For thrifter/junker antique dealers Fonda Van Beek and Linda Van Der Brink, repurposing vintage finds isn’t confined to their merchandise. They operate The Church, located in Alvord, Iowa, out of a converted Catholic Church.
In 2018, the pair turned the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church into their storefront, giving the house of worship a homey feel, replete with retro, vintage and antique finds. Alvord, a tiny Dutch town of fewer than 200 inhabitants, is located about 45 minutes southeast of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and 70 miles north of Sioux City, Iowa.
The women met almost 30 years ago at Grace Community Church, immediately bonding over a shared love of antiques and fixer upper houses. Years ago, the pair purchased an old house and repaired its old hardwood floors.
“We’re…