OUR STORY
Since the closing of the Great Western Cement Portland Company in the 1930's, the small town of Mildred, Kansas has steadily dwindled as jobs continue to disappear.
During Mildred’s heyday, the Brown Brothers store opened in 1915. The store was passed down through three generations, eventually changing its name to Charlie Brown’s Grocery in the mid 40’s, and was in operation for nearly 100 years. Unfortunately, in 2014, Charlie Brown’s Grocery finally closed its doors, leaving the community of Mildred to travel 10 minutes to the nearest grocery store in Moran.
Seeing an opportunity to fill a great need in her community, Regena Lance, along with her husband Loren, decided to purchase the store soon after its closing and work towards restoring it to it's former glory.
Since opening the Mildred Store, the Lance's have continued to add to the store to better serve their community. Aside from providing staple grocery items, the Mildred Store also has a monthly music night, and just recently opened an RV park right next door.
"We are keeping the community alive."
-Regena and Loren Lance
As hard as the work is, Regena and Loren take great pride in what they have done to keep this grocery store alive. Thinking outside of the box has helped them provide for their community. Their consistent service allows community members to depend on the Mildred Store, and the store's rich history adds a layer of purpose to the work the Lance's are doing.
