This is great news. The Bloomington Pantagraph is reporting that the long-closed general store near the railroad tracks in the Route 66 settlement of Funks Grove, Ill., will reopen this weekend as Anna Rey's at Funks Grove Country Store.
The store, which opened in 1913, had been shuttered for about 30 years. It will be be a combination of an arts, crafts and an antique store.
Above is a photo of the store from about three years ago. A clarification: The article makes it sound like the general store is in Shirley. But Glaida Funk, whose family runs the famed Funks Grove Maple Sirup operation nearby, assures me it's in Funks Grove.
Sure it’s great news !
this is an ICON coming back to life…
As a future and first time roadie, I’m so glad to read stuff like that.
Go on keeping Route 66 alive!!
I’m kind of torn on this one. I’ve seen this decaying building so many times, it is almost the way it should be. To see it in good shape again would almost destroy its uniqueness. I have to admit that I get into ruins almost as much as I do renovated places.
Overall, I’m happy we won’t lose it like the Ballard.
I
Well, the general store’s in the Funk family. Given how well they’ve obviously maintained the maple sirup business, I’m really optimistic.
It sat empty for 30 years, yet apparently it’s in great condition. That tells me that someone in the Funk clan kept up the maintenance all this time. If you let a building sit empty for more than about five years without working on it, bad things are going to happen.
All addresses in Funks Grove have a Shirley PO, guess it’s the post office that doesn’t play along.