JB Knacker - Gilbert, IA

123 Main Street, Gilbert, IA 50105

http://www.jbknacker.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JBKnacker

After eight years as a pediatric nurse, Brenda Schwager and her friend Julie Adams were looking to start their own business. As Schwager describes, they wanted, “something that two moms could do.” They took a trip north to Buffalo, Minnesota, and saw a store with vintage items that were painted and brought back to life. That trip inspired them.

In 2001, the weekend before 9/11, the two women opened their shop in a barn just south of Gilbert, Iowa. It was filled with old things they’d found and fixed up. “These were not grand things,” Schwager says, “they were nice vintage pieces.”  To name the business, they took their first initials and put it before the word “knacker,” which means a person who buys and dismembers old houses and salvages the usable parts.

When they had to move from the barn, they looked around and found 123 Main Street. It was occupied by a family who ran their plumbing business from the front of the building while living in the back. Their family was outgrowing the space and happy to sell.

Schwager and Adams took two weeks to rehab the interior themselves before moving in November 2015. “Julie would say, ‘no, that’s not a load-bearing wall’ and we’d knock it down to open up the space,” says Schwager.

Schwager calls Gilbert “small town Iowa.” Located exactly in the middle of the state and with a population of 1,069, JB Knacker is just feet from the post office and across the street from large grain silos and a co-op.  123 Main Street has seen many businesses since the building was erected in the 1870s.  Somewhere in the 1910s, it was a music store that sold pianos. By the 1930s, a physician was in the space. “I’ve been told that Doc Rose built the sun porch because his wife suffered from TB and that’s the way you treated TB back then,” Schwager said. Many of the older men in town also tell her they remember the building as Doc Dickerson’s Barber Shop. They got their haircuts there from 1940 through 1969. His wife, Helen, ran the post office.

While Adams moved on to new adventures in 2008 and later relocated to Colorado, Schwager has continued with the business. “I sell a lot of functional things,” she says, “I call it a vintage home store with furniture, linens and dishes.”

She sometimes hits the auctions to find pieces, but says, “I like to be the lowest price around and auction items go for more than I would sell them.” Instead, she spends many of her weekdays at estate sales, church sales or school closings. It’s there she often gets items like globes, maps, shelving and letter boxes. She picks up items wherever she sees them; it’s a practice she’s done for years. “I have six kids and we used to travel around to various sporting events. They all knew we’d end up somewhere in another town and someone would have to hold [one of her vintage finds] on their lap on the way home.”

In addition to being open every Friday and Saturday, Schwager has teamed up with other vintage vendors in nearby communities. She started the Central Iowa Junk Jaunt in 2009. It’s an event that happens a few times a year where multiple shops showcase their best stuff and offer sale items.

When Schwager and Adams began, they were told to incorporate their type of business in the name, something along the lines of “antique” or “vintage.” They instead came up with something more catchy. And when they looked at 123 Main Street, Schwager said she thought, “We may not have the best business name, but we’ve got a great address.” She further adds that even though it’s not a big structure or very grand in any sense, “this house has been good to me.”

123 Insurance Inc., DBA: Pam Parah-Tobin Agency - St. Albans, VT

123 S. Main Street, St. Albans, VT 05478

http://123insurancevt.com/default.asp

Pamela Parah-Tobin had been in the insurance business for 26 years, working for another insurance company, when the opportunity presented itself for her to start her own business in 2012, “it was just the right time and place,” she said.

In fact, many pieces started to fall into place when she purchased her clients from her previous employer, began her own agency and found a building for her business. “I have a good friend who owned this building. He asked me to move my office in and purchase the location, so I relocated and did just that,” she explained. Naming the company 123 Insurance Inc. came soon after landing at 123 S. Main Street. “It was a perfect situation and made the agency name easy,” she said.

As a single mother for 15 years, Parah-Tobin struggled, doing her best to balance home life and working all the time. She admits to missing a lot as her three boys grew up. Starting her own agency allowed her to “give what I didn’t have: the ability to give flexibility.”

