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South County Profile: Jan. 3, 2007
Barbara Jean Karlgaard-Shaw
Photo by Ross Lilly, Reporter
Barbara Jean Karlgaard-Shaw
Name: Barbara Jean Karlgaard-Shaw.
Born where and when: Rice Lake, Wis.
Occupation: Owner of BJ’s and Cindy’s Canvas Shoppe.
Marital Status: Married to Bill Shaw.
Family: Three children: Lori Leachman, 34, Troy Leachman, 32, and Lisa White, 29.
Pets: Lizzie, an 8-year-old Yorkie.
My worst job: Trimming strawberries.
My first job: Picking strawberries with my brother in Auburn, Wash. We didn’t even make it through the first day.
In my spare time I: Camp and ride quads.
My favorite book: “Shanna,” by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
My favorite movie: “Steel Magnolias.”
My favorite recording artists: Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart.
My dream car: An expensive motor home.
My friends like me because: I try to keep everyone upbeat and just have fun.
If stranded on a deserted island, I would want: To have a big family party.
The one thing in life I’ve learned is: Things always seem to work out, no matter what, and the harder you work the luckier you get.
The best advice my parents gave me: My parents led by example—they taught me to work hard and pay my own way.
My most embarrassing moment was: I called someone a dirty word and didn’t know it was a dirty word.
My most irrational act: Trading in a 6-month old travel trailer and buying a new one.
My most valued material possession: A vase my grandma Karlgaard gave me.
What I like best about the North State: It’s my home and all my best memories are here. I was literally raised on Shasta Lake.
My hero is: Without a doubt, my husband.
My pet peeve is: People who say they can’t find a job.
My fantasy is: I can’t tell you.
If I could change something about myself I would: Lose weight and keep it off and learn the definition of frugal.
The one thing Shasta County needs most is: Better and more specialized medical care for cancer treatment.
The most enjoyable thing about life is: Getting the family together often.
Barbara Jean Karlgaard-Shaw was born in Rice Lake, Wis., on May 11, 1953 and lived in its snowy, icy weather for several years.
In 1958, when her father found construction work in California, the Karlgaard family moved to the warmer, sunnier climate of Shasta County.
Along with her older sister, Cindy, and her younger brother, Jim, Barbara attended school in the Pacheco School District and spent much of her childhood camping, skiing and fishing at Shasta Lake.
“Our parents would go to and from work from our Shasta Lake campsite during the summer, but one of them would always stay out there with us,” recalls Shaw. “We pretty much lived at Shasta Lake during the summer.”
Shaw graduated from Anderson high school in 1971 and, following her graduation, she promptly began working full time.
Soon after that Shaw began building a family, beginning with her daughter Lori in 1972, her son Troy in 1974, followed by her younger daughter Lisa in 1977.
“I wanted to raise my kids in a small town to keep them on the straight and narrow,” said Shaw. “I also felt it was important for them to grow up around my family and be a part of their lives.”
Looking for a change of scenery in her career path, Shaw began working for Don Benson at Redding Canvas in 1985 and several months later her sister Cindy joined her.
According to Shaw, her infatuation with sewing began with hand-sewing dresses for her Barbie doll when she was young and eventually led to her sewing her own dresses on a sewing machine in high school.
“Our mom really gave us a gift by teaching us how to sew,” said Shaw.
That gift eventually led to Shaw opening her own business, BJ’s Canvas, in 1987. By 1991, the shop became known as BJ’s and Cindy’s Canvas Shoppe and moved to Cottonwood, where they specialize in working on boat covers, awnings and anything that needs to be custom made on a heavy duty sewing machine.
Shaw has enjoyed the independence of owning her own business, particularly in the city of Cottonwood, where the people and the community has been wonderful. Shaw also feels fortunate to be business partners with her sister Cindy.
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