Greers Western Store 80th Anniversary

Eighty years ago, three young brothers opened a small boot and shoe repair shop on Main Street in Ranger, Texas. This was the beginning of a wonderful life and heritage for three generations of Greer’s to follow.

Greer’s Boot and Repair Shop was opened by Holcomb, Chip and Ben Greer in 1935. They had apprenticed under Mr. Notgrass in Cisco, Texas to learn their trade. When Holcomb married Minerva King in 1936, they continued the business in Ranger while Chip opened a boot and saddle repair shop in Breckenridge, Texas. Over the next 30 years, Holcomb and Minerva worked tirelessly to run a successful business providing boot making, boot and shoe repair, and adding retail boot and clothing lines.

In 1966, the Greer’s son and his wife, Jerry Bob and Pat, moved back to Ranger to take over the store operations. Jerry Bob had previously served in the Army, and upon his honorable discharge moved to Fort Worth to work for Tandy Leather, using his crafting abilities to tool leather and work in Tandy’s Western Store. Jerry Bob and Pat continued to grow the business over the next 45 years. They first expanded the store in Ranger and added many new lines and items for sale. In 1981, Pat and Jerry Bob bought out Bray’s Department Store on the square in Eastland, Texas. Greer’s Department Store was operated primarily by Pat, where they carried ladies’, men’s and children’s dress and contemporary clothing. Then, in 1998, Jerry moved Greer’s Western Store from Ranger to the store’s current location in Eastland, Texas.

In 2005, after Jerry’s untimely illness and death the prior year, Pat decided it would be easiest to combine the two stores in one location, building on to the current location to create 10,000 square feet of floor space for the newly combined store.

Jerry Bob and Pat Greer had three children. Virginia Greer May is a dietician and works for the WIC Program in Midland, Texas. Dr. Gregg Greer is a professor of Computer Information Systems at Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas. The Greer’s youngest daughter, Leslie Greer Pitts, is a Certified Public Accountant and is the current owner of Greer’s Western Store.

Leslie took over ownership in 2012, becoming the third generation of the Greer family to join the business. Leslie and her husband Tim moved from Ranger to Eastland in 1995. Tim Pitts worked for the Eastland Police Department for many years and is currently a Corporal for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Tim and Leslie have three children. Tim Pitts and his wife Alexis, Travis Pitts and Ellie Pitts who are all involved in the Eastland community. Although ownership has changed, Pat has not retired. She is still involved in the daily operations of running the business and is present in the store every day.

Pat and Leslie, along with her husband Tim and children, are excited to celebrate eighty years of business in Eastland County. We want to say thank you to all of our customers and friends over the years who have made this possible. We have loved serving this area with great customer service and will continue to provide a huge selection of clothing and footwear for the entire family. We encourage all of you to come out and help us celebrate our Eightieth Anniversary Extravaganza and come check our blow out sale!