“When I created my agency, my business plan was to help mothers be home with their children more and still have a career in the insurance industry.  So I allow the children to come to work with them as newborns, then give them flexibility to work from home as well as from the office. I stress that raising your children comes first,” she says. Currently, 123 Insurance Inc. is staffed completely by women. “I have four ladies in my office that all have different schedules…I feel this is most important and it can work if the employer is willing to be flexible and the whole team works together to make sure it works.  Communication is the key.  It has [worked well] for almost four years now and I’m sure it will continue,” she adds.

As a broker agency, 123 Insurance Inc. represents 22 different companies and is able to “shop” each customer renewal to make sure their coverage is not only up to date, but that they get the best rate possible. The agency provides property and casualty coverage as well as life insurance and other coverage. While Parah-Tobin says she focuses on coverage and not claims, in one of the biggest agricultural counties in the state, where turkey, deer, raccoons and moose roam freely, things can be a little interesting. “A few people have [had accidents] with bears,” Parah-Tobin admits. Just like deer, black bears sometimes come in contact with cars on local roadways.

Serving customers for 26 years, the agency has a lot of retention due to providing great customer service. “I love what I do. I think people recognize that,” she says. 123 Insurance Inc. almost never advertises due to great “word of mouth” from customers. In a town of a little more than 6800 residents, Parah-Tobin has seen her business grow to nearly 2000 customers, almost doubling since she began four years ago.

Having a passion for what she does makes the work easy for Parah-Tobin and, pulling together her address and her agency name, she conveys in her tag line: “We work hard for you to save you money and give you better coverage...it’s as easy as 123!”

Curious Wren - Henderson, TX

123 S. Main Street, Henderson, TX 75654

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Curious-Wren-110264649035628/timeline/

Henderson, Texas has four Main Streets: North, South, East and West.  At 123 E. Main Street, you can find Rayford Florist and Gifts. Owner James Nicholson says that sometimes his mail ends up at The Curious Wren, a gift shop at 123 S. Main Street.

Owners Bill and Billie Brookshire opened their business in 2010. The store name came about because, Billie says, “We have a number of bird feeders and enjoy watching the birds. We like the wren because it’s always looking for something, always exploring.”

Exploring is what customers can do in their gift shop to find a variety of items. While the store specializes in baby gifts and bath and body items such as Jack Black and Michael Design Works, one can also find jewelry, WoodWick Candles, Baggallini bags, J.R. Watkins spices, Gerry Ballantyne bells and numerous other collectibles.

In fact, it’s exploring that got the couple into this business. For more than 30 years, Bill has worked as a landman. Billie joined in about 25 years ago. The couple traveled through East and South Texas as well as Arkansas as independent contractors working for brokers. They do research, find out about minerals and interact with landowners to acquire oil drilling leases on the behalf of oil companies. From time to time during their travels, Billie would find antiques. It was a hobby she and her siblings picked up from her mother, “all of us, we love to hunt,” she says.

Fifteen years ago, she opened an antique shop across town in Henderson. When the building sold, she looked to do something different. However, she still has many antique dolls, glassware and dishes in The Curious Wren. Billie says the antique trays are a much-requested item that she searches for at other locations in order to provide for her customers.

While she ran the antique business on her own, she says it’s nice to work with her husband in this shop because they do well as a team. From time to time, they still go out in the field on landman work together, so they have one full-time employee who helps out with the gift shop. The couple balance each other out. Billie finds merchandise and Bill takes a lot of photos and markets the business, often populating the store’s Facebook page with new finds.

When the couple was searching for a store location, the former Singer Sewing Machine shop was available at 123 S. Main Street. It was Bill who then called the phone company to request a special telephone number for the business. It ends in “1234,” making it easier to remember.

Rayford Florist and Gifts - Henderson, TX

123 E. Main Street, Henderson, TX 75652

http://www.rayfordflorist.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rayfordflorist

In 1843, two years before Texas was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, Henderson, Texas – named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor – was designated as the county seat of Rusk County, making it one of the oldest towns in the state.

At 123 E. Main Street, a jewelry store was opened in the mid-1800s. In 1878, a fire destroyed most of downtown, including the courthouse. In 1905, a fire hit the block with the jewelry store. When it burned, the safe crashed through the weakened floor. “That safe is still down there,” says James Nicholson, current owner of Rayford Florist and Gifts, now located at 123 E. Main Street. “It was too heavy to move and they couldn’t get it opened, so they left it and built over it.”

