Oliver Beene announces sale, keeping its next chapter local
Elisabeth Curtis will assume ownership in January 2027 as Lora prepares for retirement; her silk floral creations will continue
Trending
Oliver Beene Boutique & Gift Shop will begin a new chapter in January 2027, with the sale of the downtown business to local entrepreneur Elisabeth Curtis. The transition comes as co-owner Lora prepares for retirement and ensures that the boutique built by Rhonda and Lora over the past seven years will remain locally owned.
Curtis, owner of Happily Ever Crafted | In Stitches, will take over a business whose owners say its greatest strength has always been the community behind it. For customers, the announcement carries an important assurance: Oliver Beene is staying in downtown Marshalltown.
"Most importantly, Oliver Beene is not going away," Rhonda and Lora wrote in their announcement. "This is not the end of the boutique; it is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter."
The decision to sell was not simply a matter of finding a buyer. For Rhonda and Lora, it was a matter of finding someone who understood what they had built, and why it mattered.
The owners described a deliberate search for a local successor who understood the demands of small-business ownership, believed in downtown Marshalltown, and would care for the relationships established across the counter, and throughout the community.
"Oliver Beene has been built with love, sacrifice, creativity, and countless hours of hard work," they wrote.
In Curtis, they said, they found the combination of experience, creativity and community commitment they were seeking. They welcomed her fresh ideas while expressing confidence that she would respect the qualities customers have come to associate with Oliver Beene.
For Lora, the sale marks a transition into retirement from boutique ownership, but not an end to her creative work. She will continue making the silk floral arrangements that have become a familiar part of Oliver Beene's story.
That distinction is an important part of the announcement: Lora is preparing for a different chapter, not putting away her creativity.
For Curtis, the acquisition represents another investment in the downtown business community. She purchased In Stitches in April 2024, describing that decision as a leap of faith made possible by local support. The opportunity to take over Oliver Beene, she said, was an unexpected next step.
Before outlining her own ideas, Curtis recognized the work of the women who established the boutique and developed its customer relationships.
"I am incredibly honored that they've entrusted me with something they've worked so hard to build," she wrote in her announcement.
Curtis said she intends to continue the traditions that have made Oliver Beene meaningful to its customers while exploring opportunities to connect the strengths of the two businesses. Among the possibilities she identified are boutique shopping, custom embroidery, personalized gifts and apparel.
Those ideas remain possibilities to be developed over time, rather than a fully announced plan for changes. Her immediate message to Oliver Beene customers emphasized continuity and an eagerness to get to know them.
"I cannot wait to get to know you, hear your stories, and continue the traditions that have made this boutique so loved," Curtis wrote.
Both announcements on Facebook posted Friday night placed the transition in the context of a shared belief in Marshalltown. Rhonda and Lora credited customers not only for their purchases, but also for bringing friends into the store, sharing its story, celebrating milestones and supporting the business through moves and challenges.
Curtis expressed a similar view of the community that has supported Happily Ever Crafted | In Stitches.
"I believe in our downtown. I believe in our small businesses," she wrote. "And I believe that Marshalltown has so much potential when we're willing to dream big, take chances, and keep moving forward."
With the January transition approaching, please take the time to stop in, share your favorite Oliver Beene memories and stories, while knowing Oliver Beene, the staple you have grown to love, will remain. A transition like this is emotional, but grounded in gratitude and confidence in the business's future with Elisabeth taking the wheel.
"Thank you for believing in two women with a dream," they wrote.
In January, responsibility for that dream will pass to another local business owner. For Oliver Beene, the ownership will change. Its place in downtown Marshalltown, and the commitment to keeping it local, will continue.