Elma Chamber gives award

Award recognizes Elma Variety Store’s generations of support for community

The Elma Chamber of Commerce celebrated one of the city’s longest serving businesses, which is about to close.

Elma Variety Store owner Carol Morrow was given the chamber’s Business of the Quarter award for the first quarter of 2019.

The chamber award recognized the store’s “enhancement to Elma and support of the business community,” a release states.

“Elma Variety Store supports the community in numerous ways. They are called on throughout the year for donations to Master Quilters, youth clubs, school, churches, and sports activities. Elma Variety Store sponsors Chamber events and activities including the Winter Wine Festival Silent Auction, City-Wide Garage Sale, Heat on the Street Car Show, and Downtown Trick or Treat.”

The store was perhaps most well known for its fabric selection.

“Quilters come from all over the state to take advantage of the large selection of fabric designs,” the chamber release states.

Morrow and her husband, Boyd, bought the variety store in 1972. Boyd Morrow died in November 2016. Carol Morrow tried to sell the store, but settled for selling the building. Elma Variet Store will close by the end of the month. According to their Facebook page, the store is selling everything 75 percent off.

Morrow said she expects the next owner of the building to put in a Dollar Store.