Family jewelry store celebrates 59 years in Moses Lake
Nicholas Crisculo, of Frederick's Jewelry, works on a diamond ring at the downtown Moses Lake store. Frederick's Jewelry is celebrating its 59th anniversary this month.
MOSES LAKE - In the 1950s, Fred and Marlys Reiber heard about the economic promise of a Central Washington town that had just started an irrigation project and decided to move their family from the Portland, Ore. area to Moses Lake.
The Reibers opened a jewelry store in downtown Moses Lake in 1953, and hoped the potential for growth they heard about would come through.
The couple's risk paid off, and Frederick's Jewelry is now gearing up to celebrate 59 years of business in Moses Lake.
Their daughter, Marty Utsunomiya, owns Frederick's now and runs the store with her son Nicholas Crisculo.
Utsunomiya said she joined the family business about 30 years ago.
"We're now a third-generation family business," she said. Utsunomiya said she bought her parent's shares after her father passed away 20 years ago.
Frederick's was named after her father, Utsunomiya said.
"My dad was a watch and clock maker, and that's how it started," she said. "My mother took care of the other part, which is jewelry and collectibles."
Although the store has since moved a few doors down from the original location, Utsunomiya said not much has changed from when her parents ran Frederick's.
The jewelry store still sells custom-made jewelry, fine collectibles, glass art and china. Frederick's also offers jewelry and watch repairs, she said.
Utsunomiya said her son is a gold and silver smith and handles the manufacturing end of the business. They both are involved in the designing end of the business, she said.
Utsunomiya said she is happy the store has been successful over the past few decades, but admits Frederick's has seen its share of ups and downs.
She said the local economy is affected by people who travel out of town to go shopping.
"Small businesses are becoming a thing of the past," she said. "When people think about shopping, they think malls, and they don't think about downtown retail."
Utsunomiya said she hopes more people begin to explore their downtown businesses and shop local, especially with the holiday season approaching.
Frederick's is located at 208 W. Third Ave. They are open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.