Jan's Attic closing its doors

By John Chambers

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

HOLTON --- Jan Hodge has lived in Denver and Omaha, but Holton, the site of her retail business for 25 years, has become her permanent home. It will remain so, even after she retires later this month.

Hodge is retiring from retailing feminine fashions to spend more time with her husband, Harold, their two children, six grandsons, and her 92-year-old father. She will close Jan's Attic at the end of July. In preparation for the closing, she is selling the rest of her inventory at 50 percent off.

She had no retail business experience when she opened her store in downtown Holton in 1979. But both her business, and her contributions to community life grew. In 1992, she received the Holton Area Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year award. The award recognized her service to the Chamber and the community. That service included starting and chairing for several years the popular French Market arts and crafts festival on the courthouse square in Holton, and assisting with fund-raising events for the Holton Community Hospital.

Dianna Wilson, administrator of the chamber, said Hodges had contributed so much to the community in past years.

"She has contributed a great deal, and was worthy of that title," Wilson said.

Hodge grew up in Havensville, west of Holton. She graduated from Havensville High School, and from Kansas State University. Her degree was in applied music, with a major in voice. She said her whole family is a K-State family, except for a son-in-law, who is a graduate of The University of Kansas Medical School. Her daughter also attended Cottey College, a liberal arts school in Nevada, Mo., before getting her K-State degree in journalism and mass communications.

Hodge used her schooling in private teaching and in substitute teaching when her children were young. She said she was a "stay-at- home-mom" before that practice of parenting was popular.

After she graduated from K-State, the family moved to Omaha for 18 months while Harold Hodge finished his schooling in psychology. Then they moved to Denver, where Harold worked for Martin Marietta Corp. Now he has a manufacturing representative agency, Hodge and Associates, in Holton.

For some time, Jan Hodge had desired to have her own business. She came to believe that the kind of shop she eventually opened in Holton would benefit the community and surrounding area. In 1979, with her children both in high school, she opened Jan's Attic, will full support from her family.

Her son, Eric Hodge, now of Lawrence, helped with handyman jobs around the shop, and her daughter, now Kelly Boatwright, of Tulsa, worked part time in the shop.

For the first four years, the shop was located on the north side of the square. In 1983, Hodge bought the building she has continued to occupy along K-16 highway, on the south side of the square. She leased out half of the building to various businesses through the years. The current occupant of the other half is Charlie's, a coffee shop.

Hodge started with just a small inventory and a limited knowledge of retailing. Some of her sisters who were retailing students helped her. Advertising, including the word-of-mouth variety, helped her business to grow until customers came in from a 60-mile radius that has included Falls City, Neb., and Ozawkie, Meriden, Perry and Wamego in Kansas.

"I think people really like the small-shop atmosphere and personal attentiveness that we can give customers," Hodge said.

She has one regular part-time clerk, Daisy James, who works two or three days a week. Two other part-timers are available on call. She has hired high school senior girls to work after school and on Saturdays --- a total of about 22 girls during the 25 years she has been in business.

She has found their youthful perspective on fashions to be "valuable and refreshing," although she avoids temporary fads in fashions.

When Hodge bought and moved into her present location, she hired remodelers to change the building from the grocery store and Montgomery Wards store that had formerly occupied it. Her children tore off an old lean-to, and cleaned the building.

Hodge, a member of First Baptist Church in Holton, said she had dedicated her business to God from the start.

"It has been exciting how He has developed it over time," she said.

She also credit's the growth of the business to its desirable location. She plans to keep the shop's building.

She also has been a member, a board member and a vice president, of the Holton Area Chamber of Commerce. She now plans to do volunteer work in the community.

"We feel like when you have a business in a community, you need to give something back to the community," she explained.

It was that attitude that led the Chamber to name her its Business Person of the Year in 1992. The French Market that she helped to start has grown from around 20 vendors to 100. She began giving fashion shows for the Chamber's annual benefit Champagne Brunch at the Holton Country Club. Funds went to help equip the new Holton Community Hospital.

Because seating at the country club was limited, the brunch was only for women. Some of the women thought their husbands would like to attend something, so they expanded the event by adding a dinner the evening before the brunch, and invited their husbands. Then they moved the event to the Holton House. By that time, the proceeds were being donated to the hospital building fund.

After the new hospital was up and running, some 15 years or more later, the proceeds were given to the United Way of Jackson County, Hodge said.

Hodge said she depended on the "trade," the clothing industry, to constantly reflect changes in fashions from three to six months in advance of their appearance in the stores. She has carried a "myriad" of lines over the years. Some were stable and are still in existence, but she has seen many come and go.

"It has been fun to see how flexible you can be and adapt. We really depend on the industry about color, dress length and shoulder pads or no shoulder pads," she said. "We've utilized the Kansas City, Dallas and Los Angeles markets."

Jan's Attic has had a sale on its inventory since May 27, probably ending on July 31, her projected last day for the shop.

"That will be flexible, since it is our building, and we don't have any certain day we have to be out of it," Hodge said.

She has been contemplating closure of the shop for about three years now.

"We've prayed a lot about it," Hodge said.

She said she is excited about the prospect of having more time to give to her family. However, she and Harold plan to stay in Holton. They had built a house on a lot across from Rafters Park. Besides her membership in the church and the Holton Chamber of Commerce, she also belongs to the PEO and is on the board of Jackson County Nursing Home and Holton Manor. Those facilities are owned and operated by the churches of Jackson County.

Hodge summarized her experience as a business woman: "Its been a wonderful experience. It was fun to keep in step with the fashion industry, but especially to have the friends I have made."

The Chamber's administrator Wilson expressed regret over the closing of Jan's Attic, but said she understood "how she (Hodge) wants to spend more time with the family. Family is very important to Hodge.

"I am real tickled she is staying in the community, and I am sure she will be volunteering her time now."

As part of Hodge's retirement celebration, her daughter arranged for an ad in the local newspaper. The "Tribute to Jan," was signed by family members. A key line in the two-column ad also expressed Hodge's feelings about her 25 years in business: "customers became family as friendships grew."

JOHN CHAMBERS/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Jan Hodge, of Holton, has owned Jan's Attic for 25 years.

Please see DOORS, Page 8

Continued from Page 1

Doors: Owner is staying in community

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