Beanie Babies and stuff - IMO Janice Koweek

This time of year I think of Jan. She owned the world's best toy store during the year's my daughters were growing up. Each year's presents were kept on the third floor until we picked them up Christmas Eve. The Barbie dolls; the Barbie cruise ship; the Princess Leah doll; the games; the kids' table and chairs. Her store had them all.

Walking into The Town Fair, the girls entered a "kid friendly" place. A place of wonder and wonderful surprises and displays. In our small town, all the kids were familiar to Jan and her employees. Every birthday, every Christmas, every time the girls had saved up enough to buy that special Barbie outfit or Star Wars figure, we headed for the store.

And Jan would slip something into our bags of purchases we had not chosen. Something she knew I loved. A beanie baby toy. Soft, cuddly, adorable. She warned her customers that these were not investments, they were toys. Today they are worth about the same or less than they paid for them then. But I have a small collection of them that I treasure. Tiny reminders of a woman who always gave full value to her customers. A woman who gave generously to every local service organization that petitioned for a donation. A woman who knew her customers by name. A woman who was one of the greatest friends I have had in my life.

Every Christmas Eve our family would march into The Town Fair to pick up that year's Christmas gifts and to give Jan and her husband Art our homemade gifts of baked goods, ornaments, and cookies. It was a major part of our Christmas celebration.

Unfortunately, The Town Fair closed its doors before my granddaughters (now 10 and 6) were able to experience its delights. But my daughters treasure the memories spawned there. And I? I have a small collection of Beanie Babies that Jan slipped into our bags. It is hard to believe Jan left us over five years ago.

IMO Jan Koweek
For her myriad acts of kindness to my family and myself, I give thanks.
For her attentive involvement in the large and small matters of my life, I give thanks.
For her sound counsel, advice and unflagging support, I give thanks.

For her steadfast example of how to grow a worthwhile life, I give thanks.
For her keen, often irreverent sense of humor, I give thanks
For her warmth, hospitality, generosity and caring, I give thanks.

By her incredible fortitude in the face of suffering,
Most remarkable expressed in her unfailing kindness and her famous and atrocious puns, I am awed.

For the greatest gift of all, knowing her as friend for thirty-six years, I rejoice and give thanks to God.

Farewell dear friend, you are most sorely missed.

IMO Janice Koweek.