After 45 years in business, Harold Brenden is retiring.
“A going-out-of-business sale is now in progress,” said Brenden, who owns Harold’s Jewelry at Third and High in Stayton. “The sale will run through Christmas.”
Brenden bought the store in July 1975 from his boss, Vern Henry, who also owned a jewelry store in Silverton. Originally behind the Key Bank at First and Washington, Brenden moved to downtown Stayton.
“In 1986, I was offered this space,” he said. “It was George Carter who owned a shoe repair store who sold me this property. I tore that building down and rebuilt on the site.”
Now 69, Brenden is closing shop.
“45 years of doing this is a long time,” he said. “Most of my friends have retired. Most of my siblings have retired. Much as I would like to make jewelry, it’s time.”
Brenden likes to tell people he had no choice about his foray into jewelry making.
“Since about the fifth or sixth grade, I wanted to make jewelry,” he said. “I never lost sight of that.”
Brenden said he has lost track of what he has and has not made for people, but has given every effort to do his best when making jewelry for his “friends,” which is what he calls his customers.
“I had the store less than two weeks when a man came in wanting to buy a mother’s ring for his mother,” Brenden recalled. “He picked out the style and color he wanted, and then the stones for all his siblings and himself, but he didn’t know her finger size.”
Brenden told the man he could bring the ring back to the store for sizing after giving it to his mother, a deal that never materialized, Brenden said.
“He told me that would really be hard – she’s been dead for about 20 years,” he said, chuckling. “He went outside, hopped on his bicycle, and rode down the road singing.”
Not all stories are of that nature, he said.
“My friends say they don’t trust anyone else with their jewelry,” said Brenden, who hopes another jeweler will come to Stayton. Of his decision to retire, he added, “I actually made the decision a year ago to do our sale in May and culminating on our anniversary on July 1. Then COVID came along when it started waning, I decided Christmas would end the year.”
He added closing is “bittersweet.”
“We appreciate all of our friends that have shopped with us over the years, who bought stuff made to order. It’s hard to put into words how much I appreciate everybody.”
Brenden thanks his employees, including: Diane Hall who came in 1990; Aggie Gescher, who left a couple of years ago; Jan Ruettgers, who has been at the store about four years; and his wife, Darlene, who takes care of the store’s Facebook page.
“We are now going to be doing those retiree things,” Brenden said. “If someone asks me what time it is, I’ll answer, ‘Why, do we have to be someplace?’ We’ll be traveling when COVID ebbs. There are lots of places to go and things to do.”
Harold’s Jewelry is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The store is closed Sundays.
“The Sunday before Christmas we’ll open from noon to 4 p.m.,” Brenden said. “For those last minute gifts.”
