PICTURES TELL THE PAYSON STORY ~ Payson Historical Society: GUDMUNDSEN JEWELRY

Gudmundsen Jewelry (circa early 1970s)

In 1930 a small store was constructed just north of Knowles Motor on the west side of Payson’s Main Street.  Knowles Motor was the location of today’s Payson City Library at 66 South Main Street.  A young couple,  LeGrande Gudmundsen and his wife Genivieve Stewart Gudmunsen moved to Payson and opened Gudmundsen Jewelry in the new building.

The young family had recently lost a four-year-old daughter in May of 1930.  They later became the parents of a daughter, Gloria, in 1931, and a son, Stewart, born in the late 1930s.  The family lived in a beautiful brick home located between 400 South and 500 South on the west side of Main Street.

Gudmundsen Jewelry was one of the longest running stores on Payson Main Street. A few years before Mr. Gudmundsen passed away in 1975, the Gudmundsens had remodeled their store and made an apartment in the rear of the store.  They sold their home on South Main and moved into the downtown apartment.  Many Payson residents still recall seeing Mr. Gudmundsen’s Packard parked at the rear of the store.

Two of Mrs. Gundmunsen’s sisters also relocated to Payson. Florence Stewart Chipman and her husband, Harold, operated Chipman’s Confectionary on West Utah Avenue and ran it for many years. Another sister, June Stewart Whitby and her husband, Dr. George Whitby, moved to Payson in the 1950s.  Dr. Whitby became one of the outstanding dentists in the community for many years.

Gen Gudmundsen continued operating the jewelry store for four more years after her husband died in 1975. In 1979, she discontinued operating the store, but continued living in the apartment in the rear of the building.  She lived in the apartment until about 1994.  She then moved to a senior care center. Gen passed away in 2001.  

For a number of years after retiring, she assisted her daughter, Gloria, and her husband, Ted McBride in the operation of their restaurant, The Red Rooster.  She was known as one of the most outstanding bakers in the area and many enjoyed her famous pies in the restaurant.

In 1994, Keith Barnett purchased the jewelry building and moved his business there.  He continued the jewelry business as well as a lock and key business.  He was joined by Jay Jones who took over the lock and key portion of the business.

In 2004, Payson City made the decision to open a walkway from the parking lot that was located at the rear of the stores on the west side of Main Street. The city purchased the building from Mr. Barnett and demolished the building.

The city constructed a beautiful walkway in the area. When the building was demolished, a number of old signs were discovered on the wall between the Gudmundsen Building and the City Library.  The walls on each side of the walkway were plastered and refinished.

Many of the old signs on the side of the library were saved and left for the residents to recall times of the past.  It is sad the original Knowles Motor sign we see in the photo of the jewelry store was also covered over.