A Legacy of Love
Laurel store lives on after the death of its beloved owner
It is one of the most recognizable store fronts in Laurel. On the corner of First Avenue and West Main Street, Blessed Beginnings was literally a dream come true for its owner, Laurie Parpart. She is a woman for whom giving was always more meaningful than receiving and who never failed to offer a smile, a hug and a prayer for a neighbor.
If not for a violent twist of fate that was nearly the end for Laurie and her granddaughters, Blessed Beginnings might never have opened its doors.
By all accounts, Laurie was an entrepreneur, a natural salesperson. Retail was in her blood. She owned or co-owned a few “gently loved” clothing stores in Billings and sold Park Lane Jewelry for years. She was a savvy businesswoman and a trusted mentor.
“I would say she definitely had a reputation,” recalls her daughter, Dawn Parpart. “She started one of the first consignment stores in Billings and she helped at least two or three other people start their own businesses.”
In 2000, Laurie was leading a full life, doing what she loved, surrounded by those she loved, when everything came to a crashing halt.
“She was driving down King Avenue and a beet truck coming off 48th Street ran a stop sign,” says Dawn. “My girls were with her. They were unharmed, but mom got pretty seriously injured.” Laurie’s legs were smashed under the dash of the vehicle. While in the hospital for surgery and recovery, she clearly saw the future. “She had a vision,” Dawn says. “The name of the store, Blessed Beginnings, came to her in a dream.” And just like that, it was a new beginning, a blessed beginning, for Laurie, her family and the Laurel community.
An antique store, a thrift store and consignment shop, with everything from gifts to clothes and Bibles available, Blessed Beginnings grew over the years, as did Laurie’s desire to help those who were struggling. Laurie just loved loving on people.
“She was always like that,” says Laurie’s granddaughter, Jessica Parpart, who grew up in the store. “We always did Operation Shoe Box and bought for people at Christmas time. She tried to bless the people around her in many ways, whether it was through her business or how she engaged with people in her life.”
Driven by her strong faith, Laurie pushed through debilitating pain from the car crash and numerous surgeries without complaint. After all, there was work to be done and people to be helped. “She endured quite a bit of pain and she showed up and did the work,” says Jessica. “I mean, her motto was suit up and show up. She was inspirational to people.”
Amid all the areas in the store where items are for sale, there was one area reserved for items free of charge, grab bags Laurie lovingly assembled for those who needed some help through a rough patch. Whether it was a bag of toiletries, some clothes or food, it was theirs, with no judgment.
Laurie also knew people needed to be nourished in other ways. “She talked to people, she prayed with people,” Jessica says. “She would share stories with those who came in and really listen to them. She never focused on how she blessed them, it was always how they enriched her life.”
That rich and blessed life ended unexpectedly Oct. 3, 2024. Laurie was 72 years old. This godly woman whose life was spent ministering to her community with love, grace and humility was resting in paradise, while Dawn and Jessica knew her work here must continue. They grieved her loss, Jessica says, but they did what they knew she would want them to do — suit up and show up.
“We only closed the store for two days and then opened back up on Monday,” Jessica says. “That’s how she would have done it, and it’s been full speed ahead.”
Thankfully, Dawn and Jessica knew the inner workings of the store as well as Laurie did. “Knowing the people who consign stuff here, to how she did her books, to how she priced things,” Dawn says. “After she passed, walking into this was nothing foreign,”
Things run just as they did when Laurie was here, but Dawn has expanded the selection of items in the store’s food pantry. “Jesus tells us to feed people,” she says. “I wanted to make that a bigger part of what we’re doing.”
They do not receive food from local stores or businesses. Dawn buys the groceries with the money customers leave in a donation jar on the counter, usually less than $100 a month. “There’s one lady that every time she makes a purchase, she throws her change in the change jar and without those donations, we couldn’t provide the food.”
Dawn has also added a small refrigerator for perishable products. All items are offered free of charge to people in need, no strings attached, and no questions asked.
“I hope when people come here, they feel loved and they feel important and valued,” Dawn says. It’s a sentiment Jessica echoes: “We want this to be a comfortable place for people. We give love and share love here. That drives a lot of what we do. We want to take the shame and embarrassment away from it.”