The rich history of the building as well as the picturesque small town lured James and his partner, Jon, to move from Louisiana back to James’ native East Texas. For 10 years, the couple ran a busy floral shop near New Orleans. In 2014, they wanted to slow down their life’s pace and started looking to open a shop in Texas. After researching areas around Houston, Austin and Dallas, they found a posting on Craigslist for the shop in Henderson. They fell in love with the tall ceilings and squeaky floors of the only art deco building in town. “There’s just a feeling that an old building has,” James said. They opened their doors in June 2014. Three months later, they were voted “Best Florist in Henderson” by the Henderson Daily News. (There are three other florists in town.)

In 1987, Henderson was accepted by the Texas Historic Commissions as an official project for the Texas Main Street Project City, a reinvestment into the state’s historic downtowns. In fact, the entire downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the buildings have both a National Register Marker and Texas Historical Marker. In Henderson, there are four “Main Streets”: North, South, East and West. “The north and south were once named Broadway a long time ago, but they renamed it,” said James.

Rayford Floral was originally founded in 1921 by the Rayford family. James and Jon are the fourth owners of the business. Originally located in a building across town, the floral shop moved into the East Main Street location once occupied by Reed’s Jewelry.

Although it is the smallest place the Nicholsons have ever lived, James says, “It’s a wonderful environment…when you walk around downtown, you feel the pride people have in their small businesses. If you’re outside [your shop], people honk their horns and wave at you.”

While a good deal of their business is from the town’s residents, James says they get a number of tourists who like the “cute downtown look” of the historic town and come to shop. He points out that the “enormous” annual Heritage Syrup Festival held every November typically increases the population from 14,000 to 30,000 during that one weekend.

His returning locals like to tell stories about when the business was owned by a jeweler. “I’ve had people tell me they bought their wedding ring in the store. They also ask whether we’ve ever found any gems. They say that Reed’s used to make custom jewelry and if a gem fell on the floor, sometimes they’d [purposely] drop another one to see if it would roll near the first so they could find it,” says James. He adds, “I’ve been down on my hands and knees looking, but haven’t found anything yet.”

Livingston Photography and Print Shop - Nephi, UT

123 S. Main Street, Nephi, UT 84648

http://kimoskamera.com

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Owner Amanda Livingston didn’t start out as a photographer. “I went to school and got my bachelor’s degree in social work,” she says. When her husband’s job relocated the Ephraim, Utah native to Nephi, Utah in 2005, Livingston decided to pursue her beloved hobby. She’d always enjoyed taking photos and enrolled in classes to learn the art of studio lighting. By 2008, she was earning a living as a photographer.

Then, in 2014, a local businessman named Kimo decided to sell off his 30-year-old photography studio and printing shop. Livingston had a “three-week crash course” learning about the business and then took over in January 2015.

On the printing side, the business does everything from graduation announcements to wedding invitations and brochures to posters. “If you need it, we print it,” she says. She uses an off-set printer and water-soluble inks to crank out orders. “I had one staffer that carried over [from Kimo’s] business…but he left to pursue his own career,” Livingston said. So she did some hiring and now has one full-time staffer and three part-timers on board to help when business gets booming. March, April and May are heavy months for printing; graduation and wedding season means printing many personalized mailings.

The photography business keeps her equally busy, especially in the autumn when families come in to get Christmas photos shot. In early October, Livingston noted, “I am booked solid from now until the end of November.”

In this small town of approximately 5,000 residents where, Livingston says, “everyone still knows everyone,” her shop is the place to get printing or photos done. The closest city to offer anything like her service would be Provo, Utah, a 30-minute drive away.

Because Livingston purchased a previously established business, she says she sees a third generation of customers. “Older people come in here and say, ‘I remember when Kimo started,” she says.

Livingston shoots a few wedding every year, but children, families and newborns are her specialty. She also shoots high school senior photos as well. Because the area is a farming town, some of those pictures also include prized steers, horses or family pets with the graduating student.

Working 60 hours a week is tough, but as she notes on her website, “I am a photographer because I love taking pictures and preserving memories. In fact, I get just as excited about your pictures turning out great as you do. My philosophy as a photographer is very simple. I believe that it is your moment, your event, your memory, and it should be captured the way you want it to be. I am the mother of four wonderful and very energetic children. I know how crazy life can get, and I also know that the special moments come and go so fast. I want to be there to help you remember those moments all along the way.”

