Jim and Freda’s journey together may not be your “typical” love story, but what REAL love story is?
Once upon a time, Jim and Freda ( having both experienced a couple of failed marriages) decided that falling in love (and staying in love) was not in their cards. It would turn out, though, that God had other plans for them. When their story began, Jim had been a bridge builder for 40 years of his life, traveling all over the state of Iowa to supervise and build bridges while Freda had worked a swing shift for 20+ years at Monsanto. Having both struggled with alcohol addiction in their earlier lives, Jim and Freda each felt that God needed them to carry a message of hope. What they were to discover, was that they wouldn’t be carrying that message alone.
In 1996, Freda took some time off of work due to some health issues. Little did she know that taking that time off would change she and Jim’s lives forever! Jim and Freda were introduced by friends during that time period, and they were able to spend time getting to know each other. Ultimately, as with any love story, they fell in love!
Two years later, in 1998, Jim and Freda were married on the beautiful Cedar River. As fate would have it, Bug Soother, our famous natural gnat and mosquito repellent, was to make it’s debut in nearly the same spot, 10 years later, almost to the day!
Through out their relationship, Jim and Freda discovered they had shared values and purpose. Both of them possessed a strong faith that would carry them through good times, as well as some rough patches due to the loss of family and friends, health issues, and the normal challenges of everyday life.
In the early years of Simply Soothing, Freda was able to retire from Monsanto and devote her time to the fledgling business while Jim continued working full time building bridges. Freda built a workshop in the basement of their home, making and creating products. One day Jim joined her in the workshop, fussing with some candles…and that’s how “The Butt Crack John’s Sticky Stinkbait Candle” was created by Jim the Bridge Builder. From that moment on, Jim and Freda’s lives were blended in a new way, as the two came together building a business that was to take them from SE Iowa, around the US, and as far away as London.
With a blended family of 2 sons and 2 daughters, their lives were further enriched. 3 of their children are an integral part of the business while the fourth is a successful conductor and musician. Even the grandkids take an active part in growing the business as well. You can find Jim and Freda’s 3 oldest grandkids (when they were a little younger) on displays, brochures and other promotional materials. Many of the pictures on our social media pages highlight their youngest grandson. The grandkids are great promoters, giving out Bug Soother, helping fill orders, and entertaining Jim and Freda in their spare time.
More than 20 years after Jim and Freda’s love story began, they continue to carry their message of hope in their personal life, as well as in business.
Now, if this were a fairy tale, we would end Jim and Freda’s tale by saying “and they all lived happily ever after,” but this is real life, and REAL love, so we will end by saying this instead – Each day of their love story has brought them joy & love, and sometimes even sorrow…but through it all, it’s brought them closer to each other, forever changing their lives for the better.
Happy Valentine’s Day! May you find love and laughter along the way!
With all of the cold weather, natural bug repellent is probably the LAST thing on your mind…but with spring quickly approaching, it’s never too early to get stocked up on bug spray!
At a very basic level, the extra energy exerted by chickens as they move around to avoid the gnats can cause them to suffer from heat stress, especially as gnats are typically most prevalent in already hot weather. But worse than this, black flies (“buffalo gnats”) which are typically the culprits, bite, and their saliva creates an allergic reaction. For humans, this usually just causes an itch. But for chickens, this can lead to allergic shock. Gnats also tend to get caught in chickens’ nostrils and airways, leading to suffocation. We’ve even heard a story of a chicken owner finding her beloved bird covered in gnats, not breathing. She says she “brought her chicken back to life” with Bug Soother when she sprayed her chicken with Bug Soother, and the gnats dispersed!
Perhaps one of our biggest milestones this year is that our all-natural bug repellent, Bug Soother, turned 10 years old! I originally created Bug Soother in 2008 for my five-month old grandson, (pictured below, now 10 years old, promoting Bug Soother at the John Deere Classic), and 2008 just happened to be the year that a huge flood hit our little town of Columbus Junction. But despite all the devastation that came with the flood, when I look back, I can see some good that came out of it. We were able to repurpose three flooded buildings, which now house our store, warehouse, and production facilities. And in honor of the tenth anniversary of the flood, we donated tens of thousands of bottles of Bug Soother to flooding victims across the country.
From the very beginning, golf courses have been a big part of the success of Bug Soother. This year was no different, as we were selected as the Official Bug Repellent of the 
Aromatherapy is one of the most common uses of essential oils. Typically, aromatherapy fits into two basic categories: diffusing and topical essential oils. 
We are so excited to celebrate American Business Women’s Day this week. As a majority women-owned & operated business we know how important it is to support women in business!
