Eye On Industry
by Michael Autry
Earle Smith’s Jewelry
114 Commercial Ave
Coleman, TX 76834
Earle Smith kicked off a career in jewelry at the young age of 16, first working for his uncle Rex Smith at
Rex A. Smith’s Jewelry Store in Abilene.
The final product of his work, Earle Smith’s Jewelry, is preparing to celebrate its 71st year in operation.
The store is now owned and operated by Earle’s son in law, Mike Stith, and is advertised as Coleman’s
leading jeweler. However, this label is as old as the store.
Earle continued to work for his uncle after graduating from high school, until the urge to start his own
store took over. Smith located a store owned by Dr. Harbour on the East side of Commercial Ave in
1936. The store was for sale, so, at only 21 years of age, he borrowed $500 from his uncle Rex to
make the purchase.
The store space was initially shared with Dr. Harbour, and in addition to jewelry, Earle sold guitar picks
and anything else he could get his hands on to make ends meet. The display windows had a few pieces
of jewelry, but were mostly occupied by strategically-placed decorative rocks and leaves, as the stock
was not abundant enough to fill all the space.
But, even while fighting the standard uphill battles associated with starting a business, and even while
filling his displays with rocks and leaves in the absence of jewelry, Earle labeled himself “Coleman’s
Leading Jeweler.”
The initial struggles continued for several years, but the offering of credit helped to produce a more
stable income flow and repeat customers, resulting in more success and a steady upward trend in
business.
As 1949 rolled around, Earle moved his “Coleman’s Leading Jeweler” operation across the street to its
present location (114 Commercial Ave), where he rented space from John Warren. Joining Earle in the
store were his wife Jennie, and his parents, Clyde and Pearl. He and Jennie raised three children, Ed,
Cindy, and Sandra, and the business continued to grow and thrive.
In 1980, Earle’s daughter Sandra, her husband Mike Stith, and their two-year old daughter Lauren,
moved to Coleman. Mike went to work at the store while Sandra stayed home to raise Lauren, and then
their son Neil a couple of years later. Sandra is now a Kindergarten teacher in Santa Anna.
Earle passed away in 1995, followed by Jennie’s passing in 2005. Mike continues the tradition of
“Coleman’s Leading Jeweler,” along with store employees Arvella Simpson and Brona Lou Brown.
Today, Earle Smith’s Jewelry offers quality solid gold and diamond jewelry, along with Seiko and Pulsar
watches, gifts, sterling silver jewelry, mother’s rings, and much more. The store also continues to offer
jewelry repair services. Mike, Arvella, and Brona Lou take pride in preserving the same old fashioned
friendly customer service as was offered by Earle many years before, where customers are always
greeted with a smile and are treated like old friends.