Here's Looking at You - Chambersburg, PA

123 S. Main Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201

https://chambersburgboutique.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hlay123

Penny Shaul outside her store’s entrance
in September 2014.

Penny Shaul started working in retail when she was 18-years-old. Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, she worked at local chain stores and then in a small boutique. She says she learned a lot from that owner, especially as business grew and a second shop was opened.

Shaul was also a league volleyball player in Omaha when another player told her about job opportunities in Johnston Atoll, an unincorporated territory of the United States near Hawaii. It was winter in Nebraska and the offer to work in the tropics tempted her away. She spent 10 years working as a certified volleyball official on the remote island, but had the intention to save money, return to Nebraska and buy one of the boutiques from the owner she had worked for. Life took a turn in Johnston Atoll when she met the man who would become her husband. He was from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and it was there that the couple moved when they returned stateside.

Shaul still had her heart in the boutique business and, after doing some research, “took the plunge” in August 2004 and opened Here’s Looking at You.  Reflecting back 11 years, Shaul isn’t sure how she came upon that name; she wasn’t a Humphrey Bogart fan. However, she knew she couldn’t use “Penny’s” without a lawsuit due to the famous J.C. Penney’s.

Settling on Main Street between two jewelry stores and, now, with a bridal shop across the street and a cosmetics store nearby, her clothing boutique specializes in styles for women who are 30 and over. Here’s Looking at You continuously updates inventory and features Tribal, Nomadic Traders, Nic & Zoe, FDJ French Dressing, Renuar, Iguana, Tianello, Nally & Millie, Christine Alexander and Neon Buddha in petite and women’s sizes. The shop also carries Thymes Lotions, Patience Brewster ornaments, greeting cards and a wide selection of accessories.

Shaul says there is some competition in the area. “There was another boutique in town when I started,” Shaul notes, “but for more mature fashions.”  There’s also a shopping center with chain stores like Kohl’s about two miles away. “It’s like the usual strip malls plunked down everywhere in America,” she says. However, Shaul's business continues to do well by making her customers a priority. She’s happy to make special orders and, as the only full-time employee, she says she knows her inventory backwards and forwards. The personalized service helps keep her true to the vision she had when she began: “to provide a fun place to shop where women want to bring their family and friends when they are in town.”

Odessa Feed and Pet Store - Odessa, MO

123 W. Main Street, Odessa, MO 64076

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/odessafeedandpet/

Ask store owner Ray McCollum how long he’s been in business and he’ll tell you, “a whole lotta years.” For as long as he can remember, he’s been around horses. He used to travel all over Arizona and Texas going from rodeo to rodeo and selling tack out of a trailer. He finally settled down in Odessa, Missouri, a small town located approximately 45 minutes east of Kansas City.

Odessa once had a little feed store that, as McCollum explains, converted into a hardware store and then, unfortunately, went out of business. Seeing the need for local residents, McCollum and his girlfriend opened their own feed store in January 2014.

This metal structure with cement floors may not be a lot to look at, but inside a customer can get lost in all their offerings: feed, pet supplies, tack and custom metal work. Whether you’ve got a large animal like a horse or mule or something small like dogs and chickens, McCollum has food in stock. Of course, in keeping with his past business, there is also enough tack (bridles, halters, pads, bits and breastplates) for a herd of horses. An array of beautiful, custom-made saddles are also available.

In many ways, his place comes full circle because not only does he have chicken coop supplies and feed, when the hens lay eggs, owners bring them in to sell at the store. As of October 1, McCollum had 19 dozen fresh farm eggs available.

With a population of approximately 5,300, McCollum says he knows, “about 90 percent of my customers. And, if I don’t know ‘em, I get to know ‘em.” Business is good. Locals come here instead of driving the 30 minutes or more into Kansas City. “We have a lot of dog food,” McCollum adds, “we have it here because there are a lot of pets [in Odessa] and people would [otherwise] have to drive to the city.”

McCollum didn’t think much about the novel numbers on his business when opening except to acknowledge, “it’s an easy address.” McCollum’s focus seems to be on his clientele. “We have hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. But I’m here at 7:30 a.m. I tell people, if I’m here, I’m open. Sometimes they’ll call and say they can’t make it until after 6 p.m., so I stay.”

