Store relocates after flood, but maintains Czech presence

Cookie Vanous has found a way to be in three places at the same time.

No, the owner of Czech Feather & Down Co., 103 First St. W. in Mount Vernon, hasn't been cloned. Rather, you will find her in person at her store and on video at Deda & Babi Antiques and Collectibles in Czech Village and the Amana Woolen Mill in Amana.

When the flood of June 2008 filled her store at 72 16th Ave. SW in Czech Village with 9 feet of water, Vanous was forced to relocate. Although she had removed everything from the store before the floodwaters arrived, Vanous knew it would be months before she could return.

She initially looked at moving to Marion, but found few vacancies.

“I needed to get back in business as soon as possible,” Vanous said. “Many people around the country and overseas were not aware of how serious the flooding was in Cedar Rapids.”

After her husband reminded Vanous of the large Czech presence in Mount Vernon, she called her daughter, Dawn Schorg, who lives just outside the Linn County community.

“She said there was a store for rent that used to be an embroidery shop,” Vanous said. “The owners wanted to paint the store and install new carpeting before they rented it. I told them that we vacuum four or five times a day, so new carpet wasn't as important as getting back in business.”

Her video presence in the Amana Woolen Mill began five years ago.

“All the years that we had been in operation, the companies clashed as German and Czech and wouldn't work with each other,” Vanous said. “I was working with SCORE (the Service Corps of Retired Executives) and they put us together. Since we're buying fabric from Germany and we each make handcrafted products, it was a perfect match.”

The Amana Woolen Mill sells pillows made by Vanous and Czech Feather & Down sells products produced by the woolen mill.

Vanous said a desire to re-establish a presence in Czech Village led to the relationship with Deda & Babi Antiques and Collectibles, 74 16th Ave SW.

“We had been a family-owned business in Cedar Rapids since 1885, so we really wanted to retain our ties to the community,” she said.

Deda & Babi Antiques (Czech for grandpa and grandma) displays Czech Feather & Down products and accepts items requiring renovation.

Vanous said her international business has picked up as customers look for “green” options.

“Feather pillows can easily last for more than 100 years,” she said. “When you consider how many foam pillows you will buy in your lifetime and send to the landfill, feather pillows are a more environmentally friendly investment.”