| He was born in Ohio and raised on the farm before moving to the big city. She was born in the Midwest, but moved to the East Coast where she was raised. It wasn’t until January, 1981, when Bobbi Jean and Jim met. “We met at the check-in counter at a hotel lobby in White Plains, New York,” states Jim. He was the Operations Manager for the new JCPenney store about to open and she was a department manager who had accepted a transfer to the new store. “There was this guy leaning against the counter, listening to my conversation all the while…He had a mustache, motorcycle type boots and a leather jacket,” states Bobbi Jean. “He seemed to be trying to get my attention, but I told him, ‘my mother taught me to never speak to strangers,’ turned on my heel and walked away.” Little did Bobbi Jean know that the man she encountered was Senior Management and a year later, the man she’d call “husband”. Jim and Bobbi Jean began dating in 1981 after the JCPenney store opened. “It started when I cooked dinner for her one night at her place, and we talked into the wee hours,” states Jim. “Like all first dates, I had no idea where it would go, but we talked and laughed, and I felt like I had known him forever.” On May 14, 1982 in sunny Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the two married in a small church amongst family and friends. “After my mom met Jim, she said to me, ‘Honey, that man would rope the moon for you if he could.’ He’s a gentleman in the truest sense, sparkling blue eyes that capture mine, he’s the best thing that ever happened to me!” Jim and Bobbi Jean shared a love for the West and eventually made their way to California. A longtime dream of Jim’s, he established OutWest, in 2006. “Every book we read, vacation we took and art we decorated with was inspired by our growing love for the West,” states Jim. “I envisioned our own Western business.” “Jim is a dreamer, and always has been. It’s one of his many facets that attracted my attention and imagination. When he first shared his vision for OutWest, I was reluctant, but I didn’t want to step on his dream.” “We’ve been on mountain tops and in valleys, and she’s always believed in me and my dreams,” states Jim. “She shares the yoke with me, so our wagon rolls over the rough patches smoothly. She lights up the room when she walks in, even after 32 years.” The couple worked with Sue and Bruce Reynolds of NewMarket Careers, and in 2008, their business began. Just a year later, Andree Walper at the City of Santa Clarita invited Bobbi Jean and Jim to organize and run a venue at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival…the Buckaroo Book Shop. “We have been invited back every year since then, and 2014 will be our sixth year,” states the couple. Fast forward to the present, OutWest Boutique and Cultural Center makes their home along 22508 6th Street in the heart of Old Town Newhall. Jim and Bobbi Jean continue to share their love for the West with the community as well as volunteer for many non-profit organizations. “We believe in each other’s dreams, encourage each other to learn or explore new things and go along for the ride, we laugh, we forgive, and we don’t stop dreaming.” |
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