Blazing the trail for women’s fashion in Spruce Grove

Blazing the trail for women’s fashion in Spruce Grove Main Photo

4 Jun 2021


news

Carol Schaefer spent much of her life aiming to please.

Schaefer opened the first women’s wear store in Spruce Grove in 1976 and has been a staple in the community since.

Born in the small community of Wembley in Northern Alberta near Grande Prairie to a farming family, Schaefer was never a stranger to hard work. Herding cows, cleaning up after the family animals, or taking miles long trips into Grande Prairie were just regular parts of adolescent life.

“I didn’t want to stay at Wembley because it was a farming community. Everybody knew everybody and they were good to each other but it was just too much. I didn’t want to get married and right away have children — six children was the standard at the time—, and chase chickens or slop pigs. I chose not to. I went outside of the regular ways of living and made a life for myself,” Schaefer said.

Read full article.