Just Say OMG!
Oh My Goodness, the enchanting little stop nestled in the historic Borough of Hulmeville, offers a uniquely diverse, eclectic collection of diamonds in the rough for antique and collectLbOH DfiFLRnDGRV.
The building located on the corner of Main Street and Hulmeville Road was erected in 18T1 and legend has it that in 191T, Harry Houdini, the American stunt performer noted for his sensational escape acts, occupied D gUHHn URRP Ln WhHUH. HH SHUfRUPHG Rn WhH VWDgH Rn WhH VHFRnG flRRU whLOH Rn RnH Rf hLV YDuGHYLOOH WRuUV.
Now there is Motown music in the background and a vast selection of vintage treasures in the Primitive Room, the front room, showcasing military artifacts from the Civil WDU, whLOH WhH PLGGOH URRP UHPDLnV HFOHFWLF. Glassware and Lenox collectibles command WhH ODVW URRP.
Linda “Lynn” [Coombs] Morris has been Ln WhLV buVLnHVV fRU RYHU 3.5 yHDUV. “, OLNH WhH VWRUH LWVHOf. ,W’V hDunWHG.” ,W VHHPV WhHUH wDV a vortex of air in the back room and a doll WhDW DOwDyV finGV LWV wDy LnWR WhH FHnWHU Rf WhH URRP.
Lynn moved from another location ‘with a OLWWOH hHOS fURP hHU fULHnGV.’ “0y FuVWRPHUV DUH WhH bHVW Ln WhLV wRUOG. 7hHy FDPH wLWh WhHLU personal vehicles and packed me and moved DOO Py VWuff.” (VSHFLDOOy hHOSfuO wHUH RLFh DnG BHUnDGHWWH HDUW DnG PROLFH 2ffiFHU -Rhn )LPby.
Lynn was raised on Cedar Street in historic BULVWRO Rn WhH DHODwDUH. ShH wDV D FhHHUOHDGHU DnG SODyHG fiHOG hRFNHy whLOH Ln BULVWRO HLgh DnG VhH WDughW LFH VNDWLng DW WhH GUunGy ULnN. /ynn ORYHV WR GDnFH. “, GLG WhH BULVWRO SWRPS”.
She choreographed the 19T8 Bristol High SFhRRO “SDWuUGDy 1LghW )DVhLRn )HYHU” VhRw.
“,W wDV PDgnLfiFHnW. 1R RnH hDG HYHU VHHn D fDVhLRn VhRw OLNH WhDW,” VhDUHG -RVHSh )UDnFHschini, esteemed Bristol High School teacher of American and British literature who was recently honored at the 2012 Bristol call ClasVLF.
/ynn’V GDG wDV D fiUHPDn fRU WhH &RnVROLdated cire Company on Pond C Mulberry SWUHHWV. “, wDV Ln HYHUy SDUDGH. , gUHw uS Ln WhH fiUHhRuVH DnG , GLG Py hRPHwRUN Rn WhH VWHHULng whHHO Rf WhH SWDWLRn 50 YHhLFOH WhDW WhHy DUH UHVWRULng.”
Lynn came from an entire family of entreSUHnHuUV. BRWh Rf hHU SDUHnWV, DRURWhy -HDn [0DgHH] DnG RDyPRnG “RDy” (fferson Coombs were realtors, ownHUV Rf WhH RDyPRnG (. &RRPbV R( RffiFH Rn PRnG SWUHHW. “, fROORwHG Ln Py fDWhHU’V fRRWVWHSV DnG wHnW LnWR RHDO (VWDWH.”
She started working in the family buVLnHVV DnG WhHn MRLnHG wLWh 0V. )UDn DDYLV Ln &HnWuUy 21 RHDOWy. ,W wDVn’W ORng bHfRUH VhH wDV LnYROYHG Ln PuOWL- PLOOLRn GROODUV VDOHV.
