History of the Fellsmere Sundries / Beckman’s Drug Store
The store was initially built in 1945 by local builder L. D. Burgner who also owned the Fellsmere Dairy.1 The concrete block store was known as Fellsmere Sundries.2 It is the only building in Fellsmere to have incorporated glass block in its walls which act as sidelights around the front entrance door.
On December 1, 1946, L. D. Burgner sold the store to James and Madge Williams.3 On November 2, 1948, the Williams in turn sold the store to Walter R. Meyer, Samuel O’Neal and J. B. O’Neal.4 After owning the store for only 14 months, the group sold the store to Lemmie Dee and Sara Hogan on December 30, 1949.5 A little more than three years later, on April 7, 1952, the Hogans sold the store to Albert J. Beckman who owned it for approximately 22 years until he died in 1974.6
During the time Albert Beckman owned the store, it was commonly referred to as “Beckman’s Drug Store” or just simply “The Drug Store” even though Beckman was not a pharmacist.7 He sold over-the-counter drugs and various items, even fishing poles and tackle.8 Beckman installed a lunch counter and served hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, sodas, and ice cream from 5-gallon buckets.9 The lunch counter seated about 10 people, and there was more seating at a few tables in the store. Albert even had a juke box and pinball machine.10 Shortly after the Chat and Chew Restaurant opened in 1962 (which served hot meal lunches), the lunch counter at Beckman’s was removed, along with the tables and chairs.11
On December 5, 1958, Mitchell’s Superette, a frame stucco grocery story on the south side of Beckman’s Drug Store, caught fire and burned to the ground. Fortunately, the Fellsmere Volunteer Fire Department assisted by firemen from Sebastian and Vero Beach were able to save Beckman’s Drug Store which had been threatened by the wind blowing in the store’s direction.12
After Albert Beckman died on July 24, 1974,13 his wife Selby sold the store to William and Dolores Slentz on October 17, 1974, with all the fixtures, equipment, and inventory.14 Almost three years later, the Slentz’s sold the store to Dennis and Marcine Davis on July 13, 1977, who had moved to Fellsmere in 1971 from Cocoa, Florida.15 Dennis Davis was elected to the Fellsmere City Council and briefly served as Acting Mayor from July 20th to August 10, 1978.16 On December 15, 1983, after six years, the Davis’ sold the store to Larry and Cheryl Murphy.17 Following the 1983 purchase of the store, Cheryl and Larry Murphy added boiled peanuts and nachos to the menu. They also installed a gumball machine.18
In 2002, Lino Luna formed La Charo, Inc. and purchased the store on June 1, 2005, from Cheryl Murphy, Trustee, who in 1998 had entered into the Cheryl Wendy Trust.19 The store was renamed “La Charo” and sold meats, ice cream, Mexican food, and rented video tapes.20 After there was a default on the mortgage, the store reverted back to Cheryl Murphy as Trustee of the Cheryl Murphy Trust on October 9, 2014.21
On September 20, 2012, Yami’s Ice Cream Shop opened providing Fellsmere with 21 flavors of delicious, homemade ice cream, 51 flavors of popsicles, and fruit drinks ever since.22 Several of the flavors of ice cream and popsicles are typically not found in other ice cream stores.
Yami’s Ice Cream Shop is a family owned and operated business named after Yamilet, the proprietors’ daughter. It originally opened in Vero Beach in 2008 but relocated to Fellsmere four years later. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days per week. It has received rave reviews for its homemade ice cream by many customers. Yami’s also provides ice cream to McKee Jungle Gardens in Vero Beach, and AKOHO (A Kitchen Of Her Own) and the ELC (Environmental Learning Center) in Wabasso, and other places in Indian River County.