Many family-owned businesses never get past the first generation of ownership, but Lowery’s Sewing and Vacuum Center, 707 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, is proving to be an exception.

On Friday and Saturday, the fourth generation will celebrate 70 years in business with a special sale and activities.

Adam Harman, the owner, took over when his brother Britt answered the call to do missionary work in Guatemala.

“In 1948 my great-grandfather on my mom’s side, Arthur Lowery, started out repairing sewing machines out of his garage. And from there it just kept rolling,” Harman said.

The first Lowery’s location was in a basement in the 100 block of East Center Street, later moving two blocks west to 109 W. Center St. In late 1966, Lowery’s moved to the Opera Building, which was destroyed by fire in October 1967. A move to the Lakeview Shopping Center on East Winona Avenue was next before the business landed at its current location in 1978.

“My great-grandpa brought in my grandpa, Harold Lowery, who came on board in the ’50s,” Adam Harman explained. “He had it until sometime in the ’70s, then sold it to my dad, Dean Harman. My mom (Linda) is a Lowery, so that’s the connection.

“My mom and dad had it for a number of years, and in 2002 my brother bought it. He had it for about 10 years. I had worked in the business off and on my whole life, but in the years leading up to me buying it, my wife and I lived in Ohio.

“He called me up one day and said, ‘Hey, do you want to move back to Warsaw?’ When I asked him why, he said, ‘We’re moving to Guatemala.’ He and his wife (Jodi) are currently missionaries there. So in 2012 we moved back and I took it over.”

Like every long-standing business, Lowery’s has changed and adapted to meet the needs of current-day customers. At the beginning the nation wasn’t that far removed from the Great Depression and World War II, and Lowery’s customers sewed more out of necessity. These days there’s more hobbyists and specialization.

“Embroidery machines entered the home-sewing field in the early 1990s, and now we have sewing machines that are Wi-Fi capable and that sort of stuff. You can work with your iPad. If you can imagine it, you can sew it,” Harman said.

While there is a website, it’s not yet an e-commerce site. Harman said that’s a goal for down the line.

“We don’t sell online, because there are still people out there who want to come in a touch and feel the fabric before making a purchase,” Harman said.

“There was a time when there was a lot of doom and gloom in the sewing industry, and there’s still plenty of shops closing every day, but they’re starting to teach sewing locally in the schools again, and it’s starting to make a comeback. And that’s a very positive thing.”

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These days there’s a social aspect to the industry. Lowery’s offers classes on occasion, and there’s a group of very loyal customers that have relationships with store personnel.

“A lot of the time we call ourselves a quilt store, because there’s a lot of quilt-store hugs in here,” Harman said. “A lot of the ladies build relationships and it’s always fun.

“Garment sewing was huge when my mom and dad ran the store, but now we do a lot more quilting. But garment sewing is starting to make a comeback, with new techniques and fabrics, it’s starting to work its way back.”

One of the things multi-generation businesses have in common is the memories created from childhood for so many people.

“All the time we get people who say, ‘I remember coming in here with my mom when I was a little kid,’ or something like that. Many of the employees have been here more than 10 years. Some more than 20 years.  They are a part of the family and have been through different owners, and they are a part of people’s memories.”

It was no surprise to Adam that his brother felt the call of God to serve in Guatemala. Faith has played a big role in the family and the business all along.

“My grandfather, Harold Lowery's faith especially.  He was steadfast in his faith and used business as a way of being involved in people's lives and having conversations about Jesus,” Harman said.

“It is all God's and we are just stewards of what He has given us.”

For more information on the business, visit the website at lowerysewing.com, or call 574-267-8631.