UNION CENTER, S.D. - If you ask a Union Center rancher what they're doing today, they might say cutting- most of them referring to the practice of separating one cow from the rest of the herd for the purpose of vaccination, a health check, or other reasons. Cheryl Hammerstrom, though, would be talking about cutting hair, something she's done in Union Center for 37 years. Now, she's the proprietor of PrHairie Country Cut 'N' Curl at the Cow Town Mall, running a salon business with two other women who provide nail and massage services.Â
"I think I cut your hair when you girls were pretty small and your mom brought you from Elm Springs," Hammerstrom says, as she styles the hair of a local returning customer. "It's a little cubbyhole away from the hectic life of ranching, and so they they can kind of wind down a little bit," she adds.
In an area where neighbors are miles away and towns are even further, Hammerstrom knows that being a steady friend is even more important than giving a haircut. Even while starting her own family, she continued to cut and style hair for her relatives and friends. "One baby turned into two babies and three babies and four babies, so I actually didn't really work in a salon for a while. We were needing some extra income, and I was like, why don't I try a little shop? "
After the family moved to Hereford, she started to offer services from a small trailer home. She worked there for over a decade before moving her salon services into Cow Town Mall. The business continued to grow over the decades, and now, PrHairie Country Cut 'N' Curl serves generations of rural families. "I really enjoy the customers. I enjoy people. I've always been a people person. They come in and we discuss a lot of things kids, husbands, family," Hammerstrom says with a laugh.
The nearest town, Sturgis, is about 50 miles away, so a trip to the salon would otherwise require at least two hours of travel. "What is really cool about the three of us in here, Chelsie, Shirrise and myself is we all grew up as in the agriculture life. All of our dads were ranchers," Hammerstrom explains. "Three women who grew up in ranching and agriculture can come and do a little beauty shop out in the middle of nowhere and have good business here."
With the support of multiple generations of local women, PrHairie Country Cut 'N' Curl continues to thrive in the small town, bringing salon services and smiles to families across rural Meade County. "Perfect. I knew I could count on you!" exclaims a customer at the end of her haircut.
For more information on PrHairie Country Cut 'N' Curl, click here.
