Britt specialty store owner celebrates a half-decade of pursuing passions
Britt, IA – Marvea Smidt knows how to keep her promises.
Several years ago, Smidt’s mother – who at age 82, retired from her own business venture as owner of the Gift Nook and Bible store – told her to “open a store so you can sell my religious cards and napkins.”
Smidt did just that, and this past weekend celebrated the fifth anniversary of Marvea Mary’s, her specialty store in Britt she started to fulfill the request from her mother.
“It was a dream of mine to do all of this – to put things in here that you can’t find anywhere else,” Smidt said.
Smidt opened her store following a 23-year career with First State Bank. Her goal was to combine her mother’s request with her own passion for sewing, gardening and herbs.
Her husband, Ron, remodeled the motel connected to their house on Highway 18 and Marvea Mary’s was born.
Smidt’s sees her location away from Britt’s Main Avenue as an advantage to her business.
“My overhead would be too high,” she said. “One drawback is that I might not have as much traffic, but I don’t have to pay rent.
“Here, it’s all mine.”
