Local Business Owner Perseveres Through Personal Hardship
- jwebb072
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
By Jack Webb
OLIVET, Mich. — The loss of a family member is one of the most difficult things that people go through in life. To carry on after an immense tragedy such as this, it takes time, support, and a reason to keep going. Local business owner Wendy Cornish has certainly taken each of those tenets to heart throughout her personal experience.
Cornish lost her daughter, Emily Hansen, on Sep. 10, 2024. Hansen was shot and killed by her boyfriend, Bradley Corey. On March 26, Corey was sentenced to 16 to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder.
A little over a year following her daughter’s death, Cornish made the decision to temporarily close Olivet Nutrition after Thanksgiving. Her first nutrition club, Oriole Nutrition in Charlotte, which has been operating for eight years, remained open due to having enough staff to keep the business going.
“I just couldn't do two nutrition clubs,” Cornish said. “I needed to take time off for court reasons, lawyer appointments, and then personal mental health.”
Making the decision to close certainly wasn’t an easy one for Cornish, but it gave her the time she needed to heal in many different ways.
“[Whether] it be spiritually, mentally, health-wise, as well, because grieving takes a lot out of you,” Cornish said.
She also mentioned how the community has responded to the news. Despite Olivet Nutrition not always being open, many folks have been quick to offer their support, by keeping up with their social media pages, and coming in and ordering when the business has been open.
Wendy Cornish - First Week Back Open (audio only)
After being closed for over three months, Olivet Nutrition officially re-opened on March 17. Although the business is back up and running, finding a reason to keep going can still be rather challenging.
“After Emily’s murder, her purpose was to find out the truth and get justice for Emily,” said Dwayne Cornish, Wendy’s husband, through a Facebook message. “Now that we’ve got justice for Emily, Wendy is struggling to find a purpose.”
However, Cornish may continue to find solace within the community, as she said that being able to run the business once again and connect with others has certainly given her a reason to keep going strong.
“When a person comes in, they're getting me as a whole person or a person that's learning to navigate real life, through grief and hardship, because everyone has something going on,” Cornish said. “They know that the person on the other end of the counter can either sympathize with them or empathize with them.”
Others in Cornish’s life can also attest to how serving others has and will continue to help her move forward.
“She struggles every day, but she still pushes through it because she has always been one to give and love others,” said Brandie Owens, Cornish’s sister, through a Facebook message. “She still gets up every day and gives it her all because that’s what Emily would have wanted.”
For others who are going through a tragic and difficult loss in their lives, Cornish draws from her own experience in the advice she gives to them.
“I thought I was the only person going through that grieving of having a child being murdered and no one listening to me, but you’re not alone,” Cornish said. “People need to realize that they're not alone, [and] there’s always someone out there to help them.”