Primitive Lights consisted of home decor, candles, pillows, etc., that Kathie and her former husband ran while working full time, going to college, and starting a family.

After finishing school, Kathie, a family-focused woman, has raised nine children, including her four great-nieces. To Kathie, family is everything. “I want to be with my kids as much as possible. Owning my own business allows me to do this,” said Kathie. “I worked hard but never missed a sporting or other event,” she said. 

After having various other jobs, Kallie and Macie, Kathie’s two daughters, found themselves wanting more flexibility since having children of their own. Macie, just out of cosmetology school, really wanted a space of her own, and Kathie says, “We figured since we had dabbled in online retail and I’d wanted to get back into the vintage shows – we might as well open a store.” “I loved the idea because a store was something we could all be a part of,” Kathie said.

In September of 2016, Kathie opened Rust N Stuff in Joplin on her own, with the help of her kids. In that store, she continued to develop her style, grew as a business owner, and gained confidence. Her children also began to be more involved in working with her.  Kathie started traveling to more shows; in doing so, she built a following for her company. Then a couple of months after opening, tragedy struck. Kathie’s 22-year-old son, Destin, died tragically. With her heart shattered, Kathie began pouring herself into work even more. “If I stopped, it was too much thinking. So I just worked more,” she said. While working on these shows, Kathie would meet more and more people going through the same kind of loss. “I created connections with other moms,” she said. The work became even more meaningful for Kathie and her children. What started as a way to keep her busy became an outlet to bond with other moms grieving over the loss of a child too. 

Fast forward a couple of years, and Kathie had joined her talents with other store owners. For the next couple of years, Kathie worked with her partners – but she simply wanted more. In January of 2020, Kathie began selling her vintage finds and home decor with the help of her daughter Kallie in a local salon; but being in a salon versus a retail store made it a bit of a struggle for her to display her larger, unique furniture pieces. Kathie found herself needing more space. It needed to be a space for her to focus on her vintage furniture pieces and home decor, as well as other things she liked. Also, a space her daughter Macie could join her cosmetology talents under the same roof. The search was on. 

A little later in 2020, Kathie along with her daughters Kallie and Macie opened Confetti Events– local, unique, historical event spaces located in downtown Webb City. Shortly after that, someone approached them to open what is now Society Marketplace, also located in downtown Webb City. This space was perfect! It was a place in which Kathie and her daughters could come together with their own talents. A place where Kathie can display her unique finds. “I buy what I like. I don’t follow trends or the crowd. I don’t believe you have to be one style,” she says. Working with her daughters allows all their creativity to be used. “We are all creative in our own way – all different – but in the end, we’re very close. At the store, we come together and discuss and decide on things.” 

Kathie prefers the uncommon and unique, making old things new, and seeing the potential in every project—no matter how hopeless it may seem at first. By preserving and highlighting the character of each piece she refurbishes or resells, Kathie keeps things original, timeless, and one of a kind. Her passion is to create functional design ideas that inspire and encourage others in their own space. “I’ve always been a decorator. I was always redoing my mom’s house, moving around my bedroom furniture growing up, and rearranging constantly. It’s the same in the store. As I sell – I rearrange. It’s a way to see things differently. It’s why it’s not a job – I love it,” she says.

The store also fits its family-focused lifestyle well. “I want my kids to know they can do anything. Be anything. And you can do it being yourself,” Kathie said. “I still have doubts, at times; I think a lot of people struggle with that – as a parent, painter, decorator… but, when someone else loves what you do – it gives you the drive to keep doing it,” Kathie said. “When someone buys a piece that I made – it clarifies what I do.”

Known for their vintage vibe, candles, and re-purposed furniture, you can find Rust & Stuff inside Society Marketplace in Webb City, Missouri, or at a live market across the Midwest.