They Built A Special Place, And It Lives on After They Retire
Woonsocket, RI – Gertrude A. Franco winces as she lifts her right arm to dust off a glass shelf lined with statues of saints, crucifixes, and other religious articles and gifts.
The longtime owner of A Special Place, a religious gift shop tucked away in a corner storefront on North Main Street, Franco, 76, is battling painful arthritis in her shoulder, a condition that has made daily operation of the shop difficult at best.
And considering her business partner, Armand Froment, turned 93 this year, it’s easy to understand why the two longtime friends made the decision to leave the business they started nearly 20 years ago.