A Tribute to My Stepdad

My stepdad, Charles Sanders, is one of the most caring, selfless, and thoughtful people I know. He is constantly putting others before himself and has made my sister and me feel like his daughters from the day he and my mom got married.

For the past 50+ years, he has run Sanders Furniture Company in downtown Monroe. Anyone who lives in Monroe, or even passes through the town, most likely knows Charles and his three stores. I joke that he is like the mayor of the town. And I have no doubt that if he ran, he would be elected with the first-ever unanimous vote. You just can't not love him.



After much thought and prayer, he announced this past weekend that Sanders Furniture Company will be closing its doors. As he shares in this article from the Walton Tribune, he wants to retire while he still has his health and really enjoy the extra time with family and friends.

The community has already been so encouraging and supportive, but Charles (better known as "Papa" in our family) definitely views the retirement as bittersweet. Running the store is the only job he has known in his adult life. The store itself has been around for over 100 years and has sold to four generations of families. Getting to know and keeping up with each of his customers is one of Charles' favorite parts of the business, and something he will really miss.



He really hopes a new furniture store will move into the space at the end of the year when their doors will officially close. But whoever decides to purchase the space, I guarantee he will be there to welcome them to the town the day they move in- with a line of other downtown owners he wants to introduce behind him- because that's just how he is.

In preparation for the store closing, they are running a retirement sale in which all furniture is 20%-40% off. They will also continue to take custom orders through October.

Every piece of furniture in our house (with the exception of pieces that have been passed down to us from our families) is from Charles' store. We absolutely LOVE our furniture!

If you are local to the Atlanta area, you should definitely take a drive to Monroe, meet my sweet stepdad, and find a piece of furniture for yourself while the store is still open. And if driving isn't an option, give him a call and see if the furniture you're looking for is available for shipment. I guarantee the price you will pay at Sanders' will be lower than what you pay elsewhere!



I will miss walking through the store each time I visit Monroe, but having the extra time with Charles while I'm visiting will be completely worth it.