WOODBINE, Iowa (KMTV) — Mary Marsh doesn't drive anymore. When Woodbine's only grocery store burned down, her daughter had to drive her 27 miles to Denison just to buy groceries.
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Now, she doesn't have to make that trip, which can be hardship considering gas prices.
"Oh, you don't even know what it means to me, it's awesome," Marsh said.
Food Land has reopened in Woodbine after a fire closed it nearly two years ago. The store was started by Dina Corbett's parents more than 80 years ago. The road back wasn't easy and rebuilding was harder than expected.
"So many times I second-guessed myself, 'Is this what we really want to do?'" Corbett said. "And then, we cut the ribbon and it was just like a sense of relief because it was like a culmination of so much."
The reopening means more than convenience for some residents. Kathy Waite volunteers at the local food pantry, where clients receive vouchers for dairy products.
"But then they'd have to drive to the Food Land in Missouri Valley to pick up the milk," Waite said.
Waite also calls Food Land a "cornerstone" of the community.
"My husband worked at Food Land with Dina's mother when he was growing up here in Woodbine," she said.
Corbett's granddaughters are now the fourth generation to work in the store. Avery, 13, and her sister, Reagan,11, are excited to help out in the new store.
"It's been such, such a long project. And we've always had moments where it's like 'It's almost there, it's ready,' and then, 'Oh, it's not ready yet,'" Avery said.
"But, it came through and it's better than I thought it could ever be," Corbett said.
Corbett hopes Food Land will remain in Woodbine long enough for her granddaughters to one day take it over.
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