The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Becky Bontrager, left, Gracie Willson, middle, and Gayla Compton plan on selling "anything that pertains to making a house a home" when they open a new store on Lincoln Avenue, Comforts of Willow Glen.

Past and Presents closes; home decor shop set to open in March

Former store owners say it's time to retire

By Cecily Barnes

After three years of selling antiques from their tiny storefront on Lincoln Avenue, Past and Presents co-owners Sandi Lopez and Marie Valen have closed their doors for retirement. A new store called Comforts of Willow Glen will take their store's place, opening in March.

"We'll be selling anything that pertains to making a house a home," said new co-owner Gracie Willson.

Valen and Lopez, meanwhile, have packed up their antiques and gone home to enjoy their later years.

"It's time to retire," Valen said simply. "I want to do a lot of golf and a lot of travel."

Valen and Lopez met 14 years ago at the Willow Glen Collective, an antique shop on Lincoln Avenue where they both rented space to sell their collectibles.

"We were friends, and we had so many things that wouldn't fit in the shop across the street," Valen said. "We had some money saved, and we just decided to open a shop."

While in business, the two women ran Past and Presents single-handedly, never hiring an employee, although Lopez's sister-in-law would occasionally help out.

"Business was doing well; it's just that life is too short. We want to get on to other things," Valen said. "But it's going to be very sad to close; we've really enjoyed it. We wanted to thank all of our regular customers. We loved meeting all the people."

Valen and Lopez moved out Nov. 30 but plan to continue collecting antiques.

Meanwhile, the three owners of Comforts of Willow Glen, two of whom live in Willow Glen, have already begun their decoration and layout plans.

"We'll be selling things for the kitchen, bath and tabletop, as well as some furniture," Willson said.

Owners Willson, Becky Bontrager and Gayla Compton met years ago, forming a friendship based in part on a common love of entertaining and decorating their homes.

"I don't know if we're particularly creative," Compton teased, "but people seem to enjoy what we do."

After years working as nurses, teachers and businesswomen and decorating their homes on the side, the three friends decided to open Comforts of Willow Glen.

"We've all had other professions, but we're going to center our lives on retail," Willson said. "We all see this as a real viable business."

Once their store opens, Willson, Bontrager and Compton plan to be active business owners by joining the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association and participating in Avenue events.

"We've all been very dedicated shoppers of Willow Glen," Willson said. "We even used to shop at Bergmann's."

Because remodeling will take some time, Comforts will not open until March.

"We're so excited," Compton said. "It's something the three of us have wanted to do for a long time."

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