There’s no one-size-fits-all prescription for dealing with loss. But taking on a new adventure and pouring your heart into it can help with healing.
To this, the Bausworth family can testify.
On March 2, wife and mother Michelle Bausworth, 45, died after a six-month fight with lung cancer.
Husband Eric Bausworth, 44, said Michelle had been “doing pretty good,” and her death came as a shock. He and Michelle had been making plans, big plans.
Her treatments were interfering with her job as a property manager, but what if the couple bought a store? She could be involved in the day-to-day operation, while spending more time with the couple’s two children and having more flexibility to address her health.
An opportunity soon presented itself. Eric’s mother, Paula Bausworth of Byrnes Mill, worked at a High Ridge antiques/collectible store that was going up for sale.
“She (Michelle) was diagnosed in September, and we started discussing buying the business at the end of December,” Eric said. “We decided to go ahead and purchase it in January.”
On Feb. 1, the sale was complete. The Bausworths were ready to start pursuing their dream at the newly named Old Time Finds and More, located in two storefronts within walking distance of each other (2807 Barbara Drive, behind the High Ridge Post Office, and 2819 High Ridge Blvd.).
And then everything changed.
Michelle’s health began to worsen at the same time the coronavirus pandemic started slamming the business community far and wide.
“She was hospitalized at the end of January and we lost her on March 2,” Eric said.
Michelle was able to attend one meeting with staff, but never got to work at the store.
No one would have been surprised if Eric had decided to throw in the towel at his fledgling business. After all, he has another job, working security, and didn’t rely on the store for his sole income.
But, he decided carrying on would be better for him and his family.
“The store is making me move on with life. It keeps me busy,” said Eric, who is on-site Saturdays and Sundays and some afternoons.
The couple’s children – Josh, 12, and Melanie, 15 – are involved with the project, too. “They help out, and I think that helps them,” Eric said. “In fact, my daughter came up with the new name (the six-year-old store was formerly called Kim’s Unique Antiques and More) and designed the logo.”
Remembering Michelle
Eric said Michelle was the type of person who always put other people first.
“She wanted everyone else to be happy,” he said.
In honor of Michelle, he said, he emphasizes that theme at the store.
“I want to treat everyone fairly, and do what she wanted,” he said. “It’s not about the money; it’s about doing the right thing for customers.”
Paula Bausworth, who has stayed on at the business and manages the store for her son, said other people may benefit from Eric’s example of perseverance in the face of tragedy.
“It’s a story that needs to be told,” she said.
Paula said Michelle’s passing was “a great loss.”
“She never knew a stranger. She spent more time in the hospital than at home in those six months, but even in her darkest hours, she was able to connect with anyone who came in the room.”
Paula said Eric and Michelle met while working at a pet store and bonded over their mutual love of animals. They would have celebrated their 20th anniversary in May.
Paula said Michelle, a nonsmoker, developed a nagging cough she thought was allergies. The cough eventually went away, but Michelle seemed “off” to her family during a camping trip last September. Tests done in conjunction with a trip to an urgent care revealed her stage 4 lung cancer.
Paula said people who come into the store are quick to express their support.
“They always ask. They are so concerned about the children,” she said. “We are strong people, and we like to project that. But we get weak, sometimes, at the end of the day. We deal with it as a family and as a store family.”
Paula said it’s important for people to know there is always hope for the future.
“Someday, we are going to be bigger, better and stronger,” she said, commenting both on her family’s journey and all the challenges people are facing because of COVID-19.
Making it work
Eric said the store is helping him scratch an itch. He is a fan of vintage items, and Old Time Finds – which provides space for 65 vendors who offer all manner of inventory – has that in spades.
“I like the look of older things, hands-on things and crafty things,” Eric said.
So, while the store’s vendors continue to offer antiques and collectibles, they also offer handmade items and crafts.
The diversification has been necessary, Eric noted, because the pandemic has reduced the number of auctions and estate sales, where antique vendors typically replenish their inventory.
For his part, Eric has been focusing on diversification, too.
Like other businesses in Jefferson County, Old Time Finds had to shut down for a while earlier this year to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Eric used the time to add a workshop at the business, and plans to offer classes in October that will teach antiquing, tie-dying, basket weaving and other activities. He also plans informational sessions and holiday-themed events.
There’s a new food section, too, with nonperishable items that would come in handy during, say, a pandemic.
“There’s honey, dried soups, cake mixes, beef jerky – stuff that can sit on your shelves a couple of years,” he said.
Eric said vendors have responded well, as has the community.
“We’re growing – a weekly average of 150 to 200 customers a week – with 70 percent new customers almost every month,” he said. “We’re getting people from Illinois, where a lot of places are shut down.”
The store, which is open seven days a week, serves a special purpose on Sunday.
“It is our healing time,” Eric said. “It’s been tough. Sunday is our family day. We (Michelle’s loved ones) all meet there every Sunday, my side, her side. Sometimes, there’s food.”
Other families are welcome too, Eric said.
“I’d like the store to be a gathering place for families” no matter what they are dealing with, he said.
