Fitzgerald moved to Florida to live with her sister in 1988, and eventually convinced her brother and aging parents to join them there. Things began to go downhill when both her brother and mother died in 1999 due to health problems. When her father died in 2001, Fitzgerald’s sister decided to leave Florida. In November 2005, Fitzgerald went through a difficult divorce after being the victim of domestic violence, including a choking incident. She obtained a restraining order against her former husband soon afterward. The divorce left Fitzgerald drained financially as well as emotionally. The ex-husband had made some poor economic decisions using her once outstanding credit, buying run down homes to fix up and sell, and then failing to do so.
“That divorce came not a minute too soon, he is a horrid man,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald was left all alone in Florida after the divorce and the losses of her family members. On top of this, the construction of resorts was beginning to take its toll on the sales of her store there, also called Beyond the Door. This led Fitzgerald to look for a way to change her life around. Her two sons, who both live in Lawrence, thought that she needed a change in geography.
“My son said, ‘mom, you’re just an old hippie, why don’t you just move your shop to Lawrence?’” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald decided to follow that advice, and in November 2006, packed up her store and came to Kansas. The move brought her closer not only to her two sons, but also to her five grandchildren. While living in Florida, Fitzgerald was able to see them only about once a year. She said that because of the distance, she was given the name “long-ways grandma.” Fitzgerald now lives with her son, Justin Fitzgerald, and gets to see her grandchildren every day.
“I think she really just wanted to go to Kansas and see her grandkids grow up. I think she’s really glad to be around them; it’s healing her,” said Debbie Lane, one of Fitzgerald’s friends from Florida.
Sitting in her shop on a gloomy Tuesday afternoon, Fitzgerald is dressed warmly in a Madeira Beach sweater. The weather, she said, has been difficult to get used to. Other than that, she said the move has been a smooth one.
“I miss being warm. I miss the beach. I miss going into the water. That’s about it. I’m pretty happy here,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said her store struggled through its first couple of months. She resorted to selling some of the store’s things on eBay to make it through January and February. She said business has since picked up, and that in March her store made $3,000 more than it did in February.
“It’s such a rollercoaster every day, but overall she’s doing well,” said Justin Fitzgerald.
In her store, Fitzgerald sells a wide range of products, including new and used clothes and shoes, CDs, DVDs, jewelry, greeting cards, decorative items, and some things she simply labels “junk.” She said her newest business venture is furniture, and that she just recently sold her first piece, a vintage wooden vanity. The store seems to be arranged in no particular order. Shoppers can browse Louis Vuitton handbags, plastic mood rings, and fake tattoos without turning their heads.
“That’s how I run my store. I just close my eyes and put stuff wherever,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald’s pleasant disposition has won her new friends and business acquaintances alike. She keeps a guest book on the counter for customers to sign, and it is filled with various words of thanks and encouragement. Fitzgerald has picked up several consigners from the Lawrence area. She says that instead of having to hunt them down, consigners are now starting to come into her shop and ask her to sell their things.
“She is friendly and charming and pleasant for sure,” said Fred Sack, owner of Art Frames, and one of Fitzgerald’s consigners.
With business improving and a family nearby, Fitzgerald is optimistic about her future.
“God is watching over me, and he’s saying ‘look Sherry, you’ve had enough crap in your life. Now it’s time for things to get better,'” Fitzgerald said.