Latest news with #SloanFurniture
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘It's home:' Diving into 72 years of family history at Sloan Furniture in Our Town Morrisonville
MORRISONVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — They say some of the best memories are made around the kitchen table. In 'Our Town Morrisonville,' one family has dedicated the past seven decades to making sure people have some of the best furniture inside their homes. Sloan Furniture took over a space that had previously been a grocery store and then opened its doors in the 900-person town of Morrisonville in 1953. Between then and now, the current owner, Rita Sloan, has seen a lot of changes within the business, whether that's trends leading to selling more items like recliners, or fewer kitchen sets. 'Back in those days, people had big families and big family dinners. But now, people have eliminated their dining rooms,' Sloan said. At 96, Sloan is still going. She's dedicated to the shop and everyone who walks through the front door. Taylorville High School class introducing teens to live broadcasts, creating foundation for professional careers 'I like working with people, and I also like working with furniture,' she said with a smile. Here's the thing: she didn't necessarily think she would ever call this her career. First, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Missouri. Then, she worked for the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in Springfield. 'I worked as a social worker for many years,' she explained. After retiring, she found her way back to the family business to help her mom. Little did she know that lending a helping hand would spark a love story for furniture she never saw coming. 'It's home! This is where my roots are!' she said. Sloan is from a family of 11 and is now the oldest of four living children. She'll be turning 97 next month! She grew up going to the Morrisonville Bull Frog Festival as well. That's where you can find the WCIA-3 News team on Friday, Aug. 8, during the 5 and 6 p.m. broadcasts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Beloved store owner passes at 88
A well-known and beloved Laurel County store owner passed away last Wednesday. Eula Mae Sloan, retired co-owner of Sloan Furniture, died last Wednesday, Feb. 5. She had co-founded the family-run store with her late husband LeRoy Sloan in 1971. In addition to her husband, Sloan was predeceased by her children, Edward Sloan and Robin Sloan Hurley; her parents, Fred Bailey and Mayme Bailey; and her siblings, Earl Bailey and Ruby Bailey Hurley. Sloan is survived by her brother, William R. Bailey; her sister-in-law, Betty Bailey; her grandson, Scottie Cox; her great grandchildren, Parker Cox and Morgan Cox; and Eddie Ray Hurley and Eleshia Sloan. 'I'd just love [for the community] to remember her as she was — youthful, full of life, never met a stranger — and she loved everybody,' Scottie Cox stated. After 53 years of business, Sloan Furniture closed last September following challenges imposed by Sloan's health issues, the Covid-19 outbreak, and multiple deaths in the family. Cox shared that the family business was never able to fully recover. 'At that point, it was just my grandmother and I who were mostly running things,' Cox stated. 'She ended up getting sick last year and started developing dementia, and we made the decision to close the store down.' Cox, having been close with his grandmother, began helping out at Sloan Furniture around age 8. Though Cox would go on to become an EMT, he still worked at the store on the weekends until its end. 'On behalf of all of us in the Sloan family, I would like to thank the customers for years of dedicated service and I know that's what my grandmother would want to say as well,' said Cox. Sloan was laid to rest Saturday following an afternoon funeral service at the House-Rawlings Funeral Home Chapel, with Greg Smith and Gregory E. Smith officiating.
