Myrtle Vera's Hallmark is a family business. Having started as Country Friends, and then evolving into Country Friends & More, and now as Myrtle Vera's, everything about the store involves family. Even the name comes from Grandma Myrtle who lamented that no grandchildren or great grandchildren were named after her. There are no Myrtles or Veras out of the 50 or so descendants. And so the store was named Myrtle Vera's in honor of Grandma Schwartz who lived to the ripe age of 101.
Judy Moser ran Country Friends and when Phil Schwartz opened an addition to the store it became Country Friends & More. For twenty seven years it ran continuously until in 2014 Donna Schwartz Renteria and her husband Eric Renteria started helping at the store. That eventually led to them taking on more responsibilities and in 2015 they entered into an agreement with Hallmark to become a Hallmark outlet.
Now other family members help out on special occasions. Gustavo Renteria helps with keeping the store in order, Mark Renteria does projects and helps with the computers, Deb and Diana have been known to serve cookies and read stories for living windows. The store is a part of the family and is a key part of the revival of downtown Burlington and the Snake Alley District.
Now with the new location just two blocks down, the store has even more to offer with Merle Norman joining the Hallmark Franchise in June of 2018.
It has been 29 years since the initial opening. We hope that Country Friends and Myrtle Vera's Hallmark will continue to be a part of the community and the family for at least that many more.
Judy Moser ran Country Friends and when Phil Schwartz opened an addition to the store it became Country Friends & More. For twenty seven years it ran continuously until in 2014 Donna Schwartz Renteria and her husband Eric Renteria started helping at the store. That eventually led to them taking on more responsibilities and in 2015 they entered into an agreement with Hallmark to become a Hallmark outlet.
Now other family members help out on special occasions. Gustavo Renteria helps with keeping the store in order, Mark Renteria does projects and helps with the computers, Deb and Diana have been known to serve cookies and read stories for living windows. The store is a part of the family and is a key part of the revival of downtown Burlington and the Snake Alley District.
Now with the new location just two blocks down, the store has even more to offer with Merle Norman joining the Hallmark Franchise in June of 2018.
It has been 29 years since the initial opening. We hope that Country Friends and Myrtle Vera's Hallmark will continue to be a part of the community and the family for at least that many more.
