Merry Mary has antiques and catering service

By Rozella Hardin
STAR STAFF
rhardin@starhq.com

   Mary Shepherd grew up in Elizabethton, but moved away when a young married woman. The ties to home were never cut, so, in the early 1990s, Mary and her husband, Frank, moved back to Elizabethton.
   They purchased an old home on Academy Street, which they converted into a bed and breakfast -- the Doe River Inn. Being the adventurer that she is, Mary opened a shop on Elk Avenue called Merry Mary's. The shop deals in antique and crafts as well as flea market items. The store, once the Hale's Drug Store, has some fond memories for Mary, who remembers the luncheonette inside the store.
   Mary doesn't have a luncheonette, but she does sell ice cream by the cones, in cups, and in shakes. "It is a good seller for us in the summertime," she said.
   In addition to the bed and breakfast and the Elk Avenue store, Merry Mary has a catering service, which utilizes Mary's culinary talents and her love for cooking and entertaining. She caters parties and dinners. "I enjoy cooking and I enjoy people," said Mary.
   She and Frank handle the day-to-day operations of the store as well as the catering duties. However, she does contract help when needed.
   Mary hopes to increase her catering business during the coming year as well as the number of guests at her bed and breakfast. "Many of the guests we have at the bed and breakfast are people passing through, looking for a place to retire to. Some have come back and bought homes here," she said.
   "Others enjoy antiquing, spending a day in town. In the fall, the leaves are a draw. Many of the people who stay at the bed and breakfast come back for a second and third time," she said.