Main Street Grille Restaurant - North Canton, OH

123 S. Main Street, North Canton, OH 44720

http://msgrille.com

From 1908 to 2013, North Canton, Ohio was synonymous with the Hoover Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of vacuum cleaners. Just steps away from that former factory is Main Street Grille Restaurant, one of the only casual upscale restaurants in town.

Owner Larry Owens started his career in computers. He worked for Goodyear before becoming an instructor at Stark State College and running his own software business. His office was located upstairs at 123 S. Main Street. He eventually bought the building and became landlord to the restaurants below him. From 1947 to 1987, Granny’s Restaurant served basic home cooking. Smokin’ Joe’s was a rib joint that moved in afterwards. They were once winners of the annual Ribs Burnoff, a competition that brought in restaurants from across the country to participate in part with the National Football Hall of Fame festival.

When Smokin’ Joe’s owners had trouble meeting their rent, Owens tried to lease the restaurant space to others. “I just didn’t feel comfortable with anyone I met. So I thought, ‘Let’s see what I can do with it,’” he says.

Owens, with the help of his sons and a few friends, took on a five-month task of renovating the space. He wanted to sell liquor at the restaurant, but North Canton is a dry town and it required a license and approval by residents. Owens spent a year going door to door telling residents about his plans and gaining approval from individuals as well as many churches in town.

Getting into the restaurant business wasn’t anything Owens knew about, so he picked a relatively generic name and originally made his menu large. “At first, I did everything for everybody. I didn’t know what would stick.” Gone are the pub food items he first featured. Today, the restaurant is known for steaks, seafood and pastas. Two items on the menu showcase the history of the address. “We have baby back ribs,” Owens was quick to point out. One of the cooks from Smokin’ Joe’s shared the recipe. The apple dumpling that Granny’s Restaurant once served is here as well.

Owens says he had the owner from Granny’s in his restaurant a number of years ago. She was treated to the apple dumpling and, sensing that the Main Street Grille Restaurant cooks had improved upon it from the simple recipe she used, commented that she “loved it, but wouldn’t through all that trouble [to make it that way].”

Main Street Grille Restaurant has grown in popularity and Owens has made renovations and improvements little by little during the 10 years it’s been open. He's added a wine cellar, party room, patios, wine shop and an area known as the New Berlin Room. “North Canton was originally known as New Berlin,” Owens reminds. New Berlin was the first village to be plotted when Stark County was organized in the mid-1800s. By the mid-1900s, even though most of the residents were of German descent, Germany was an enemy in World War I.

An article in the Canton Repository quoted Christopher Post, assistant professor of geography at Kent State University Stark Campus, regarding the reason for the change, “All over America, things bearing Germanic names were changed — hospitals, schools, towns, streets, even family names…after a petition drive, New Berlin, population 926, changed its name to North Canton on Jan. 30, 1918.”

Owens makes a point of incorporating the village history in his place. He tips his hat to the vacuum giant with a “Boss” Hoover “Succit Up” martini. Lining the walls of restaurant are black and white photos from the historical society. Customers can view images that show Main Street when it was nothing more than a dirt road.

Lisa's Dance Elite - Wintersville, OH

123 Main Street, Wintersville, OH 43953

http://lisasdanceelite.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LisasDanceElite

Photo by Lisa Poole.

The Ohio Valley and nearby Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area have a saturation of dance studios. Lisa Poole, owner of Lisa’s Dance Elite, says that in a 20-mile radius of her location, there are 17 studios. “There’s not much for kids to do in the area beyond school sports,” she notes.

Poole started dancing at the age of three. After attending Kent State University, she opened her own studio, Lisa’s School of Dance, in 1987 and had a class of 30 students. Within a five-year span, enrollment grew tremendously, forcing her to frequently change locations to meet demand. “We probably went through five studios in five years,” she says. By the mid-1990s, her studio was the biggest in the region and she had more than 300 students enrolled.

The success of the dance studios always seemed to be based on the success of the local steel mills. When they were doing well and parents had money, kids were in classes. By early 2000s, the nearby steel mills were closing up. Gone was the money. Gone was the ability for parents to pay for classes.

