Yvonne Fievet, Sandusky Businesswoman

Yvonne Fievet was born on March 8, 1891 in Fostoria, Ohio, to Pierre and Hyacinth (Desgain) Fievet, both natives of Belgium. By 1930, she lived on Central Avenue in Sandusky, Ohio, with her widowed mother and the family of her brother August Fievet. 

From 1929 to 1965, Yvonne Fievet was the owner and operator of Yvonne’s Hat and Gift Shop in Sandusky. In the early years of her business, the shop was located at 139 West Washington Street. A newspaper advertisement from the September 27, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register, advertised “Smartest Fall Hats” for the miss and matron, with prices beginning at $1.95. In 1943, she moved her shop to 161 Columbus Avenue in downtown Sandusky.  An article in the March 7, 1951 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News reported that besides hats, Yvonne sold “a dazzling array of costume jewelry and a growing display of miniature Hollywood dolls.”  She also carried handbags, cosmetics, hosiery, aprons, and toiletries for men. Hat styles carried in the spring of 1951 featured off-the-face hats, bonnets, and sailor and chignon styles. One of the brands in Yvonne’s shop was Gage and D’Youveille Original.  

In March of 1952 Miss Fievet participated in the Dale Carnegie Course in effective speaking, leadership and training. A poem dedicated to Yvonne Fievet in the course’s handbook read:

“FeeVee”

The reason firm, the

     temperate will,

Endurance, foresight,

    strength and skill;

A perfect woman, nobly

    planned

To warn, to comfort and

   command.

On October 5, 1992, Yvonne Fievet died at the age of 101. Funeral services were held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and burial was at Calvary Cemetery. She was survived by three nieces, Yvonne and Lillian Fievet, and Monica Amburn. The younger Yvonne Fievet, not only shared her aunt’s first and last name, but she looked similar in appearance to her aunt. Yvonne Fievet (1909-2000) worked at the Sandusky Library for several years, and also was an accomplished musician. The younger Yvonne Fievet can be seen in the picture below; she is the last person on the right in the back.