel nail bin was announced at an auction in Corpus Christi and the
couple made the 300 mile round trip to provide the winning bid. Fayettevillains
can once again experience the sensory pleasure of grasping fistfuls of nails and
buying them by the pound. |
Fayetteville
is, of course, rat free - but Jerry stocks them for the benefit of neighboring
communities. TE
photo, May 2010 |
After school lets
out, the store might get some help from the couple’s grandchildren who are usually
in charge of sidewalk decoration or taking inventory of the store’s ice cream
freezer. It’s reassuring to know that at least (a few members of) one more generation
will someday have memories of roaming wooden-floored aisles smelling of soap,
leather and bananas. (Insecticide and fertilizer too, if you venture deep enough
inside the hardware side of the store.)
Over the years, regulations, permits
and licensing have curtailed some of the store’s services. No longer can one buy
cold cuts and the couple no longer handles local eggs for resale in Houston. However,
local produce is bought from growers and sold to customers – a long-standing Texas
tradition that has all but disappeared elseware. |
Homegrown
Squash
TE photo, May 2010 |
| Old fashioned prudence
lives on at Jerry’s. Matches are kept behind the counter and ammunition is on
the tallest shelf in the store. Practicality? They have that too. While city stores
might force you to buy food coloring in sets of five colors, at Jerry’s you can
get enough red coloring to lure squadrons of hummingbirds to your feeders. |
(And
personally signed by John Adams, himself.)
TE photo, May 2010 |
Don’t think you’re
on your own if you need some hardware and Jerry happens to be gone. Shirley or
daughter Denise are just as knowledgeable as Jerry since the whole family takes
inventory. Like
the old saying goes; ““If you can’t find it at Jerry’s – you’re better off without
it.” |
Community
bulletin board and seedling vegetables.
TE photo, May 2010 |
Free boxes
TE photo, May 2010 |
Need
a nail? Take a nail. The penny drawer demonstrates that you're not in any conveniance
store. TE photo, May 2010 |
Jerry
in motion. Rare bird species are easier to photograph.
TE photo, May 2010 |
Fayetteville
Lions Club recognizes Jerry & Shirley Chovanec
TE photo, May 2010 |
Jerry’s Store is the
mercantile jewel in Fayetteville’s tiara (the
town is too small for a crown) and when Texas Highways magazine featured the town
some years ago, Jerry and Shirley were the opening photo. That’s a tradition we’re
proud to continue.
May
28, 2010
© John Troesser
Former Houstonian who was “blessed-in” to the
village by Shirley |
| | Jerry's
Store when it was Chovanec General Store
© Hester + Hardaway |
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