Betty’s Gift Shop to Close
Minnesota — After 38 years in business Betty Rupp is taking down her shingle. Although she is selling out her gift shop business, Betty plans on keeping busy giving piano lessons at her home, something she has done since 1950, sewing, and selling Watkins products.
Betty and her late husband Reuben opened their first shop in what used to be Nimmefroh’s Barber Shop in 1970. Ironically, that is the location she eventually ended up in, only now her business occupies the entire building which used to house the old Westbrook Theater.
After a year in their first building they expanded the business and moved into the south half of the former Sy Menk building. They stayed in that location until 1985 when they moved back to the building where they had originally started.
For the first few years they rented a portion of the building to Roger Haar for his State Farm Insurance office. When Haar moved out into new quarters the Rupps took the vacated space and added it to their retail sales area.
Betty is proud of the lines she carried in her store especially Noritake and Mikasa china and crystal and Fenton Glassware. She had a wide variety of gift items including Terry Redlin items, music boxes, candles, jewelry, collectables, Watkins products, plus many other religious and gift items.