In 2003, Poole closed her dance studio and took a job as Marketing Director at Fort Steuben Mall.  She continued teaching on a part-time basis at another local studio and people kept requesting her to again open her own place. In 2009, when the local economy was better, she moved into 123 Main Street as Lisa’s Dance Elite.

Her studio offers a wide variety of classes, including ballet, lyrical/contemporary, tap, jazz and hip-hop. She welcomes all ability levels and takes students as young as 18 months old. She also partners with a special needs school, “No one else was open to them…now they have a sponsor and we have class once a week,” Poole says.

Fans of the Lifetime Television show “Dance Moms” know that the Abby Lee Dance Company is located in Pittsburgh. While it is only 30 miles away, Poole says the dance mentality is a world away. “Pittsburgh is high end. It’s about competitions and just dancing. We’re different from them. Here, kids have a life. If they miss [dance class] for school or softball or whatever, they have a life.”

Poole stresses her family-oriented, no-pressure attitude, “Here, you can do what you want. You don’t want to compete? Fine, take [a class] recreationally.” She says her studio isn’t about creating famous dancers, but giving kids opportunities to do what they like to do. One such opportunity is an annual trip to Florida; she takes a group of students to Disneyland. There, they get special training from Disney choreographers and her dancers get to perform for 30 minutes before an audience in Orlando.

Lisa believes that dance helps all ages grow physically, emotionally and socially. She gets feedback from local coaches who notice personality changes in their athletes. In addition to helping build self-esteem and confidence, coaches also say the dance helps their football players and wrestlers with agility.

Former students have gone on to open their own studios in Columbus, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois. While Poole recognizes their success, she says that her students also, “may never dance after they leave here. But,” she adds, “they will remember all the fun they had when they were here.”

M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home - Argyle, NY

123 Main Street, Argyle, NY 12809

www.kilmerfuneralhome.com

Photo provided by Todd Kilmer.

M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home states on their website, “Our mission is to help a family honor their loved one, ease the burden of the loss and celebrate a life well-lived by sharing the memorable moments, experiences and relationships that defined that life with those who were part of it.”

One way they ease the burden for those in the community is to be a consistent place of comfort for nearly 90 years. Argyle, New York is a small rural village at the base of the Adirondacks. Most of the 3600 residents are farmers. Funeral home director Todd Kilmer knows many of them by name. His family has been of service to three generations.

Todd’s grandfather Maurice “Mo” Bristol Kilmer founded the funeral home in Argyle in 1927. In the 1920s, wakes and funerals were still being held in residents' private homes. Kilmer was a funeral director and also a storeowner.  He had a shop where he sold furniture and coffins (because many furniture stores of the time sold coffins). He turned the storefront into a gathering place for viewing the deceased in preparation for funerals.

Tragedy struck just three years later when, in 1930, that location burned to the ground, rendering the business a total loss.  Arson was suspected, but “Mo” was undaunted and moved the business into a building that was then addressed as 6401 Main Street. In 2005, when Argyle renumbered buildings for the village’s 911 system, the funeral home got the new address of 123 Main Street.

“Mo” handed down the business to his son, George. Todd, one of George’s six children, now oversees operations at the funeral home in Argyle as well as two other locations in the area: Fort Edward and South Glen Falls. Since the funeral business operates 24/7, the family tends to live close by. Until recently, Todd’s grandmother lived above the funeral home in Argyle. Todd resided above the Fort Edward location until they found they needed more office space. Todd’s nephew Kyle recently finished school and has taken the national boards to become a funeral director. He lives next door to the Fort Edward funeral home. Kyle will be the fourth generation to run the business.

“People appreciate what we do,” says Todd Kilmer. Many residents come in to do pre-planning of their funerals. “We see all the family dynamics…Death brings out the good and bad.” He says that families feel comfortable with them and know they can rely on them for anything they need during a difficult time.

Sometimes the need can be unique. “I have one woman who has pre-planned and she’s already told me she wants a laughing box on the kneeler; anyone that comes up to kneel sets off the laugh box.” Additionally, he has had requests from people who want to be involved, even if they cannot attend the funeral. “We just video taped a funeral the other day,” Todd remarked. And, in the age of the Internet, he is also looking into providing what some families have asked for: live streaming.