Longtime owner of Lady Bug Thrift Store retires

TIME TO RETIRE — After 38 years owning the Lady Bug Thrift Store in New Richland, Carol Shultz has decided it’s time to let someone else take over. (Star Eagle photo by Jessica Lutgens)

By JESSICA LUTGENS

Editorial Assistant

If you live in or around New Richland, you’re most likely familiar with the Lady Bug. Our own local thrift store tucked between Wagner’s and New Richland Drug, this shop has been going strong for 38 years, thanks to the ownership of Carol Shultz, who recently decided it was time to hang up the towel and pass on the store to another owner.

When it all started, Carol and her sister shared ownership of the store.

“We wanted to be able to be home when our kids got home from school,” Carol said when remembering her reason for starting the shop, “and regulate our own hours.”

For the first 18 years, the Lady Bug resided on Highway 13. After Carol’s sister retired, she decided to move to Broadway in New Richland, where she has owned the shop herself for 20 years. Looking back on her years, Carol shared some of her fonder memories.

“I’ve gotten a lot of people from all over, even out of state,” she said. “Kansas, Austin, Albert Lea. They’re all interesting.”

When asked why she finally decided to sell, her simple response was, “It’s time, I guess.”

Thirty-eight years is a long time, and people from this community appreciate the time and effort Carol has put into the Lady Bug to make it customer-friendly and overall a great experience. Small shops such as this are what make a community special, and thankfully the Lady Bug will continue to operate under the ownership of Linda Wagner and her husband, Dan, to keep providing this service to our small town.

“I think I’ll miss the people the most,” Carol said. “Being with them and meeting them. It’s been quite a ride.”

A longtime resident of Ellendale, Carol plans to spend her retirement there. She doesn’t have any big plans for her days ahead, but after all she’s done for the community, this break is much deserved.

The Lady Bug Thrift Store has been a part of our town for many years, and hopefully will remain that way for years to come. Currently in the process of changing hands, the store will be open again next month. Show your support for Carol and the new owner, Linda, and check out the spring and summer selections that will be on the racks in the near future.

The end of one journey marks the beginning of the next, and the journey that Linda is about to embark upon should be an exciting one. The community thanks Carol for all of her hard work throughout the years and for making the effort to keep her shop alive, and Linda, for taking the wheel and preparing for the future of the store, which is sure to be bright.