After 41 plus years, Bill’s Jewelry and Jewelers will come to an end in Tryon. Bill Sherlin, often known as Bill the Jeweler, died February 18 of this year. His wife of 54 years, Betty Sherlin will officially close out the business at the end of June.
Over the years Bill, his family and co-workers have loved serving the Tryon and surrounding regions. Author Bob Witty may have described the business best in his work, “Chronicles of our Area.” Of Bill’s Jewelers Bob said, “Bill started the business in 1971” and he “chose the Tryon/Landrum area” because of the “slow pace, small-town atmosphere.”
Too, it was an area small enough and safe enough that Bill and Betty could raise their boys in the country where they had “enough room to run and play.” One of the hallmarks of the business has been as Bill said, the “friendships” that have been made over the years through the business.
As Witty noted, “There is something old fashioned about Bill’s Jewelers, something reassuring about the tone of the place. It is as if one walked back in time to a shop from yesteryear. The friendliness, the worn and familiar fixtures, and even the courtliness with which the customer is greeted. A fine throwback to our past, as befits our area.”
As the business comes to a close, it is hard to say good-bye. Yet we do so with great gratitude in our hearts for you all. And furthermore we do so with the hope that though the business closes we can still retain the connections to as many of you as possible as we have grown to treasure you and the people of this area over these 41 plus years.
In fact, to help us maintain those connections we do hope you can stop in at a drop in surprise retirement party (if we can keep it a secret that long) for Betty Sherlin that we will host for her and the business on June 27 on main street Tryon. We would love to express our gratitude there in person and celebrate the many wonderful years we have had with our beloved community, a community we feel is more like family than just mere customers. If not, we also have a Facebook page established for us to stay connected. Feel free to drop us a note there if you desire so we can stay in touch with you. It is at this link: www.facebook.com/billsjewelryandjewelers .

–  article submitted
by Keith Sherlin