WORTHINGTON -- Schafer's Health Center in downtown Worthington has a new owner, but not a new name. Amanda Walljasper has chosen to honor the tradition started by Karl and Irma Schafer by keeping their name on the storefront.
"Karl and Irma were very established and have a solid reputation and loyal customers," Walljasper said. "The Schafer family has been wonderful to work with, and Irma has been a great teacher. I hope all the loyal customers who have been shopping here for 30-plus years will continue to shop here."
Walljasper recently took over the business, making the transition from schoolteacher to shopkeeper. A native of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, she graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, then moved to southwest Minnesota to work for Jackson County newspapers. She came to Worthington to be a reporter for the Daily Globe, then returned to college to earn a degree in K-12 Spanish and a master's degree in education. For the last four years, she has taught Spanish in Worthington and Brewster.
Changes are already evident inside and outside the store, with new signage, a fresh coat of paint and some rearrangement of the store's displays and fixtures. Walljasper has other changes in mind for down the road, including the convenience of shopping via a Web site, but also emphasizes that people will still be able to find the same things they've always bought at Schafer's.
"We're still going to carry all the same products as in the past and get into more of the specialty items people are asking for," she explained. "There's a big call for vegetarian items, wheat-free and gluten-free products. One line I really want to look into expanding is the natural cosmetics line. I'm also interested in expanding with locally produced specialty items. I want people to know we're here to help them find what they're looking for."
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Walljasper's own interest in natural products and dietary supplements began about 10 years ago, when she was fresh out of college and looking to lose the extra pounds she'd gained there.
"I started taking good vitamins and found that I had more energy, felt better," she related. "That's how I got interested. I've always been interested in reading about things like that, too. It was kind of like a hobby. Then, after a failed back surgery, I had to find a different answer, and I continued to want to learn more. Everybody wants to be healthier, eat better, take better care of themselves, and vitamins and supplements, for some people, can be very effective."
Although she had an interest in natural and health-related products, Walljasper never envisioned owning such a store.
"The first time I walked in here, about eight years ago, I thought it would be a cool place to own someday. I could see the potential here, but I never thought it was a possibility," she said. "I love Worthington, and I knew I wanted to stay here. It was a very hard decision to leave teaching, but teaching 800 students a week is a big undertaking. Things fell into place here, and the Schafers were willing to work with me, train me, and there are a lot of people who want to see this store stay in Worthington."
One of Walljasper's biggest supporters in pursuing this endeavor has been her sister, Katie.
"This has probably been a more challenging, time-consuming, learning process than getting my master's degree. There were days when I was ready to give up and throw in the towel," Walljasper reflected. "It's not been an easy task to get done, but it's something I believe in, and it's something Katie believes in, too. This would not be happening without her. There have been a number of strong believers in this project."
While Walljasper is counting on keeping her current customer base, she also hopes new people will stop in and check out what Schafer's Health Center has to offer. In addition to vitamins and dietary supplements, the store carries a wide variety of unique food and health products, including herbal teas, Norwegian cod liver oil, flax seed and oil, lentils, soybeans, ear candles, a wide assortment of juices and even farm-fresh eggs, to name just a small part of the vast inventory.
"If we don't carry something you want, please let me know," Walljasper requested. "I know I have a lot to learn, but this is something I like learning about. I'm very passionate about health and nutrition."
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Schafer's Health Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Phone 372-7127.
