Family business going strong after 2008 setbacks

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Some say diamonds are forever.

And after 105 years and three generations, Bill George Jewelers in Thibodaux may also last forever.


Bill George’s grandfather, Moses George, an immigrant from Lebanon, opened Moses George Jewelers in 1905.


Years later, Bill’s father became the second-generation owner of the business and changed the name to Michael George Jewelers.

In 1977, Bill joined his father and the business became Michael George and Son.


Then in 1984, Bill purchased the company from his father and gave the store its current name, Bill George Jewelers.


Bill says the reason for the company’s longevity has been its outstanding customer service.

“I’m a person that takes care of everybody,” he explained. “We take care of our people. Our service is why we mean so much to the community.”


Even though the store is closed on Sundays, Bill says he frequently opens the store for customers who call him at home.


But even after the store’s 100th anniversary, it may have seen its most trying year in 2008.

At the age of 54, Bill suffered a stroke in July and was hospitalized for several weeks.


“The morning he had the stroke, he wasn’t responding. Then, just as the emergency room doctor was going to intubate, he opened his eyes and said, ‘Go open the store, because somebody is coming to get their engagement ring,'” said his wife, Candace.


Candace opened the store for the customer, but she would need help running the business while Bill was hospitalized.

Without knowing whom to turn to, assistance came from Bill’s son Ben, the 24-year-old, who will one day be the 4th generation owner of the George family jewelry.


“I said, ‘Candace, he doesn’t know how to do all this stuff,’ but I was wrong,” said Bill. “All those days, he used to come and visit me. He was watching, and that’s how he learned.”

Although Ben currently works in construction, Bill says his son looks forward to continuing the family legacy when it will be his time to do so.

“This is his dream, to work with dad, and take over one day,” said Bill. “But as long as I can breathe and know what I’m doing, I want to continue. This is in my blood.”

Unfortunately, Bill George Jewelers’ trials in 2008 were not over.

Ben was still running the store in August when he and Candace were forced to pack up the merchandise in the store and move it to a safe place in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.

The hurricane damaged the building at 411 Green St. so much so that Bill George Jewelers had to change its Thibodaux location.

After recovering from his stroke, Bill reopened in December across the Bayou at 142 Laura Drive.

After more than a year at his new location, the Georges see the relocation as a blessing in disguise.

“People who used to deal with me downtown had quit, and then I started seeing them come back,” said Bill. “They’d say the place downtown was hard to get to, out of the way and they couldn’t find a place to park. Now, we’re right here in the open.”

But just a week after the store opened in December 2008, tragedy struck yet again. Bill was hospitalized for the second time in six months after breaking his back in an automobile accident.

The accident occurred only a week before Christmas, one of the store’s most profitable times. Luckily, the support of loved ones helped Bill and his store through this unfortunate event, too.

“I had family and friends that came to help me run the store during the day,” said Candace. “Then at night, I drove to the hospital and took care of Bill.”

But Bill recovered from this as well, and as Bill George Jewelers moves into its 11th decade, he and his store have never been stronger.

“Doctors told me I would never be able to do this again because I would not have full use of my hands,” said Bill. “I said ‘No.’ I’m determined, and I’m still doing it.”

Candace and Bill George and the family Shitzu, Priscilla, are in the 11th decade of selling jewelry in the Thibodaux area. * Photo by RICHARD FISCHER