Kim Hoang Thi Nguyen ^{3 4}

   Another name for Kim is Kim Beacher.

   FamilySearch ID: LF2L-518.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Newspaper: Northwest Florida News: "Far Eastern cuisine market's specialty" article, 4 Aug 1996, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa, FL. NICEVILLE: When her daughter came along, Kim Hoang Beacher, who'd worked for a living all her life, took a decade off.

She went back to work four years ago, when her only child turned 10. And she hasn't missed a day since.

``I'm here 9 to 7, seven days a week,'' says Beacher, proprietor and sole employee of Kim Hoang Oriental Market. ``Rain or shine, customers can count on me. Believe me, rain or shine, 9 o'clock, I'm here.''

On Saturdays, when shipments arrive, Beacher's husband, David, is on hand to help out. But the rest of the time, she fends for herself.

``It's just a little shop,'' she notes. ``I work for myself. If I had to start hiring, I'd be in trouble.''

Beacher is Vietnamese and sells Vietnamese products. But the shelves of her store are lined with commodities from Thailand, the Philippines, China, Korea and Japan, too.

The freezers are packed with frozen squid and Filipino sausage, dried shrimp and green shell mussels. It's a product mix that, as Beacher puts it, ``you wouldn't get at Kelley's or Delchamps.''

Because her customers are very, very brand conscious, Beacher makes sure she has what they want.

Take stir fry noodles. You can't find a bigger selection.

``Everyone prefers their own product,'' Beacher says, explaining why she orders stir fry noodles from all over the globe. ``It's the same thing, but it comes in so many different brands from so many different countries.''

Same with rice, which Beacher sells in 50-pound bags. Quail eggs. Pickled leeks. And bamboo shoots.

``Bamboo shoots. I've got all different. Some spicy, some pickled. Shredded, sliced _ you name it, I've got it.''

Beacher opened her market for one reason _ nobody else in Niceville was selling the kind of foodstuffs Oriental cooks prefer. That does not mean, she is quick to note, that every customer is a native of the Orient.

``I don't want to classify them as Oriental because I have a lot of American customers too,'' she says.

The business succeeds _ occasionally, like last year, showing a profit _ because of her customers' loyalty. She pays that back by meeting their special needs.

``I usually order by customer demand,'' Beacher says. ``Instead of ordering a bunch of stuff and hoping they buy it, I order what they want to buy.''

Beacher says her store is much more than just a source of income. It's her pride and joy, and a source of much satisfaction.

``I really enjoy my work,'' she says. ``After four years, I still look forward to opening the doors every day.''.

2. Newspaper: The Item: Nguyen-Wells Wedding, 16 Apr 2000, Sumter, Sumter, SC. ⁴ FORT WALTON BEACH Fla. - Kim Hoang T. Nguyen and Eddie L. Wells were united in marriage at 2 pm Saturday, March 18, at Chapel 2, Eglin Air Force Base. Representing the bride was Mr. and Mrs. Robert Williamson of Niceville, Fla. The bride is the owner of Kim Hoang Oriental Market. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Wells Jr. of Alcolu, and the grandson of Mrs. Geneva Nelson of Manning, and Mrs. Lula Wilson of New Haven, Conn. He is a retired airman and is employed as a correctional officer for Okaloose County, Fla. Pastor T.P. Johnson officiated at the ceremony. Music was provided by David M. Wells, vocalist. The bride was given in marriage by Mr. Williamson.

Kim married David Randall Beacher, son of John Henry Beacher and Isabel Martha Bury, on 14 Jun 1975 in , , HI.^{1 2} The marriage ended in divorce on 5 May 1999. (David Randall Beacher was born on 27 Jan 1946 in Newark, New Castle, DE.)

Kim next married Eddie Lee Wells on 18 Mar 2000 in , Okaloosa, FL.³