Beginnings…
All Things Parry is the culmination of decades of melding our interest and skill sets to incorporate a business model centered around using our talents to enhance experiences and environments for others. For those who are interested in knowing more about what has brought us to this point in our lives, we are providing a brief background.
Mary grew up on her family’s wheat farm in North Central South Dakota. This farm provided a livelihood for the Allmendinger family for more than 100 years. Mary graduated with a degree in Home Economics from South Dakota State University. After teaching at the middle and senior high school level, she relocated to Omaha Nebraska and during this time completed her graduate studies in Consumer Science. She later went on to complete a degree in Interior Design.
Glenn lived in numerous states scattered across the United States while growing up. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Human Resources and completed his graduate studies at the University of South Dakota. He spent 30 years leading Human Resource functions in Insurance and Banking. Along the way he earned designations in HR, Compensation and Benefits. He currently works as an executive coach for Authentic Impact, a company co-founded by his Identical twin brother, Gordon.
All Things Parry
Shortly after their marriage, Glenn and Mary worked with a custom home builder on what would be their first significant design endeavor together. After relocating to Wisconsin, they expanded and remodeled three homes together. This experience gave them the confidence to try their hand at flipping houses. They completed three significant projects in Tucson, Arizona which honed their skills and gave them the courage to explore properties in other areas on the country.
Mary began her own interior design business while living in Omaha and brought her skills to the Beloit market when they relocated to Wisconsin. The Parry’s discovered Oak Island when they were assisting Mary’s sister in finding a location to purchase a beach home. They ended up buying a 1953 cement block beach house one row from the Atlantic Ocean in the quaint town of Oak Island, North Carolina. They brought the home down to the cement block walls and then built it back to become a charming beach cottage that served as a successful vacation rental for three seasons. They also purchased a cement block duplex on Oak Island that Mary transformed into a stunning single family beach home that they sold upon completion.
Glenn obtained his Wisconsin Real Estate license, which culminated from what is often described as an obsession with everything real estate. The Parry’s discovered Door County in 2005 when they were offered the use of some dear and gracious friend’s condo in Fish Creek for a fall weekend visit. They immediately fell in love with Door County and were thrilled to purchase a sweet cottage two houses from the beach access at Kangaroo Lake outside Baileys Harbor. Their first projects included screening in the front porch and creating a new exterior feel to the home and property. They eventually added a family room/dining room and updated the kitchen as well as added an outdoor shower. While they loved their Kangaroo Lake cottage, they could not pass up a foreclosed home on the shore of Lake Michigan outside Jacksonport, Wisconsin. This home is now their primary residence.
A number of years ago, Glenn happened upon an old cheese factory outside Carlsville, Wisconsin, that was also a foreclosed property. It has taken several years, but this property has turned into a multi-use gem that houses a shop area where they can hold “pop up” shop events. While in the midst of the cheese factory remodel, a quintessential Door County cottage came on the market in Jacksonport, Wisconsin. It made no logical sense at the time to make this purchase, but we were drawn to the charm and history of the place and Mary envisioned creating a cottage that would transport guests back to a 1940’s door county vacation experience. The Parry’s purchased the property furnished and many of the pieces still in the home are came with the property. The Butler family had owned the property for generations, and we are honored to continue the legacy of the Butler Cottages. Sadly, a barn that had been converted to a cottage on the property was deemed to not be salvageable, so a new cottage was built in its place.
Glenn was introduced to a chalk paint product called Dixie Belle paint and began experimenting with various furniture pieces. This along with Mary’s skill in jewelry design, card making, various crafts and knack for sourcing unique products, led to the creation of the first Parry pop up shops held in the fall of 2020.
In the spring of 2024, we were finally able to offer vacation rental options in Door County. We have recently worked with a company to create our website and are launching targeted social media accounts that introduce us and our services to others.
As we celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary we look forward to this new chapter in our lives as well roll out All Things Parry. It is our hope that thru our efforts to repurpose, reuse and reinvent things and places that we will bring joy and happiness to others. Being able to provide vacation rentals that can create wonderful memories for others of their time in Door County is a gift for us. If we can help others to find a home in the area or enhance the home they have or purchase thru design services, we will have used our talents wisely.
Above all else, whatever we do we want to make sure that we honor and give praise to God our Heavenly Father who has created us and given us life. May all we do be pleasing in His sight.