Words by Suzie Walton | Image by Blakeney Clouse

 On a sunny afternoon, Carol Byars leaves her Jasper office to meet her five grandchildren. Near the intersection of 4th Avenue and Main Street, she spots several people riding bikes.

 As she makes a left turn onto Main Street, her mind is flooded with childhood memories. She passes Weinstein’s, where she and her four siblings shopped for Easter clothes with their mom, and Woolworth’s, where they enjoyed a refreshing milkshake at the lunch counter.

 Jasper has a storied history and Carol has a brilliant memory. For decades, she has been making more memories that she shares with others. As a realtor and owner with her husband, Tom, at ERA Byars Realty, Carol meets many people interested in making Jasper their home.

 “With my job, I can have people in the car with me who have never been here,” Carol explains. “It is nice to work with people wanting to relocate, especially when I can give them a little history of the place.”

 Carol remembers both a time when downtown was thriving and a time when there was no life evident after 4 p.m. Now, cars line the streets downtown, patrons pack into various restaurants, and locals ride bikes through town.

 Carol began her real estate career decades ago after a secretarial stint. As a senior at Walker High School, she began a part-time job with Crump Brothers Motor Co. After earning a degree from Walker College in secretarial studies, she worked in payroll for a local mining company.

 In the fall of 1975, Carol met Tom Byars at a Jasper Park and Rec basketball game. Within a year, they were married.

 In 1978, she and Tom decided to make career changes. “Tom had been teaching and coaching at Farmstead for two years,” Carol recalls. “His parents had an insurance business, and a real estate business. We decided to work in the real estate part of the family business and grew it to where it is today.”

Along with her own parents, Carol credits Tom’s parents as inspirational figures in her life.

“Not only did they raise me in a Christian home, but Tom’s dad and mom strongly influenced my career as well,” she explains. “His parents founded our family business on a strong work ethic and instilled honesty and integrity that our company continues today.”

 The business has allowed Carol to be both a career woman and involved mom. “One of my joys is that both my children decided to return to Jasper after college to raise their families,” she says. “It’s a great place to raise a family and build a career.”

 Every day, Carol returns to that red brick building on 4th Avenue, excited to meet those ready for a move, and to wave hello to those running by on the street. 78