Pearl and Neighboring Communities Work to Protect Jiffi Stop, the Lone Grocer in Town

May 10, 2019 4:23 PM May 11, 2019 4:30 AM

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PEARL - Pearl, Ill.., is an interesting place nestled in Pike County past Kampsville with a population of 138 in the 2010 census. One thing that can be said about Pearl and the neighboring counties is when times get tough, they are there for one another.

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This past week, the high Illinois River waters next to Pearl threatened the Jiffi Stop Convenience Store at 14090 State Highway 100.

Stephanie Wooldridge and her niece, Anissa, are two of the mainstays now at the Pearl convenience store.

Pearl Mayor Cam Fulmer put a request into Illinois for a pump to use during the flooding to draw out water.

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Several volunteered to sandbag around the Pearl Jiffi Stop this past weekend, which was a big help as Illinois River water continued to rise.

Fulmer said unfortunately, Pearl is normally at the bottom of everybody’s funding.

“We never get any FEMA money, but we try to work together to help one another,” he said. “We are at everyone’s bottom of the list, normally. In the past, the state brought us two 16-inch pumps and we have a tractor to run them.”

“We had a little trouble today with a pump breakdown, but the back flow from water is under control and not out a ditch,” Stephanie said. “Someone ran to get a part for it and get something welded. People here all come together when things like flooding happen. My husband is from here and I grew up in Pittsfield.

“The convenience store/gas station is very important to the people here. We have gasoline, store items and even serve biscuits and gravy in the morning and pizza in the afternoon and evening. We have a lot of miscellaneous items. The store took precautions with some of the equipment and store goods. We hope to have the shelves stocked back to normal by next week and get the coffee and soda fountain machine back in. People enjoy those two things and as a precaution, they were taken out.”