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ST. GEORGE — Following a year of tragedy, a man began running a local antique shop as a way to be available for his family's needs. He now faces a new challenge, as a recent rent spike has left the future of his shop in question.
"I remember growing up my dad would always say, 'Hey Jerry, when you get to the end of your life, when you look back at it, did you have a happy one or a sad one?'" Main Street Antiques owner Jerry Christensen said. "It's your decision. The way you look at it makes it what it is — so have a happy one."
While that logic may seem simple, Christensen has experienced tragedy. Before moving to southern Utah, he and his family lived near Kansas City, Missouri. One day, his wife was driving him to work when the unthinkable happened — their car was hit by another vehicle in a T-bone collision. And the results were devastating.
"She died … and came back with a traumatic head injury," Christensen said about his wife. "We had a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 6-year-old, an 8-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 14-year-old. Our whole life changed."
