MUNSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — This weekend, a long-time Geauga County business is set to officially reopen after a violent car crash destroyed it nearly one year ago.
Farley's Country Store in Munson Township is entering a brand-new era and is ready to welcome back customers since its temporary closure last October.
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Owner Carol Yapel says the past year has been a whirlwind.
She briefly lost her business, and then her husband passed away.
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She's ready to reopen, honoring the store, her late husband and the community, which she says has shown her unwavering support.
Yapel and the crew from Trident Restoration are putting the finishing touches on Farley's Country Store.
This Saturday marks the official grand reopening and a community celebration of the century-old business.
The store has been in her family for decades, passed down from generation to generation.
"All I could think of was my family, and I thought it's gonna be OK. And now I know it's OK, but I hope that I'm honoring them," Yapel said.
It is located at the busy corner of Mayfield Road and Route 44.
Yapel says this weekend's event will also commemorate 100 years of service and a new chapter.
It all comes after a marked Geauga County Sheriff's cruiser traveling southbound on Route 44 did not yield and hit a Dodge Ram, pushing both vehicles right into the business last October.
The crash caused extensive damage and forced Farley's to shut down.
Rebuilding has been stressful and daunting for Yapel.
She's admittedly still working through the trauma of the crash.
"I have to take it day by day," Yapel said.
Then, her husband tragically died of a heart attack just before Easter, and a few days shy of his 64th birthday.
Yapel is now working to heal and attempting to forge a path without her main support system and business partner by her side.
She says it's a bittersweet new beginning —reopening the store —but she knows he is watching over her and celebrating her from a distance.
"This is for you Tim! All of it! It's for my mom, dad, my grandparents, i's everybody. And I want everyone to come and see me," Yapel said.
Farley's Grand Re-Opening and 100th anniversary celebration is set for Saturday at 11 a.m.
Yapel plans to turn the key at noon.
She will also have a tent with refreshments, live music, and all of the store's staples back in-house.
The event runs until 3 p.m.
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