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She continued her career working Ln PRUWgDgH DnG UHfinDnFLng unWLO “Oh my goodness, the kids are all gRnH, , WhLnN ,’OO WUy WhLV.” ShH OHfW that profession to become a US Airways and United Airlines stewardHVV.
Lynn and her husband, Alexander Morris, are residents of Landreth 0DnRU Ln BULVWRO 7RwnVhLS. AOH[ works in heating and air conditioning for Meenan Oil but consistently OHnGV D hDnG DW WhH VWRUH. “HH DOwDyV keeps me going,”
She brags that he is a gourmet cook and raves about his chickenL bURFFROL GLVh FDOOHG “LngUHGLHnWV.”
They are most proud of their three children and six grandchildren and WhHLU gUHDW gUDnGVRn, -DyFH. )DPLOy
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Their equestrian athlete daughter Michelle Papendick has three children, Samantha Paige 9LROD, HDLOHy -DGH PDSHnGLFN DnG KyOH PDSHnGLFN. 7hHLU yRungHVW, 7LffDny 0RRUH, UunV WhH PUR DHVN DW HRPH DHSRW.
Some friends encouraged her to “get into DnWLTuHV.”
Oh My Goodness is a treasure trove of Civil War and Gettysburg and relics and more curiRVLWLHV. PHRSOH ORYH WhH VWRULHV DnG /ynn HnMRyV PDNLng SHRSOH VDy “2h Py gRRGnHVV.”
She and her husband travel up and down the (DVW &RDVW WR gHW WhH UHDO GHDO, UHDO UHOLFV.
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BuW LW’V WhH VWRULHV…/ynn UHVHDUFhHV DnG LGHnWLfiHV hHU LWHPV VR VhH FDn DFFuUDWHOy PDUNHW WhHP. ShH OHDUnV WhH DgH DnG RULgLn Rf HDFh.
“This is my fun place,” some customers hDYH VDLG.
BuW LW’V /ynn’V VWRULHV WhDW DUH WhH GUDw. Sarah MacDonald Helsley posted on the OMG cacebook, “You are my favorite part of the shop!”
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The sensational acquisitions can even have sentimental value for the collection hobbyist or be a perfect one-of-a-kind gift for someone VSHFLDO.
Notable picks include a signed Giuseppe ArPDnL SRUFHODLn figuULnH, D &LYLO WDU FRnfHGHUate dollar (for display onlyF from Gettysburg; a sousaphone, a valved brass instrument that is GHVLgnHG VR WhDW LW fiWV DURunG WhH bRGy Rf WhH PuVLFLDn; DnWLTuH fiUHDUPV DnG Dn 1890 PRVW 2ffiFH wLnGRw fURP PHGGOHU’V 9LOODgH Ln /DhDVND.
But it will be the stories that will bring you bDFN. 7hDW, DnG hHU WwR SFRWWy GRgV.
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“WhHn , wDON LnWR /ynn’V DnWLTuH VWRUH, LW SuWV D VPLOH Rn Py fDFH. /ynn LV VR gHnHURuV DnG nLFH DnG , ORYH gRLng WhHUH. 7hHUH LV VR PuFh VWuff WR ORRN DW fRU D SHUVRn OLNH PH. ,W LV SDUDGLVH. 1Rw gR DnG VHH WhLV gUHDW SODFH fRU yRuUVHOf. YRu wRn’W bH GLVDSSRLnWHG,” VDyV -RVHSh D. AnGUHVV, DgH 9.
GLfW FHUWLfiFDWHV DUH DYDLODbOH DnG /ynn Rffers a “layaway” for most items, allowing her FuVWRPHUV WR SuW Dn LWHP Rn hROG.
Call and ask about an item and she will post D SLFWuUH Rn WhH 20G )DFHbRRN fRU yRu WR VHH.
Recommend a “Spotlight.” Email vjmrun@ yahoo.com.