In the historical year of 1969, marked by Richard Nixon’s presidential inauguration, John Lennon’s marriage to Yoko Ono, and the first steps of United States astronauts on the moon, Shirley Lauver embarked on a hairstyling journey that spanned over five decades on the west side of South Bend.
Now, after 54 years of wielding rollers and hairspray, Shirley is gracefully bowing out of her hairstyling career to embrace a new chapter—retirement.
Shirley’s affinity for hairstyling blossomed in the basement of her childhood home. Armed with a sizable mirror and a stand-up hair dryer, young Shirley officially kickstarted her career by tending to family members’ hair before extending her expertise to new clients.
“I always wanted to do hair,” Shirley reminisced. “I used to ride my bike clear to my grandmother’s, it was almost three miles from the house, and pin curl her hair every Saturday.”
At 19, Shirley transitioned beyond her family’s confines and joined a salon in the Mary Crest building on Western Avenue. Over the next three years, her skills flourished, and fate smiled upon her when the salon’s owner decided to sell. This presented Shirley with an opportunity she couldn’t resist—stepping in to take over the business herself, birthing what is now known as Shirley’s Hair Fashions.
While Shirley initially had no plans of venturing out and establishing her own salon, she seized the moment when it presented itself. In the early years, roller work and teasing were the talk of the town, and Shirley thrived on the weekly appointments of her loyal clientele, some of whom remained with her for nearly 50 years, getting their hair done well into their 90s.
After 15 years at Mary Crest, Shirley relocated her salon to its current location off Mayflower Road near Eby’s Old Fashioned Meat Market. Here, she forged enduring friendships with her regular customers, recognizing the delicate nature of managing a part of a person that often reflects their personality, taste, and self-image.
“You don’t want to try to force them into something that they’re not gonna like,” Shirley emphasized. “And if they do try to change their hairstyle, I can tell them, ‘Well, I’ll do it for you, but I don’t think you’re gonna like it.’ And so they wind up going back.”
This customer-centric approach, coupled with competitive pricing well below the average for most stylists in the area, kept Shirley’s clientele returning, building a familial connection both with customers and employees. One of her employees, Jeanie Sniadecki, worked alongside Shirley for 31 years before retiring in October, solidifying Shirley’s own contemplation about retirement.
Shirley’s Hair Fashions bid farewell to its last customer, marking the end of an era for the salon. While Shirley may be closing this chapter, she remains available for trims whenever her husband or sons are in need.
Looking ahead to retirement, Shirley expressed excitement about spending time with her grandchildren out west. Despite the inevitable sentiment of missing the community she built within the shop, she anticipates reconnecting with many of her West Side customers regularly.
“It’s been a pretty wonderful career for her,” remarked Keith Lauver, Shirley’s son. “I mean, it’s pretty impressive to own a business for 51 years. And to do this for 54, that doesn’t happen very often anymore.”
Expressing gratitude, Shirley concluded, “I just want to thank all the people, my customers for, you know, supporting me all these years. It’s been great. It’s been a wild ride.”
