Originally from Dike, Iowa, Deb brought her camper to Guttenberg in 2006 after living in Springville, Tennessee and working as the district manager for Shopko. Before moving to Guttenberg, Deb describes her life as being all about work; often after working 12-14 hour days, she would come to Guttenberg to spend a few days relaxing and fishing. She moved to town in 2006 to enjoy the peace and calm of life in our river town. In fact, the name for her store was inspired by entering Guttenberg and seeing the mist over the hills and feeling the calm of the river.
Heavens Hill opened in the fall of 2009, a gray barn built next to Rick and Deb’s home. The couple has since built another structure known as the chicken coop, for additional space. One step into the shop will have you in awe; it is filled with antique signage, automobile memorabilia, vintage farm machinery, small furniture, dinnerware, stoneware, antique cameras, and as the name states, much more. The couple also has a shared love of old tractors, and they look for tractors that really have a history and tell a story. The items in stock are constantly changing because Deb and Rick take trips nearly every weekend in the summer to locations in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to bring back new items for the store. They also take two major trips in the fall and winter, from which Deb estimates they bring back 500-600 special items for the store. The challenge for the couple is to find items that tell stories and preserve the memories that the items represent. Deb says, “Memories - you can’t throw away, you have to keep them.”
Never afraid to try something new, Heavens Hill was Deb’s dream. Of the store, Deb says, “It’s fun, it’s about a memory.” The couple enjoys talking to their customers and listening to their stories. Deb loves to hear families in the store reminisce when a certain item triggers a memory, “Remember that Mom had this?” Customers remember Heavens Hill for that reason and return year after year. Heavens Hill has a wide range of hours - if the light is on, they are open, including evenings and holidays. Deb and Rick invite everyone to visit Heavens Hill Antiques and More to find their own memory.
Upcoming Events:
Best of Guttenberg Contest going on until Aug. 9.
July 31: River of Music, 6-8pm
Aug. 1: Crazy Day Sidewalk Sales
Aug. 1: Music by Michelle Lynn from 10am-noon at the Farmers Market on the 400 block of S. River Park Dr.
Aug. 7-9: Celebrate the River