LAWTON - It might not be tea in London, but coffee in Lawton is just fine with Yvonne Landmark.
In fact, the coffee is so good she has her favorite and that’s how she orders at the coffee shop next door to The UPS Store.
As for Lawton, Yvonne is enthusiastic about the city and the people who live here.
“It’s the friendliest, most welcoming community I’ve ever lived in,” she said with a convincing tone of voice. And, as a matter of fact, Yvonne has drunk tea in London. She and husband Jim lived there for about three years when he accepted a position in the information technology department of a large multinational oil and gas company.
“I always say it was London to Lawton in one fell swoop,” she said, then laughed. Oklahoma wasn’t just a choice on the map. It’s the family home of Jim, who grew up here and graduated from Lawton High School in 1977. Yvonne said when he was ready to leave London and come back home, that meant Lawton.
CAJUN ROOTS
In addition to London and Lawton,Yvonne also lived in Texas for a long period of time, but her home and roots are in Louisiana. She says the word ‘Cajun’ in a heartfelt way. It’s not just geographic. It’s family and home.
“It’s the people, the food, the music ... I hate the humidity ... it’s the big oak trees, the cypress moss and the LSU Tigers,” she said. The only way to accurately describe her love for the Louisiana State University Tigers is to compare it to an Oklahoman’s love for the OU Sooners or the OSU Cowboys.
“I’m just glad Jim’s team (OU Sooners) and mine don’t play against each other that often,” she said.
Yvonne grew up in Lake Charles, La. She was a member of the high school drill team (a group of dancers who perform routines in unison). At McNeese State University in Lake Charles she was a member of the Flag Corp and studied music education.
“I love music,” she said. “I come from a musical family. My mom sang and my dad was musical.” She taught children’s chorus for about 30 years. Yvonne is the daughter of the late Floyd and Ruby Tilley, and she speaks about them with great respect. “Dad had an incredible work ethic. He was very loyal. I knew I wanted to grow up and be successful.
“Mom was a Cajun fireball! She taught me how to cook,” Yvonne said. Her mom was also a “Rosie the Riveter” during a challenging time in her life during World War II. Ruby worked in a munitions plant in California.
COOKING AND CATERING
Cooking didn’t just become a humdrum, routine chore that Yvonne’s mom taught her. It became an “occupassion” that became a successful catering business which she pursued along with being a music educator.
She also took some culinary classes in New Orleans with Poppy Tooker, whose cuisine is reportedly global and legendary. Poppy hosts a popular weekly radio show called “Louisiana Eats!” and founded a farmer’s market in the French Quarter.
Yvonne’s favorite dish to cook is actually a mouthful to say: Crawfish etouffee over blackened catfish served over a bed of dirty rice.
Her mom’s love of Cajun cooking and her dad’s work ethic sparked a loyal entrepreneurial spirit in Yvonne that gave her the ability and determination to build a successful catering business.
She catered “lunches” - nice five course meals in doctor’s offices for pharmaceutical representatives. It was a business she built from scratch, literally from the ground up, by taking samples door-to-door in an industrial area and passing out fliers.
“Some of the best business advice I received was from one of my sons, Cole. He said, ‘Mom, you do what you do best. Hire people to do the rest. You are the face of your business and no one else needs to be.’”
Yvonne said her church was also supportive and a few people took a chance on her. Word began to spread. With advice and support, she was able to “invent herself” and became a successful businesswoman.
“I enjoyed owning the catering business,” she said. “I love to connect with people. I don’t want to sell you something. I want to connect with you.”
LONDON
Yvonne and Jim met in Houston. She owned her catering business and he worked for an oil and gas company at the time. He worked in information technology and was offered the position overseas.
“London was like a fairy tale. I fell in with a group called the Chiltern American Women’s Club (CAWC). It was a group of expat wives that weren’t working, and it was a ton of company. It was magical. We visited places. I’ve been to Windsor Castle so many times that I could probably walk you through it myself.
“We visited Blenheim Palace, which was the birthplace of Winston Churchill. We also went to Chartwell, which was Churchill’s home. It was in the fall and we were able to pick apples from one of the trees and to see the art studio.
“Being on the shores of Normandy was a moving experience,” she said.
LONDON TO LAWTON
“We were in London about three years. Jim lost his dad and brother and was ready to come home. He retired from British Petroleum in 2014 and we opened the store in late 2015,” Yvonne said.
“My husband loves to research and for about six to eight months he researched different franchises before deciding on The UPS Store. He liked it because it’s one of the number one franchises in the country. It’s non-food. Because of Jim’s IT background, it’s a good fit,” she said.
Family and faith are also important to the Landmarks. They have a combined family of four children, which have blessed them with four grandchildren and one on the way.
AWARDS, HONORS
The UPS Store is about more than just shipping packages. The business is a resource for mailbox, shipping and printing services in the Lawton Fort Sill area.
In June of 2018, The UPS Store received the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce “Rising Star Award.” In the fourth quarter of 2018, The UPS Store was ranked third in UPS franchise stores among a list of about 4,800 franchises.
Yvonne said community involvement is the key to their success. She also listed prayer, risks and confidence as ingredients needed for a successful business.
“We’ve tried to teach people what we do and be supportive of the nonprofit businesses.
“This is our town. We care about it. It’s important that our customers are happy,” she said.