It didn’t take much persuasion to get Stacey Ward to leave Las Vegas.

When her brother, Jeff Tregoning, asked her if she wanted to come back to Washington last fall and help run the Islandview Market with the family, her childhood memories were enough to get her packing.

“I grew up in Gig Harbor and graduated from Gig Harbor High School,” Ward said. “It (the market) is a landmark. We lived in Rosedale and had summer property on Raft Island. I used to come here as a child. We rode our bikes here.”

Ward has fond memories of the little country store perched on a slope that overlooks a cozy, tree-lined cove. She remembers the store’s owners, “Denver and Helen,” who called all the little boys “Skipper” and the girls “Little Lady.”

“I loved being a kid here,” Ward said. “It was the perfect situation. We used to have these big rubber rafts, and we’d paddle across the water to the store. Denver always wore suspenders and had a handlebar mustache.”

A black-and-white photograph of Denver still hangs on the wall behind the front counter.

When the store went on the market, it sparked Tregoning’s interest. As a part-owner of Tacoma Glass, he already was an experienced businessman.

“I live on Raft Island and was driving by, looking at the for-sale sign for months,” he said. “It seemed like a good deal and something fun to do. It’s such a neat property, you couldn’t go wrong.”

Tregoning purchased the market with his wife, Mary, and his parents, Ernie and Sandra, and they summoned other family members to help run the store.

Former employees Donna Pederson and Debbie Firth have returned.

“We were very lucky that Debbie and Donna were still here,” Ward said. “People know them, and they give it a sense of continuity. When the store closed, people were so sad because they thought it was closed for good. They thought, ‘Well, the economy’s bad, I guess that’s it.’ ”

After it was closed for five weeks, the store re-opened with working gas pumps on Dec. 10.

“Having the gas has been a big deal,” Ward said. “The neighbors are so happy. A lot of people have stopped in — they’ve been welcoming and curious.”

Jeff Tregoning said small boats and jet skis can access the store from the back dock.

“They really improved the dock so boats can come by unless it’s very low tide,” he said. “We’ll be ready for the Underwater Music Festival. And this is the only place you can buy a Deadman’s Island T-shirt.”

The Underwater Music Festival takes place in the summer and invites local bands to play on a barge parked by Raft Island while spectators watch from boats. The festival has grown in popularity each year.

The family intends to preserve the store’s old-world country charm and has kept a lot of its features, like the sucker tree, the hot dog warmer and unusual artwork painted on the floor.

“It has so much character,” Ward said. “I do love the picture of Denver.”

At the same time, the business will keep an open ear to customers’ needs and try to cater to what its neighbors want.

“We’ll be talking to customers and putting some energy into how to serve the community and spruce the place up,” Tregoning said. “I hope people that swing by here will notice the changes. As long as somebody buys it, we’ll bring in whatever goofy thing they want.”

Ward is excited about the market’s potential.

“We’ll always have hot coffee, and we like it when people hang out and talk,” she said. “The potential here is unlimited.”

The Islandview Market is located at 7102 Ray Nash Drive NW near Raft Island. For more information, call 253-851-9882.

Lifestyles Coordinator and reporter Susan Schell can be reached at 253-853-9240 or by email at susan.schell@gateline.com.