Grandmother’s craft store sees influx of new visitors after grandson’s Facebook post goes viral

WCCO, FACEBOOK, TYLER LARSON, CNN, Facebook/Tyler Larson

By Derek James

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — A grandma’s quiet craft shop in Holdingford, Minnesota, got a big surprise thanks to her loving grandson and a viral Facebook post.

Rosanne Forster has been selling her handmade gifts at Forster’s Craft Corner for nearly 30 years in a cozy she-shed off Highway 238. She makes ribbon roses and baskets, but in recent years, the business has slowed.

“It’s her own little shop, and I mean, needs to be shared with people,” said Tyler Larson, Forster’s 18-year-old grandson.

In early July, he posted a listing on Facebook Marketplace for his grandma’s store.

The post read that he “would love for her to have some more business. You don’t have to buy anything if you don’t want to, just showing up and sharing a chat would be more than enough.”

Larson’s heartfelt message led to social reactions that immediately began driving new foot traffic.

Forster herself had no idea her grandson had posted about the store. She said she doesn’t have access to the internet or a smartphone.

Learning that her grandson’s plea was behind her new visitors made it more meaningful.

“It’s been fun, and I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, and they had good stories, you know, as to that they went out of their way just to come to see me and help me out,” she said.

Forster keeps track of all her new shoppers in a guestbook. It’s a memorable act of love and a meaningful goodbye from grandson to grandmother before he heads off to college.

“I think it was a great, great way to end off the summer,” Larson said. “I’m very, very blessed to have the outcome that we did.”

“Every single person that came says, ‘I’m here because of your grandson, and he is so special that he posted something like that,’ you know,” Forster said.

The craft corner’s hours vary. Forster says if you’re coming from far away, you should call ahead.

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