Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebekah Freels.
Rebekah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always had an adventurous, friendly, and creative spirit, but owning and running a little rural country store was never on my list of things I may want to do when I grow up. However, I have found out that by taking this little business on, it has definitely not only been fuelling my creativity, but has been filling my heart and satisfying my soul a little more each day.
Growing up on the Oregon Coast in a small town has helped me appreciate the extra care and kindness most people in small towns seem to have for each other. Of course life has to often take you away to new and exciting places and experience life- with all the goods and challenges, to remind you that being a part of a caring community is really what life is all about.
I met my husband many years ago when I was in my early 20’s. Our daughter Cyrah Makai came along about four years later. We lived a busy but beautiful life in Santa Cruz, Ca- sandwiched between the Redwoods and the Pacific Ocean. For much of this time I was a teacher- starting out as a high school teacher and eventually following my creative instincts to become a certificated art instructor. Much like everyone else, things in my life got much too busy it seemed. People lose their way and fight battles that often most people don’t even see. Around the time our daughter was 19, my husband unexpectedly passed away, and our world went into a spin. Having been dreaming of moving back to Oregon for a few years, it immediately became very clear that I needed to come back home, be closer to family again, and somehow make a fresh start with a broken heart.
I knew where I wanted to live here, and I found the perfect place in Alpine, Or. The community of Monroe welcomed my daughter and I with open arms. Neighbors welcomed us with goodies, the Long Timber Brewring Company welcomed my daughter as part of their team, and the Monroe Grade School hired me as an elementary Reading Instructor. It began to feel like home. We both started healing, exploring our new surroundings, making new friends, and reconnecting with old friends and family.
One day while driving back from an awesome mini road trip with my daughter to the top of Mary’s Peak, we drove down Bellfountain Road on our way back home, and my daughter noticed a For Sale sign freshly posted right outside the old country store on the corner of Bellfountain and Dawson Road. Although we had both driven past the old building many times, there was never much more thought about the building other than, “I wonder what’s going on there? Is there going to be something done to it? What a sad old building it has become.” With the new awareness of it being for sale, something just lit up inside of me. Never having been a solo business owner (my husband and I helped to run his general contracting business for 20 years), and not knowing a lick about retail, I still decided pretty quickly that I was going to buy it and turn it into something. I wanted to give back to the community that gave me and my daughter so much – and open something that would be helpful, useful, and fun.
The Bellfountain Country Store has been an integral part of the Bellfountain/Alpine area community from the early 1950’s until 1999. It has been owned and run by several local families, and has made so many memories for the many residents who still call this area home- from walking down to the store at lunch when the Bellfountain School operated full time to buy glass bottled sodas from the soda machine and penny candies, to filling up a tank of gas and chatting with the proprietors. In 1999, the owners at that time, Sandy and Anita decided to sell it, and for many years it sat, slowly growing old and lonely with only blackberries and bunnies for friends. When I bought it in 2022 there was someone who did begin to put some work and life back into it with the intention of moving in as a residence, but plans and life changed for him as well. And here we are, four years later. Fixing up the old building took A LOT of work and patience, but I was determined to keep its old bones and frame to help preserve the historical aspect of it and especially the memories.
Since I reopened the store in September of 2023, this little store has been growing and weaving itself into an important part of the community once again. We offer a nostalgic and curious experience, selling everything from vintage inspired candy and toys, to local arts and crafts, local honey and Oregon and USA based products, canned specialty goods, basic grocery necessities, hot coffee and fresh pastries, Oregon wines, and the coldest walk-in beer cooler around. We also host special events in our fenced backyard- from local community yard sales to musical events, and our annual anniversary bash in September. This year we will be celebrating three years, on Saturday September 25th, complete with a ginormous bounce house, a local food truck, and two local bands. We are SO appreciative of all the support and kindness we have received and continue to receive. And we will kindly continue to pay back with daily smiles and conversations, friendly and helpful service, a team that truly cares about each other and our customers, and creating new and happy memories. We look forward to seeing you at the Bellfountain Country Store!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As with any new adventure I think there are triumphs and challenges. Getting all of the permits, having the work done, satisfying deadlines, licensing, and budgets were definitely the biggest and most significant road stops. Learning by doing has sort of become my motto ever since I purchased the old store. Every day I learn something new not only about the retail world and owning and running your own business, but about myself too- what I’m comfortable with and what I need to learn more about. I think my biggest wins are just when people voice and show their appreciation that the store is here. My team and I love to hear the “oohs and ahhs” of new customers as they step into the store for the first time, and we cherish the relationships we have made and continue to make with our regulars. We truly feel an appreciated part of this community.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Aside from being the Bellfountain Store Lady, I was a teacher for about 14 years. I started as a substitute teacher when my daughter was in grade school so I could be close to her, subbing mostly at her school. I eventually decided to go back to school, finish my degree, including earning a Masters degree, and then on to obtain my teaching certification. It was a lot of work, but offered me a very rewarding, but fairly short career. During those 14 years, I also obtained my art teaching certification, and had a total blast being a full time elementary art teacher. Before that I loved working in the service industry, including bartending, waiting tables, and helping my husband run his General Contracting business. I have always been a sociable person, really preferring to interact with other people and hearing their stories and becoming a part of their lives, even if in a small way. I have learned throughout all of my work adventures throughout the years, that the secret to work is finding something that doesn’t feel like work at all. Find something that you enjoy giving your time and energy to- it makes all the difference.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I truly hope that whether or not I remain the sole proprietor or the owner of this little country store forever, that it stays in the community. There are no other stores for miles, and I know that the people around here, and also the passersbys really appreciate it. With rising costs on nearly everything, it will remain a challenge to balance offering affordable goods and gifts, but I believe most of the people who shop here understand that and are willing to maybe pay a bit more in support of keeping something local and convenient. I also believe that we all are craving to feel a bit of nostalgia, to have a destination (especially on beautiful country roads), and allow ourselves the time to travel to fun places- where you can always find a unique gift, a cold beer, and genuinely feel the “country” at the country store.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bellfountaincs.com
- Instagram: @bellfountaincs
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/bellfountaincountrystore
