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Wednesday, Ulman's Jewelry in Fredericksburg turned 80. It opened
Jerry Ulman and Donna Ulman own Ulman's Jewelry in Fredericksburg. Simon Ulman, Jerry Ulman's uncle, opened the store 80 years ago.
A wine stopper in the shape of Stonewall Jackson is one of the many items for sale |
Jerry Ulman was 14 when he started working at the Fredericksburg jewelry store that bears his last name.
Simon Ulman, his uncle, opened Ulman's Jewelry on April 16, 1928. Simon Ulman died in 1961, and the current owner's father, Jerome Ulman, took it over.
Jerry Ulman's first job at the jewelry shop at 903 Caroline St.--where it started and remains today--was as an afternoon janitor. He'd come in after classes at James Monroe High School to dump the trash, wash the windows and more.
For the past 47 years, Jerry Ulman has remained at the store, which celebrated 80 years in business this week.
"This is all I know how to do," Ulman said. "I would not want to do anything else."
Jerry Ulman's father died in 1963, not long after acquiring the business. His widow, Angeline, who had been a housewife previously, took over the store. Jerry Ulman started working there full-time after he graduated from James Monroe.
His mother retired in the early 1990s and died in 2000. Since her retirement, Jerry Ulman and his wife of 35 years, Donna, have run the store. Donna and Jerry Ulman, who have two children, are lifelong area residents.
Some things have changed since 1928 at Ulman's. The store has been expanded twice since Jerry Ulman started. It now has a Web site--Ulmans.com. The Ulmans have increased their product line, which now includes china, crystal, Vera Bradley handbags, flatware, gift items and more. They also repair jewelry.
But much has remained the same, including the location and look. The showcases outside are the originals, and bear water marks from a 1942 flood. Wedding and engagement jewelry still make up a big part of business. The Ulmans teach their staff not to pressure customers. There are no commissions, and all items can be returned. Most of their business comes from word-of-mouth referrals.
"We just do it the same way they did it 80 years ago," Jerry Ulman said. "The old-fashioned way."
Jerry Ulman said his kind of old-time jewelry shop is a dying breed. He said about 800 stores such as his close every year in the U.S.; just 200 open. One of the reasons is the huge initial expense to build up the inventory.
Most of Ulman's diamonds come from Canada or Africa. All are certified as not being from a conflict zone. Jerry Ulman said having his name on the business makes it doubly important to him that the store is run right.
Ulman's didn't do a big celebration Wednesday for the 80th anniversary. Jerry Ulman said they don't do sales because they don't mark up prices in the first place.
Jerry Ulman, only half-jokingly, is already looking toward the 100th anniversary. Donna Ulman, who is four years younger than her husband, is starting to think about retirement.
But not her husband. Jerry Ulman loves his daily routine. He and his sheltie, Taz, walk to work about 8 a.m., an hour before opening. Taz stays in the back all day. They take a couple of short walks during the day and head home around 7:30 p.m., two hours after closing.
"[Jerry] will be here until they take him out feet first," Donna Ulman said.
Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com
