Photos and audio by Diana Soliwon

The man behind Breading’s Shoes at 1310 Walnut St. says he’s in a business he loves.

Russ Breading, a lifelong resident of Murphysboro, has a way of proving it to you: He saves a customer card for every patron he’s had in the nearly 60 years he’s been selling shoes. Name, size and width, cost, phone number and address – Breading carefully keeps the information cataloged until the next time the customer comes in.

Breading said he feels lucky to be successful in the retail business and to have the chance to consistently talk with people of the community. He said it’s the interaction with people that he’s enjoyed the most since he started in 1950, when he first helped at a local shoe store during high school.

Shortly after, Breading joined the Navy. He stuck with it for three years before he returned to his hometown.

“I came back from the service, and they said, ‘You want to come back to work?’ Well yeah, I’ll go to work ’til I find something better, I said. I enjoyed it and never found anything better.”

Photos by Rachel Snow

Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 Bethany Wagmon was on a hunt for the perfect guy.

Wagmon and her grandma Judy Knust found an Ad in the local newspaper for a yard sale with 2,000 Barbie dolls. Knust said they had visited the yard sale earlier in the day, but came back for more. She said they were looking for boy Barbies because they are harder to come by. The yard sale was held by David Carter, who said all the dolls were donated. He said some of the profits of the yard sale would be going to a local church.

Photography and audio by Pat Sutphin

George McNeil owns and operates George’s Resale in Murphysboro, a truly unique furniture and antique shop.

The store’s basement and attic are filled to capacity, and that doesn’t include the show room floor in which the aisle have to be walked down one at a time due to crowdedness. George’s Resale provides great customer service and a wonderful small town atmosphere that makes anyone feel welcome and comfortable to browse the hidden treasures of George’s Resale.