Monsours set to bid farewell to Vicksburg, downtown store to close

Published 5:28 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2020

: Kay Monsour, owner of The Southern Cottage/Green Door Market, announced the store will soon close as she and her husband, Eddie, prepare to move to Florida. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

The Southern Cottage/Green Door Market on Washington Street has been an asset to downtown Vicksburg.

With its country store feel, it has offered locals, as well as visitors to the River City, an inventory of handcrafted items, home décor, gourmet goodies and a plethora of gift ideas.

Kay Monsour, the store’s owner, opened the Southern Cottage/Green Door Market three years ago and has enjoyed serving the needs of the community.

But the time, she said, has come for her to retire.

Saturday will be the last day for shoppers to take advantage of the discounted merchandise. Also, on Friday and Saturday, an estate sale will be held on the market side of the store.

“This is a bittersweet decision,” Kay said. “I will miss the everyday interaction with the people. We had a lot of tourists when the boats were coming in, they always shopped with us.”

Kay, and her husband, Eddie, who recently retired, are looking to move to Florida.

“Eddie is wanting to move to Florida. He has never lived anywhere but in Vicksburg,” Kay said, adding the move will get the couple closer to children and grandchildren who already live in Flordia.

Kay and Eddie currently live in the apartment above the store and will be letting go of furniture pieces that will not be moving with them.

Display cabinets, mannequin torsos and anything not sold this weekend will also be for sale during the second week in August when Kay makes a return trip to Vicksburg.

“I will be back on Aug. 12 and we will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. that week,” she said.

Kay said she had been hoping someone would be interested in taking over the store, but realized with the COVID-19 pandemic, chances were slim.

“But if anyone does ( want to take over the store),” she said, “It would be a great opportunity.”

On the market side of the business, coolers are already set up just waiting for someone who may be interested in opening a downtown grocery. The building, including the retail space and apartment, is owned by Kelle Barfield.

The store will be open this Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the store will be open from 8 a.m. until.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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