Hundreds of men in Baldwin County only saw Vernon Scheer in one place. That was at his iconic barber shop in downtown Fairhope.
Now, they will say goodbye to him at a different location. Services for Vernon Scheer will be on Saturday June 21 at 2 p.m. at the Gulf Coast Elks Lodge in Foley.
It marks the closing of a chapter in downtown Fairhope. In Old Fairhope. Vernon was the last of the two barbers in Ken & Vernon’s Barber Shop.
Ken had died a few years ago, so Vernon had continued the tradition and the shop.
Ken and Vernon had the shop going for over half a century, since 1967. When men of Old Fairhope were asked, “How long has that barber shop been open?” many would answer, “I have gone there my entire life.”
Vernon was to Fairhope what "Floyd" was to Mayberry. Remember Floyd the Barber from "The Andy Griffith Show?" No one knew Floyd’s last name. No one ever called him by anything but “Floyd.” It was the same way with Vernon and Ken. That’s all the name they needed.
The shop was located at 317 Fairhope Avenue, on the main north/south street of Fairhope. It was near the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, the newspaper, many neat shops and places to eat, and the ice cream shop, so Vernon gave kids waiting in his shop cards for free ice cream cones. Ken would give the waiting kids a piece of bubble gum.
The historic building housing the barber shop was built in 1932. It also housed a restaurant and a shop.
Randy Niemeyer of Ashurst Miemeyer Real Estate had said about Vernon, “The man can operate the scissors like a surgeon, he’s an artist with the electric trimmer, and will even shape those wayward ear hairs into the most modern styles.”
Hollie Woodard MacKellar, a realtor with Local Property, Inc., posted the following:
A Fairhope Treasure: Ken & Vernon’s Barbershop
Some things change, but some things—thankfully—stay the same. Walking from my office to the bank today, I couldn’t help but pop into Ken & Vernon’s Barbershop, a Fairhope staple that has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
And what did I find? Vernon, finally off his feet, relaxing in one of his own barber chairs! I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before, and the sight made me smile.
My dad has been getting his hair cut here for my entire 50 years of living in Fairhope. It’s places like this that make Fairhope feel like home—where memories are made, traditions last, and the people inside are just as much a part of your life as family.
Here’s to Ken & Vernon’s, to small-town charm, and to the places that keep our roots strong.
Carla Wood of Fairhope wrote, "My boys, Mark & Michael Brown, got their first haircut there; they are now 56 & 48 years old!"
Michael Lipscomb of Foley posted, "Got my hair cut there since I was 4. Now 55. Enjoy it till it's gone. It's the last of the old Fairhope. First it was Gaston Ford. Then Bedsoles. Bens BBQ .Then the ice cream parlor. It'll never be the same as when I roamed the streets as a kid. Living where the Fairhope Inn is today. Walking just across the street to go to school."
Goodbye, Vernon. Vernon the Barber. Old Fairhope.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
