My Heartland Home: Madison Steward shares memories of growing up in Holcomb, Mo.
HOLCOMB, Mo. (KFVS) - Many people call the Heartland home, and that includes members of the KFVS news team who have grown up in this area, and now cover the Heartland.
Madison Steward was raised in the Bootheel, in a small town called Holcomb.
When people from the Heartland think of Holcomb, Strawberry’s Barbeque, Weaver’s watermelons or cotton fields may come to mind. But for me, it’s The Junction.
The small convenience store right off Highway 25 in Holcomb was a part of Madison’s daily routine growing up. I loved going there with friends, and seeing familiar faces behind the counter.
I recently spoke with owner Daniel Vancil about what it’s been like owning and operating the store.
“The store was built in 1991. We purchased it from Rob Whiteside in 1995, so we’ve been here almost 29 years,” said Vancil
Around 600 people call Holcomb home. Vancil said there’s just something special about being a central part of this small town.
“Just everything really, the people, you see a lot of the same people every day as well as new people every day and they talk to you all the time,” he explained.
Like me, many people in the community have fond memories of time spent in the store.
“Every day for lunch we would come here, hangout with our friends get pizza, chicken strips and just laugh and have a good time,” said Brandy McElwrath, a Junction customer.
Some have even formed traditions at the store
“Morning breakfast with my kids, like the first day of school. It’s actually a yearly thing that we come eat breakfast and we actually sit down at the tables and eat breakfast, “said Sarah Robertson, a Junction customer.
Now, the next generation has begun to make memories here. My little brother and sister enjoy the store just as much as I did growing up.
“I beg my mom every time we come home from school, I beg her please let us stop at the Junction,” said my little brother, Macklin Steward.
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