REMEMBER WHEN FROM THE PAST--WILSON STYLE SHOPPE

REMEMBER WHEN
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Kenna Holm

WILSON STYLE SHOPPE

    A few months ago, I touched on a few of the stores on Main Street and now I'd really like to talk more about each one individually.  Wilson's Style Shoppe was THE placeto shop in Payson for really nice ladies clothes. It was a lovely shop that carried things to please all ages. It was owned by Clyde Wilson McMahon.
    I loved going in there to shop because all the clerks were so friendly and helpful. I would work in the peaches in the summer and save my moneyto buy my school clothes at Wilson's. They carried Jantzen brand sweaters and swim suits, Catalina brands and manymore well known brands of clothing.

   The store originally was started my Clyde's mother, Cad Wilson, and it was a millinery shop. They made just hats and sold them all over the country. Some people were even sent from Chicago  to teach the workers how to make the hats. I think this was in about the very early 1900's.
    Clyde was a beautiful, aristocratic lady and so friendly. Her motto was to greet the customers  with  a  smile  and  make  them welcomed. I loved to have any of the ladies wait on me because they were all so friendly.

   When  I asked  Sue,  Clyde’s  grand daughter,  who did the buying for the store, she said all the ladies that worked at the store all did. They would go to market and pick out the latest styles to have in their store. Sue says she remembers going on buying trips with her mother, Kathryn Brown , when she was about 10 or 12. They really made it a family business.
 

  Clyde died in 1971. That was a great loss for her only child Kathryn and her two daughters. I loved the way Sue  always called  Clyde, Grandmother.  Not Grandma  like most of us do, but Grandmother. A dignified name for a dignified lady.
    Kathryn carried on the same traditions her mom had. I think everyone in town had a charge account there.
 

  The  ladies that  worked  there looked  like  they had  just  stepped out of a band box. They always dressed very classy. For as long as I can remember Naomi Hillman, Delsa Staheli, Elaine Nelson, Eileene Wilson ( s h e  d i d alterations)worked at the store. And I remember one lady in particular that had beautiful red hair and was very sophisticated.I can't seem to recall her name but I loved to have her wait on me.
    Kathryn  sold the  store  to  a  Danny Hedrick and then Diane Brinkerhoff bought it from him. Kathryn died in 1983. What a grand lady. I'm sure everyone missed her especially her two daughters and her husband Wally.
    The store closed  it's  doors  in about    1984 and Payson lost one of it's special places to shop. Isn't it fun to look back and remember when...