Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Lorna Evelyn, right, has worked in her downtown Kimball retail store for more than 50 years. She is pictured here with LorRon's employee Terri Lukassen, left.
Given that she has worked in her present location of LorRon's Department Store for just over 50 years, Lorna Evelyn said that she has obviously has really enjoyed the retail business in Kimball.
In 1965, Lorna along with her late husband, Ron Evelyn, began working in their store which at that time was known as Hartung's Department Store. When the Evelyns purchased the store, they changed the name of the business to LorRon's Department Store. Lorna said that she and Ron worked really well together. She added that they both had their own duties that they each were responsible for to make the store run smoothly.
In all the years that Lorna has been a woman in business, she has never felt that people judged her unfairly for being a full-time business owner while raising her children. She feels that her children being raised in a family owned business has benefited them as adults in college, as well as with their own careers.
Lorna enjoyed that she had the freedom to be at home with their four children and work from home, work in the store or even bring their children to work.
"Our kids grew up in the store," Lorna said. "They all learned how to run the cash register and count change at a very early age."
Lorna said that there has been many changes throughout the 50-plus years at her place of business. Some have been good and some not so good, in regards to the local economy and the fluctuation of population throughout the years. She also is not at all fond of computers and said she more enjoyed the older style of doing business - face-to-face with salesmen and representatives.
Lorna said that after they purchased the store in 1987, they became more interested in the antiques and collectibles that they sell in The Nostalgia Nook.
"It was a new adventure," Lorna added. "It is something Ron and I really enjoyed doing. I think the interest is not as strong as it was, but of course there is still interest there."
She hopes to stay in business as long as possible and perhaps change to only using one side of the store, to make it easier to manage. Lorna looks forward to going to work and enjoys seeing the community come in to do business.