MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Evan's Jewelers

When Harold Evans bought Bell’s Jewelers in March of 1965 the merchandise mix included kitchen appliances, dishes and club aluminum. A lot has changed in 43 years! Harold had been working in Clinton at Jay’s Jewelers, and for the first 2 years, the Evans’ commuted between Clinton & Wallace. Becky, Mark and brother Russ (who now runs Evan’s In Warsaw) grew up in the business and learned the art of jewelry repair from their dad. The store carries a full line of precious and semi-precious stone pieces, silver & pearls, charms and gifts, and does engraving for plaques and awards, but the mainstay of the business is the steady stream of customers needing repairs. From watch batteries to resizing rings to more involved repairs, Harold & Mark are always working on something! Harold is an expert at clock repair, and you’ll always find a beautiful old clock waiting for it’s owner to come take it home.
The family business eventually grew to include another family- in more ways than one! Back in the day, Bridgette’s mom worked in the store during the week, and her dad worked on Saturday. Bridgette started working on Saturdays at the age of 13 (yes, there was a time when 13 was not too young to have a job!). Her sister Ann married Mark’s brother Russ, and initially Bridgette had no interest in Mark- and instead set Mark up with her friends. But as fate would have it, the romance would be theirs, and Bridgette and Mark married. For over a year now, Bridgette has added a new dimension to Evan’s...her hand painted polka dot and ribbon initial canvases can be seen on many a front door and in countless kid’s rooms, and her polka dot monogram license plates are all over town! She has painted bird houses, candle sticks, trunks, and furniture by request, and has painted name canvases with the motif for the child’s favorite sport or hobby included. This past fall Bridgette held craft classes for youngsters. The kids got to create and paint some cute crafts- and enjoyed the pride of making something all by themselves. Stop by Evan’s next time you’re downtown- you’ll always get a smile and some good conversation from this group- they are truly an example of what makes our town special!