An open house and celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ray Lawrence Grocery served as a homecoming for owners and operators Qujette Lawrence and her son Benny Lawrence last Saturday, as customers from through the years attended the event on Saturday.
The Lawrences bought the store on Highway 35 south from Durward Hartness on May 13, 1968.
Mrs. Lawrence assisted her husband with the store operation part-time as she worked with Mississippi Valley Gas and served as organist at First United Methodist
Church. When he became ill in the 1970s, she joined him fulltime. Following his death in 2004, Quejette and Benny along with Debbie Crowson are operators of the grocery store and River Bridge Clothing located in an addition made to the building in 2002. The addition was named because of its location near the Yockanookany River bridge.
Hamburgers and ice cream were served and door prizes awarded.
