Mary Hargens celebrates the 50th anniversary of Don’s Inc.

**Mary Hargens (left) will host a 50th anniversary celebration of her business, Don’s Inc., on Friday and Saturday. At right is Joan Sessions, widow of Don Sessions, who founded Don’s Inc. in 1973.** Photo by Gordon Wolf

Jewelry is a timeless gift, and no one knows that better than the person who will be hosting a landmark anniversary celebration this Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4.

Mary Hargens is inviting the public to the 50th anniversary of her jewelry and gift store, Don’s Inc., located in the Laub Block building in uptown Denison, at the corner of Broadway and Main Street.

Of course, the 50 years does not all belong to Mary. The name, Don’s Inc., comes from Don Sessions who started the business in 1973. Mary has owned the business for 32 years, since 1991, but she has worked at Don’s Inc. for nearly all of the 50 years.

The path to the founding of Don’s Inc. in 1973 starts back in the 1940s when Don was in the Navy during World War II for six years.

“He thought when he got out, he would either like to be a mortician or a jeweler,” said his widow, Joan Sessions. “What a stretch.”

Don went to a watchmaker college in Chicago, and then worked for other jewelers before he opened his own business called Sessions Jewelry, in Council Bluffs.

“He struggled and finally just had to close the store,” said Joan.

A move from Council Bluffs to Denison was initiated by a man who knew both the owner of Roscoe’s Jewelry in Denison and Don.

“One time, when he came through Council Bluffs, he mentioned to Don that Roscoe’s Jewelry was looking for a watchmaker and encouraged Don to check out the job opening,” Joan explained.

Don checked it out and was hired, and Don, Joan and their three children moved to Denison in 1962.

Don worked for Roscoe’s for a time and then heard that Howard Kelly needed a watchmaker. Don switched employers, which meant moving from the south side of Broadway to Kelly’s Jewelry on the north side of Broadway.

He worked for Howard Kelly for six years, and then Kelly closed the business and moved to Nebraska, leaving the building empty for a short time.

“A friend, Art Pagel, knew that Don had his own store in Council Bluffs and said that Don should open his own store,” Joan said.

“Don thought about it, and I guess we talked it over, because we had children to raise,” she said. “It was a big decision.”

Joan added that it took five years before the store gave the Sessions family what she called a decent living.

At first, Dr. Donald Soll was a partner in Don’s Inc., but after a year Don Sessions was able to buy him out.

A short time after Don’s Inc. opened, Mary Hargens came in for a job.

She was working as a bookkeeper for the Ford Motor Company in Denison, but she wanted something different.

Dr. Soll, who was Mary’s physician, said Don Sessions was probably going to need a worker.

“And that’s how I got started,” she said.

Mary started learning all aspects of the jewelry business from Don – how to change batteries in watches, replacing watch bands, the types of jewelry settings and how to tell the difference between genuine gems and synthetic gems just by looking.

And most important, Don taught by example how to build a reputation of friendly and courteous service, which wasn’t difficult for Mary.

“What I like most about this business is the people I serve,” Mary said. “I love people and I like making people happy.”

“You have to treat people right,” she added. “And you’re going to try to help them all you can and do the best you can.”

Mary had been working for Don for 18 years when he decided to sell the business.

“His health was failing, or he probably wouldn’t have sold out then, because he really enjoyed what he was doing,” said Joan.

Mary purchased Don’s Inc. in July 1991 and had her grand opening in October of 1992.

Just like Don, Mary’s decision to buy the jewelry business wasn’t easily made.

“I remember I was scared to death,” Mary said.

Joan remembered Don coming home and saying that he wondered if Mary was going to buy the business or not.

But she did.

“I just put it in the hands of the good Lord,” Mary said. “And Don kept saying, ‘Mary, you can do it. You worked for me for 18 years. You can do it.’”

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Mary has seen a number of changes in the jewelry business, driven by customer trends.

Don had a section of greeting cards in the store at one time but discontinued that.

“And we used to have china and flatware,” Mary said. “Girls would come in and register for that. But younger people today don’t do that anymore – buy china, flatware or glassware.”

Grandfather clocks were something that Don’s Inc. had also carried.

“Don didn’t have much call for those,” said Joan.

Service became a problem.

“Now days it’s difficult to find a repair place that you can take those to,” said Mary. “There’s nobody going into the trade to work on grandfather clocks and cuckoo clocks and other clocks.”

There are people who repair jewelry, and for that Mary relies on JR’s Jewelry & Gifts in Omaha.

“If I have to send something to be repaired, people want to know that the repair person is reliable,” said Mary. “I’ve dealt with JR’s for over 20 years. The people there are like family to me.”

Just as Mary was a trusted employee for Don Sessions, Mary has been helped by her own loyal employees. Pat Rosauer worked for Mary for 20 years before she passed away in 2011. Pat Swanson has been working for Mary for 10 years.

Mary said she is excited for the anniversary celebration to meet and talk to people.

She and Joan are especially excited to welcome some very special guests.

Mary’s only grandson, Adam, and his wife, Meredith, are flying in from Seattle, Washington, just for the celebration. Other family members, who live in the Okoboji area, will also be at the celebration.

Robert Lyons, who Mary has known since he was three months old, is flying in from Washington, D.C. for the anniversary. Mary is a life-long friend of his parents, Don and Jayne. Robert, or Radio Robert, as Mary calls him, did commercials for Don’s Inc. when he was growing up.

Three of Joan’s four children will attend the celebration. Rick, Doug and Lori worked at the store during their high-school years. Rick and Lori did engraving when required on some of the jewelry. Doug was the window washer, cleaning both the inside and outside of all the store’s many windows. Lori also clerked at the store on Saturdays. The fourth child, Mary Carol, was too young at the time to be a store employee. She will be unable to attend the celebration.

Mary invited people to stop and chat and reminisce during the anniversary celebration and to enjoy cider and cookies.

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