REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--FORSEY'S VARIETY STORE

 REMEMBER WHEN
Thursday, October16,  2008
Kenna Holm  

Forsey’s Variety Store

    I have had the most delightful visits with RaNae Forsey Ethrington this last week or two. I've wanted to write in more detail about the old Forsey's Variety Store.  I loved her mom and dad and they did so much with that store. But let me start out at the beginning.

    David C. Forsey and his wife Stella moved to Payson in 1926 where they purchased a small cafe` on the south end of main street. It was there they sold ice cream in all forms, they made sandwiches and the most popular item on the menu was Stella's homemade chili.
    They eventually started stocking other items in the store.  All these things went over so well they decided they wanted a bigger store and only sell dry goods.
    In 1928, (now that was before my time) he purchased a larger building further north on Main Street. They shared the
building with a hardware store. (that is the two stores in
the picture) Later, he bought the hardware store to expand the store and made an arch way so they could go from one side to the other.

     David and Stella's son, Ruel and his wife Marie started managing the Forsey store shortly after they were married in 1932. They managed the store well over 40 years.
    They had the two windows out in front and Marie would decorate them for every occasion that came along. It was always fun to see what she was going to put in them next. It kept it interesting and always made you want to go in and shop.
    They had their children help with unloading the freight and they all kept pretty busy.  It  was  like  their  second home.
    I loved to shop in Forsey's. You could find ANYTHING you needed in that store.  They had makeup in the front counters. The counters were flat with dividers in them in the items were placed in each of the divided areas.
    Remember the Blue Waltz perfume? And I remember the powder puffs inlittle packages they sold. Funny things to remember but I do. They had jewelry of every kind and a candy counter that was wonderful. At Christmas Time, Ruel would mix his own variety of Christmas Mix that everyone loved. It sold for 5 pounds for a $1.00. (that's about what the old penny candy costs  now). The candy counter was at the front of the store and sold by the pound.
    Kids loved to come in there to buy things for 5 and 10 cents and 4-C ice cream bars were a favorite. They also carried penny candy that the kids loved to come in after school and buy. The toy section of the store carried about anything you would want. There were jacks, jump ropes, toy guns and caps, marbles and etc.
    Back then Christmas didn't start in July. Kids would have to wait until December to see any Christmas toys and they would be so excited to check out all the toys in Forsey's. We could actually enjoy each holiday as it cam, like Halloween and Thanksgiving without having Christmas items overshadowing them.
    For many years when the store was going to  have  a  sale,  Ruel would  put  out  flyers  to advertise  and RaNae remembers her dad letting  her  ride  on  the     r u n n i n g b o a r d (remember,  those  were the days all the cars had running boards) to  help deliver the flyers.
    Every year nearly all  the  stores  entered floats  they made  in  the Onion Days parade and Marie and Stella and the others working at the store would decorate a Forsey's Float' for the parade.
    In those days, the stores were asked to color eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt, so they would have to boil, color and decorate the eggs. Marie was really happy when they started to come out with plastic eggs. Saved a lot of work.
    Forseys was really a family affair, not only did Ruel's sisters Evelyn Bills, Lora Rowley Spencer(Brenda Bennion's mother) LaVaun Turner, Shirlene Davis and his sister in law Pearl work there but also Ruel and Marie's girls, RaNae, LaRue and JoeLeen worked in the summers between school years. Their son Allen remembers when he was little sweeping the floor.
    Ruel was such a teaseand Lora remembers him havingher look all over the paint section for striped paint and sending her to Porter's meat market (where Dixon's Cold Storage is now) for boneless liver.
    Forsey's had stores in Payson Spanish Fork,  Nephi  and  Heber  City.  Rue's  brother, David  (who  was  Roger  Forsey's  dad)  was made  vice  president  of  the  company and looked after all the stores.
    Marie was always very adamant about the customers coming first and everyone knew they would be treated well when shopping at Forseys.
    They had so many wonderful women who worked for them over the years. They really actually waited on you when you went in. They would not just tell you where things were, they would show you. Some of the ladies I remember working there were LaVar Hiatt (Ruth Stewart and Carole Bowers mom), Luella Kay, Lillian Walker (Jack's mom), Hattie Ahlin, June Smith, Myra Lazenby, Coleen Walker and Donna Wilcock (Coleen and Donna were sisters). I know there were more but those are a few.

    They remodeled the store in 1974. Ruel and Marie had to retire after many years of service to the people of  Payson and surrounding areas because of health problems. Boy, we hated to see them go. At that time Larry Forsey became the new manager and then was followed by his brother Roger.
    In 1986, after 58 years in business, The ForseyVarietyStore closed it's doors but isn't it fun to remember back when....