MARYSVILLE -- After 93 years serving the people of Marysville, Carr's Hardwood will be closing its doors for the last time.
Century old wood floors creak as if to tell stories of the history that has happened at Carr's. Like the time Gail Libbing's toddler son, Nick, scaled a 12-foot tall ladder and had to be rescued.
"We didn't scream, but we wanted to," said Libbing. "My dad climbed up and just stood there. Nick went to the very top and grandpa helped him down."
Libbing's grandfather, Milford Carr, opened Carr's Hardware in Marysville 93 years ago. It's the kind of place where you're greeted by a friendly dog, the shelves are stocked with everything from paint to ping pong paddles, and you're rung up at an old register that still said, "cha-ching."
Three generations of family have succeeded at the store with one simple motto: "If we don't have it, you don't need it," laughs Darlene Scott.
Scott started working at Carr's when she was in high school. That was more than 70 years ago.
Scott's husband eventually bought the store from his dad, and while he has passed on, Scott still works there every day.
"It's hard to said goodbye," she said, choking back tears.
Scott raised three kids at the store and made countless friends and memories.
"I'm not ready for the transition yet, or to let go. I thought I could just walk out and wave," she said, her voice drifting off.
The family is now shutting the store down, much to the dismay of its loyal customers. Since word got out this week, a steady stream of longtime patrons and old friends have been flowing through Carr's.
Libbing tells them all the same thing.
"It's just time for our family to move on," she said.
Libbing said she just can't imagine spending her days without gang at the store, but after more than 70 years, it's time to let those floorboards to tell the stories of another family.
"That's a lot of years of 10 hours a day, 6 days a week," said Scott. "It's time to see what the rest of the world looks like."
The family owns the building and plans to rent it out to another business as soon as possible. The last day of business has not been decided, but it will be in the next couple of months.
