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Bonnie Fischer
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
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January 19, 2002--When a town loses
it's grocery store, it loses much more than that. In Sharon, Kansas
Bonnie Fischer didn't let that happen. When the town's grocery store
closed she decided to open a slimmed down version so the gown folks could
have a place to go. |
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"There would be days people would
see a few cars at the bank and one or two cars down at the Co-Op and
outside of that there would be no cars on Main street. It would be
bare. It really was. Now there are a lot more people
downtown. Hi, come on in."
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Bonnie Fischer had worked in grocery stores
much of her life. So her friends convinced her to re-open this one,
to keep the town going.
"Why it is the life of the town. Without this, we
wouldn't have nothing. So I kinda had to learn from scratch
here." |
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In one area of the store sits a table
with chairs purchased by many of the ladies who come to visit. At 10
a.m. on any given morning in Sharon, this little store is the place
to be. |
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"This is our morning crew, yes. Not only
in the morning but in the afternoon. We come back about four in the
afternoon. We are so glad Bonnie got back in this business, my
goodness. Just to visit and find out the gossip.
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Hell, I can't
read any more so I don't take the paper, so I come here to find the
news."
"People don't show up here for a couple of days, we call up to see
what's wrong with them."
"We have a lady bring cookies
in."
"No matter what we start out with we always end up talking
about food."
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If it weren't for Bonnie's little
store, folks here would have to go to Attica or Medicine Lodge.
"If it weren't for Bonnie, I'd starve to death."
And it's one of the few grocery stores
left where you can still sign for your groceries.
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"Thank you, Leo."
But it is the faces you remember in
this little store. The people and their stories that give the small
community of Sharon it's identity.
"There are some older living people in this town, but she has been
tied to me for sixty years this coming March."
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It's the little touches that Bonnie
provides the community because she saw a need and said, I'm here.
"I just wanted them to have a little
bit of everything here so they wouldn't have to go out of town if they
didn't want too."
As the clock ticks on the waning
morning, another woman arrives, pulls up a chair, grabs a cup of coffee and
enters into the conversation.
"Today I had to come down to see what you all know about the weather
coming in?" |
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Outside a large white dog waits patiently for it's owner to finish his
coffee. Every town needs a place like Bonnie's where the dog waits
in the pickup.
"Thank you Shirley, and you have a good day."
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Larry's Note: Fischer's
Grocery is located right in the heart of Sharon, Kansas.
Can't miss it.
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| Have a story idea for Hatteberg's
People? Send Larry an email
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