Rush Valley » After careers in state government and at American Express, Salt Lakers Jeannine Farrington and Laurie Ford threw it all in to start a general store and cafe in an old polygamous house in the middle of nowhere.

"We cashed in our savings and retirements and closed our eyes and just jumped," Ford recalled.

One year into it, the Clover Creek General Store is at the center of a close-knit community that adores the proprietors and what they've brought to this wild and beautiful valley of 500 residents 20 miles south of Tooele.

It's the first time in 30 years folks in the small town, nestled at the foot of the Stansbury Mountains, have had a local place to shop.

At the Clover Creek General Store, kids get candy and ice cream, Dugway commuters stop for coffee and a breakfast burrito, and locals grab essentials and catch up.

And Farrington and Ford fill the shelves of the small place with goods their customers request -- from special cereals to favorite brands of cigarettes. And yes, you can get beer there, too.

"Our claim to fame is that we stock everything from baby formula to motor oil," Ford said.

Rush Valley resident Charlie Davis stops in most days for breakfast or lunch or whatever.

"This is at the heart of the community now," he said.

Another regular, Kurt Kolb of nearby Skull Valley dropped by for coffee and to say hello.

"These gals are a godsend to Rush Valley," he noted.

The two-story brick structure with the big, welcoming porch is a magnet for passers-by. It looks homey -- and it is. The ground floor -- about 1,500 square feet -- of the fully renovated pioneer house contains the store, kitchen and dining room.

Upstairs, in what looks like a scene out of the movies, Farrington and Ford make their home. And it's probably a good thing they're close by. The Clover Creek store is open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

The pair want to make sure early risers and commuters get coffee. And they sell 50 to 60 box lunches a day to folks who eat on the fly or at remote locations. For six bucks, you get a freshly made sandwich and salad, chips, a pickle and a homemade cookie.

They also serve dinner every night with aid from various Rush Valley folks who help cook. The menu one day last week featured chicken Alfredo. Another day features Kris Quarnberg's famous smothered burritos. Chili is slated for Saturday and today: sloppy Joes.

With it's original plank floor, hearth and piano, the dining room is comfy and inviting -- particularly if you don't feel like cooking dinner.

"I've never worked so hard or been so happy," said Ford. "People in the community are really good to us. They ask: 'Are you charging enough? We want you to stay.' "

It's a place for celebration, too. Neighbor Paula Lee stopped by early in the afternoon with her son, Kevin, 3, and her daughter Cassidy, 5, who was getting a candy prize for being named "student of the month" at kindergarten.

"We come in here all the time. When he was getting potty-trained," Paula said pointing to her boy, "this [the candy] was his reward for a good job."

Among the Rush Valley denizens who help out around the place is Dalene Russell.

"It's a fun place to work," she said. "It's like a family store. We know just about everybody who comes in."

Before the Clover Creek store opened, Rush Valley residents depended on neighbors when they needed to borrow sugar or milk, Russell recalled. "Or I'd call a friend and ask them if they were going to town and could pick up a few things."

But in just over a year, the place has become much more than just a convenience, said Rush Valley native Jon Stookey.

"It's a real plus," he said. "People can pick up what they need. And it's a gathering place."

Now that the general store is rolling along, Farrington and Ford have their eyes on the old Penny's garage and cafe, three miles north up State Route 36 toward Tooele.

The cinder-block structure has been a way station along the lonely highway since the 1950s. It later morphed into a bar and pool hall, but the old building is closed and gutted now.

When Farrington and Ford look at Penny's, they see a family restaurant.

Their success at Clover Creek has given them confidence to take on the project.

The general store also has brought them a lot of new friends. They've been adopted wholeheartedly into the little community.

The pair have even had customers move in for a while when those folks "were in transition," Farrington said.

"It's so cool to be able to make a difference."

csmart@sltrib.com