A store that's been around for 112 years could soon be closing.

The Community Cooperative Store in Fairchild has been in the same building for all of those years, and now, some community members are trying to save it. In 1975 the village formed a co-op by selling stock shares to buy the building. People we talked with say it would be a devastating blow to the already dwindling town.

Pat Remkus has 37 years of memories walking down the aisles of what's affectionately known as ‘The Big Store.’

Shopper Pat Remkus said, "My husband and I moved up from Chicago and we bought a farm. We had never farmed in our life. Through the Community Store we found a lot of help. We met a lot of people who helped get us started."

And she can't bear the thought of losing the place she calls home.

Pat Remkus said, "It's not just grocery shopping. You're coming in to a community store where everyone knows you, you know everyone. You're comfortable, you visit."

But, as sales stay the same, the president of the board of directors says the closure could happen as soon as this fall.

Gordy Zimmerman said, "We need a 10 to 15% sales increase to reach the break even point."

Which Zimmerman says breaks down to ten new customers coming in each day, spending about 15 to 20 dollars on average.

Gordy Zimmerman said, "I don't think the vast majority of people realize just how convenient the store is."

Or Remkus says how important it is to people living in the community.

Pat Remkus said, "I have the option of driving, but there's many people in the community who can no longer drive or who don't have a vehicle and if the store would close, it would be a real hardship on these people."

So Zimmerman says the board of directors is trying to get creative, and think of new ways to draw customers back into the store.

Gordy Zimmerman said, "We're talking about opening some areas up for consignment sales, changing what we market, maybe furniture or getting into tourism."

Zimmerman says besides a convenience store, the closest place to shop for groceries is about 10 miles away in Augusta. The board of directors for the store is meeting Saturday morning at 10:00 at the Mastin Center on Main Street. Zimmerman says members are looking for input from the public on how to save the store.