Sears Had Everything

Our Sears store is closed. 

71 years ago I was born in a farmhouse on the side of the Appalachians in Pennsylvania. We didn't have indoor plumbing but we did have the Sears Catalog. It sat between the two holes in our outhouse. It is probably the first book that I got to read. Christmas was planned around the Wish Book. I learned all about shipping fees and sales tax from Sears.

When I was 6 - we moved to the big city of Tamaqua PA - and we shopped at the Sears Catalog Stores on Broad Street and Railroad Street. I had my first revolving charge credit card from Sears.

In the 1960s - it was a trip to the Whitehall Mall in Allentown - where Sears had a store you could shop - choose - pay - and take things home with you.

There was a house on Rowe Street in Tamaqua that was purchased by mail order from Sears. Lulu and I bought a mail order house in 1973 - not from Sears - but we lived there 30 years and the house is still going strong.

In 1980 - the Frackville Mall was built and Sears was an anchor. Just last year that mall was torn down and so went the local Sears.

We moved to Tallahassee. The Governors Square Mall is really nice and is only one mile from our home. We use it as our personal gym and walk in air conditioned comfort for 2 miles almost every day. Sears was one of the four cornerstones.

Today - Sears is closed forever. It will always leave an empty spot in my heart. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money cheerfully refunded. Craftsmen. Kenmore. Allstate. Diehard.

Sears had everything.

It anchored one of four wings

The mall in its wisdom - doubled the rent

Empty shopping carts.