After 43 years of service, Fultondale’s Adkins Grocery closes its doors
Published 12:00 pm Monday, July 13, 2015
- Adkins Grocery closed recently after serving Fultondale for more than 40 years. The owners cited health concerns as the reason for the closing.
In April of 1972, gas was 36 cents a gallon, stamps were 10 cents each, a dozen eggs were 52 cents and a gallon of milk would set you back $1.20. And you could buy it all at the new Adkins Grocery store at the corner of Shady Grove Road and Walker Chapel Road in Fultondale.
Although Jimmy Adkins was new to store ownership, his family had operated a store of some sort in the area for three generations. His grandfather moved from England to open a commissary for the local mines in 1902.
Adkins’ oldest son was just 5 years old when he was injured in the mines and decided to purchase the rock-front building to open a store. He and his wife would raise all three of his sons there and in the house they owned behind the store. When his first wife died several years ago, he met and married his second wife, Lorna. She then became an active part of the store, helping to manage it when she wasn’t working her regular job.
The store was a staple in the small community, long before development brought the large box stores to the area. Adkins had seen a lot of history from behind the counter of his little store, including children who grew up to bring their own children in for a piece of candy. Even during last year’s storms, the small store functioned as a safe haven for stranded motorists.
“You just can’t drive on Walker Chapel when it snows or ices, because it’s on a hill,” Lorna explained. “We had nine people and a pet pig that stayed overnight with us during that storm.”
The couple arranged for the nearby church to open its doors so those stranded could sleep on the pews and Lorna unpacked her late mother’s blankets to provide comfort and warmth.
This week, Adkins and Lorna are closing the store he has operated for the last 43 years because his health has declined to the point that he can no longer operate it and his wife wants to be home to care for him as he battles Parkinsons.
“He’s sad, because he has always felt a responsibility to be here for the people of this community. He loves it.” Lorna said as she worked this week to finalize the store’s closing. “He’s going to miss the people.”
