After nearly three decades, Othella Anderson has decided to call it quits at her downtown business in Tyrone.
O’s Sew Shop has been a fixture since the 1970s in a building that once housed the historic Keystone Hotel at 1058 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Anderson says now it’s time to retire which is something she has been thinking about doing for at least a year.
She has sold the building to the Fazards of State College. Stephanie Fazard is an optometrist. The Fazards have purchased Dr. Marshall L. Goldstein’s practice at 1051 Pennsylvania Avenue and will be moving it across the street.
She said the Fazards will be doing quite a bit of work to remodel the building to suit their needs. Anderson said they are anxious to get started and construction is expected to get under way in a couple weeks.
The move out of the building has already been going on for a couple of weeks. The other day, Anderson said she planned to be done by the end of the week or next week.
Customers coming in this week might not recognize the store since many items have already been removed.
“We sold some things to different people,” said Anderson.
She said prior to starting the business, she was a graduate of Tyrone High School and worked at the Pentagon during World War II and then returned to Tyrone and started a family with her first husband. Her daughter Cindy resides in the Tyrone area and another daughter, Joy, lives in Cape Coral, FL.
About the sew shop, Anderson said, “I started it up here with very little money and bought the building.”
In addition to the apartments, she said the block-long building also has a storage room and a garage.
“I’ve had wonderful tenants, I’ve had the best tenants in the world,” said Anderson.
She said she also once worked for the radio station, WTRN as Peggy Miller and at the IGA Riverside for 17 years.
She said she then decided she wanted to do something different and opened the business. She said she has run five businesses and has taken care of the apartments. She said she has painted, laid floors and done it all herself at the business.
“I’ve enjoyed every bit of it,” said Anderson. “I’ll miss my people in Tyrone, I’ve had a wonderful life here.”
Anderson praised her customers she has had at the store over the years by emphasizing their importance more than once during the interview.
Anderson said she and her second husband have bought a house in Bellwood where they’ll live in retirement. She also plans to continue traveling, something she has already done extensively. Anderson said she is an avid bridge player and will continue that hobby as well.
