Oklahoma Culture

Norman Owner Plans Fresh Start for Local Bakery

By Rachael Cervenka
Gaylord College, University of Oklahoma
November 22, 2011

Back in the golden days of the singing group, The Monkees, lead singer Davy Jones made girl’s hearts flutter all over the country. For one girl in particular, Nancy Russell, he had a very special effect.

Davy had a strand of blue and white love beads that he often wore. Russell, 11-years-old at the time, wanted to make a strand of beads just like his because she was so in love with him.

Russell made herself a necklace of beads identical to Davy’s and wore them to school. Many of her classmates were also infatuated with Davy’s, that they wanted her to make them necklaces too. Russell didn’t have the money to make necklaces for everyone, so she came up with the idea of selling them. Russell began selling love beads in the lunch line for 50 cents each. Russell had one strand that she specifically made for herself, and she wore it for 834 straight days without taking it off. That 834th day was a sad day for Russell because she learned that Davy had gotten married.

Not many people that grew up during this era lived a life like Russell. Russell was good at what she did and she had a passion for it. She kept pursuing her dreams. She was successful in her business even through the change of pace from a time of hippie culture and locally owned shops to a time of rushing and commercialism. She was motivated to succeed.

Russell had a motive for making and selling all these love beads. Her dream was to raise enough money from her sales in order to buy a Volkswagen bus, and drive to California to be with Davy. Russell began selling her jewelry to stores near her neighborhood in Oklahoma City, and around the country when she and her parents would take vacations.

ENTREPRENEUR AT A YOUNG AGE

By the time Russell was 13 years old, she had jewelry in 13 stores across the country. When she was 15, she had finally raised enough money to buy a used Volkswagen bus. She had one problem though; she was not old enough to drive. Her older brother began driving the bus, but everything that could go wrong with it did. Russell called it the “bus from hell.”

When the bus finally gave out, Russell developed a new dream of owning her own store by the time she was 21.

One summer while traveling in Estes Park, Colo., the owner of a craft store approached her and asked if she would like to work full time there. Russell was 17 at the time, and she hadn’t graduated from high school yet. So she took summer school and night classes and ended up graduating a year early. The day after she graduated she packed up and moved to Estes Park.

She stayed in Estes Park for a few months, but the adjustment was difficult for her. She felt lonely, and she eventually ended up moving back to Oklahoma.

RETURN TO OKLAHOMA

Russell turned 21 on Jan. 26, 1977. Five days later she signed a lease for a store on Campus Corner in Norman. Russell opened the Aquarius Gift Shop right above the Town Tavern Restaurant.

“I was born under the Age of Aquarius, and so was my store,” she said.

When business was poor upstairs, Russell earned extra money by baking deserts for the restaurant below.

“Of course I could bake…I had taken seventh grade home-ec,” she said.

Russell was a self-taught baking success. She came up with the idea of combining a bakery with a gift shop. So she opened Cookies 'N' Cards at a little hole in the wall at 796 ½ Asp Avenue.

“It was not a half ass store, it was a half Asp store with a p,” she said.

MEETING HER FUTURE HUSBAND

Russell became a working machine trying to support herself. Her store was open as many hours as possible, even on holidays. One cold New Year’s Eve, a young man about her age came into the shop looking for a gift. He was her only customer that day, so she rewarded him by naming him “customer of the day.” His name was Jim, and he asked her if she would like to attend his New Year’s party that evening. She said she wasn’t sure; he should call back later and ask her again.

Jim was determined, and he called her back. She said yes. It turned out he didn’t have a party planned, and he had to pull one together just for her.

Nearly a month later on Valentine’s Day, the two were married. Her “customer of the day” became her husband and has been for the past 27 years. They have one son named Brian.

“I just knew she was the one,” Jim said. Jim can rant on and on about how sweet and kind his wife is, and he isn’t the only one. Russell has a way of making you feel like you are the only one in the room. She emanates a concern for the well-being of others that you can almost feel.

Russell stayed at the half Asp location for about three years until the opportunity for a bigger space opened up down the street. She moved to 754 Asp Avenue and that is where she remained for 24 years. Russell said she wasn’t rich in any way other than the friends she had.

“The only dough I’m rolling in is cooking dough,” she said.

Walker Thomas met Russell when she was first starting out at the Aquarius Gift Shop, back in 1977. He was still a student, and they just clicked. Years later he opened his own barbershop right next door to Cookies ‘n’ Cards, and Russell became one of his customers. They have been business neighbors and friends for nearly 35 years. “She always wants to give the bakers dozen,” he said. “She always wants to give more than what is required.”

MOVING ON FROM EVICTION

On July 1, 2011 Russell was evicted from her location on Asp due to increased rent costs. It was a scary and unsure time, but Russell saw it as a blessing in disguise. She is now in the process of opening a new Cookies ‘n’ Cards at a new location in Norman, on 12th Street. It will be newer and better, she said.

Russell is also a fighter. She battled breast cancer 14 years ago, and she beat it. During her chemotherapy sessions, Russell continued to go to work. She loves interacting with people, and her customers were one of her biggest support systems during that difficult time.

“I was never going to die from cancer, it was never in my script,” she said.

When Russell started out she had no idea baking was in the cards for her. It was initially all about jewelry but she hasn’t made jewelry in years. Instead, baking has taken over her life. She plans on keeping Cookies ‘n’ Cards forever or as long as she possibly can until she plans on retiring in 25 years.

News Source: http://routes.ou.edu/