Page 64 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2025 - Online Magazine
P. 64
HONORING
SMALL BUSINESSES
Ranada Jack
and Santa's
Mercantile
by Ted Wilson
n 2018, Ranada Jack, who, Ranada and her family purchased the what about the rest of the year? Well,
along with several others, were building, and Santa’s Mercantile was Santa’s Mercantile also caters to the
Iseeking to restore some vitality born. As her husband Jimmy stated, Valentine season, the Easter season,
to Plainview’s downtown area, “Someone who starts a brand-new and the Harvest/Thanksgiving
wanted to find a storefront window retail brick and mortar business season, as well.
to decorate to replicate New York at retirement age should make an
City’s Christmas storefronts. At the interesting story.” Speaking of catering, Santa’s
southeast corner of Ash and 5th Mercantile has a room in which
Street (U.S.70), the former Plainview Ranada has a passion for Christmas— various groups can meet—and eat.
Hardware and Hubbard’s Pawn and not just the glitz and glamour of The venue hosts birthday parties,
second floor Arch Keys Masonic a holiday in which parties, gifts, bridal showers, and even weddings.
Lodge building provided the ideal and decorations are the focus, but Various groups meet and are fed
location and windows. Ranada where the season is truly a holy day there, including the Soroptimists
sought to rent the space and clean an which is Christ-centered. She loves who meet the first three Thursdays
area where Christmas displays would decorating and has the gifting to do of each month, the Daughters of the
be viewable from the sidewalk and it. So, November through December, American Revolution (DAR) who
street. As it turned out, the whole she and her staff are busy helping meet monthly except for the summer,
building, which had been unused for others to either decorate or otherwise Small City Leaders who meet
some time was offered for sale, so prepare for the Christmas season. But quarterly, and others. And Christmas
in July is an especially fun time, too.
Ranada started life in Lamesa and
married Jimmy Jack in 1974. She
began a career in cosmetology
with a friend after graduating high
school, while Jimmy farmed with her
dad. When the oldest child, Jason,
wouldn’t go to day care, Ranada
began sewing for the public from
their home. Her passion for sewing
was inherited from her grandmother
who made quilts with Ranada’s aunt
to take to the VA in San Angelo.
Ranada was able to help make a
living while raising their children
no matter where Jimmy’s work took
them— Petersburg, Snyder, and
Plainview (where they have resided
for the past thirty, or so, years).
64 Lubbock Senior Link
