Closing of Bernard’s in Heavener
A local icon is closing its doors. Bernard’s in Heavener is going out of business. It’s been in Heavener for almost forty years. Jonna Davis (Mead) has been a steady face anytime I visited Bernards. She’s worked there for almost thirty years. They’ve been having a big sale for the last couple of weeks. My son and I both bought boots this week. Some items are 75 percent off.
When I was in high school Jonna showed a calf and I showed a pig. One day just before a show Jonna’s calf got loose and we chased it all over the east side of Heavener. My point is when it comes to western wear, Jonna knows her stuff. She’s shown in FFA, barrel raced and raised commercial cattle all of her life. She kept all the name brands in stock and it was always competitively priced.
When my dad worked for the railroad he would buy Red Wing boots at Bernards. The KCS railroad had some kind of deal for its employees to buy boots and Bernards always had a good selection of Red Wing boots for the railroaders. Over the last ten years Jonna has special ordered my Ariat work boots. I like the waterproof Ariat work boots, nine and a half, extra wide. Jonna would order them and I go by and get them when they came in, I never had a problem.
I don’t know what I’ll do the next time I need some boots special ordered. Jonna is retiring to work on her family farm.
Bernard’s is actually owned by David Bernard, but it’s always been Jonna at the store.
Former State Senator Jim Hamilton told me one time he could park his car at one end of downtown Heavenerandstartwalking. He said in its heyday downtown Heavener had 47 businesses. Today so many of the old downtown buildings are gone and several others are vacant. Large, global conglomerates have long since killed off small town businesses. The rise of Internet shopping has been the final nail in the coffin for so many small businesses like Bernards.
I wish Jonna Davis and Mr Bernard well. They’ve supported our local ball teams, rodeos, pig shows and churches. They made a difference in our community for almost half a century. On one hand our community is only losing a couple of jobs, but more than that they are losing a familiar face when they went in the door of Bernards. The Internet is cold hearted and isn’t ever a sponsor at the ball fields or rodeo arena. We are going to miss Bernards and so many others like them.