SOPHIA - Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

(L-R) Sharon Gray, Holly Woelfle, Helen Neufeld,
r1 L isn't often that life begins at 70 and that what lies ahead
~ is brighter than what has passed. But Helen Neufeld of
Kitchener, Ontario, who turns 70 in October has discovered
that she can hardly wait to get up in the morning. Her
days of sitting at home knitting and waiting for visitors to
drop in are over.
As a certified interior designer with more than ten
years of experience including teaching, consulting and
retail, Helen's daughter Holly Woelfle had always dreamed
of opening her own business. Helen encouraged her
daughter enthusiastically, unaware that it would change
her life and draw her family closer together in a beautifully
unique way.
In 1996, Holly and two partners opened Silkweeds'
Thuch of Elegance in st. George, Ontario. Housed within a
regal Victorian home built in 1880, Silkweeds consists of
seven theme rooms filled with gift items, floral designs,
home accessories and decorating ideas. The Petticoat Parlour,
an afternoon tearoom, is located on the main floor.
Helen put her shyness and health problems aside
and dived in. She volunteers on a part-time basis and
makes the one-hour trip to the shop from
her home in Kitchener with Holly every
other day. As a hostess dressed in period
clothing, Helen greets customers at the
door, shows them through the various
rooms of the shop, seats them in the tearoom,
explains the stories behind some
of the merchandise and makes everyone
feel welcome.
"When Mom's not in the shop,
people ask for her," Holly says delightedly. "She hugs the
customers, and they bring her gifts. She helps them take
their purchases out to their cars. Busloads of visitors come
and want their pictures taken with her. She's the one who
gives Silkweeds its loving touch."
Loyal clientele includes the Mainse family and staff
of the television program 100 Huntley Street as well as
many viewers of the program. For the week of Mother's
Day last year, Holly and her remaining partner Jackie
Enticknapp were invited to lend their special touch to
transform the set on 100 Huntley Street into a tearoom.
"Silkweeds is a place of quiet witness with a peace
that I couldn't have put there," says Holly thoughtfully.
"Customers often mention it. We know that it's God's
peace." And aptly stenciled in Gothic letters and ivy at the
top of the stairs are the words, "God bless our home."
It is here in this charming haven of treasures and
tranquility, tucked away on a quiet street in a tiny town
that Helen has discovered a new purpose. Thld by doctors
that she should not expect to live past the age of 14
because of a heart condition, she became accustomed to
14 SOPHIA / WISDOM