Frederick’s Boutique set to close, Massey to retire

It was nearly impossible to get inside the doors at Frederick’s Boutique Saturday. In fact, it was a challenge to even find a parking space along Washington Street as well-wishers came out to celebrate the 75 th anniversary of the store and the approaching retirement of owner Norma Massey.

“It was so awesome,” Massey said of the crowd that showed up. “There were so many people that have been a part of my life through the store: customers; friends; high school friends; pageant people. Because I have always worked with the pageant, businesspeople — everybody was showing up.”

Massey said she even had would-be mothers coming in Saturday to place orders for babies that haven’t been born.

“They wanted their shoes from us because they wanted the tradition to continue,” she said.

Frederick’s opened in 1949 and has fitted shoes for multiple generations of families.

Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said three generations of his family have shopped at the downtown store.

“Mother wouldn’t go anywhere else for shoes because they have the best customer service that you could ever want,” Flaggs said. “And it’s amazing how 75 years ago you had that kind of customer service.”

Fred and Emma Lee Najour opened Frederick’s Boutique after moving to Vicksburg. The couple had been living in Atlanta, where Massey said her father’s family lived and where her dad had a job.

But Emma Lee was homesick, and her family was also missing her being with them in the River City.

So they made the decision to move to Vicksburg.

Massey said her grandparents, who opened Koury’s, a children’s clothing store on Washington Street, also owned the building next door which they sold to her father.

“And daddy started the shoe store,” Massey said, adding that it had been her aunt “Do” Delores Nosser who had helped him come up with the name.

“She had said, ‘Well, Fred. Since your name is Fred, I think Frederick’s would be good.’”

Living in Vicksburg meant Fred wasn’t with his family, and Massey said she knew he missed home.

“But he loved the store. He loved all the kids and fitting them. Mom and dad both loved it,” she said. “And that love translated to me and here I am.”

Massey recalled some of her fondest memories of when her parents still worked at the store.

“I can remember being with mama and daddy when they would sit in the office and eat lunch,” she said. “One of them liked one soap opera and the other one like another, and they would try to eat during the soap operas.”

Another more momentous recollection Massey shared was when she could officially “fit” shoes on her own.

“I didn’t get to fit shoes by myself until I was approved. I always had to go get them checked by daddy or mama; one of them had to check. And finally, that day came when I could do it on my own and not have to get them checked and it was a big day.”

Massey said she does not have an official closing date for Frederick’s Boutique, which also carries ladies’ shoes, dancewear, layette-to-children’s boutique clothing and gifts.

“I will pretty much be there until everything is sold,” she said. “I am still doing special orders on baby’s first walking shoes, and I continue to order those because so many people come from Tallulah, Port Gibson, Jackson, Brookhaven, Rolling Fork — just all around to get their baby shoes. So, I am going to continue to have those in the store. I’m sure it will be a minute because there is a lot of stuff to go through and straightening up, so I might as well be there for people to come in.”

Currently, the store hours are from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Massey said she does not have any definite plans for her imminent retirement.

“I don’t know what I will do,” she said. “I guess I’ll just be able to be me every day and go to lunch sometimes.”