Sheyenne Welch has discovered the secret to life’s true treasure—finding your place, just like a pearl inside an oyster.
For Sheyenne, that place has always been Silver Dollar City www.silverdollarcity.com, where her childhood dreams are coming true. Now, she’s delighted to help guests unearth their own little bit of magic right here in Rivertown.
Life’s come full circle for Sheyenne. She reflects on her childhood trips to The City from Marshfield, cherishing the family memories made during those joyful journeys.
“Our roots here grew way before I was 5 years old,” she laughs. “My parents brought my great-great grandma here back in the 60s. She was on the train and thought the robbers were real. We always get a kick out of that story. They still have a piece of pottery they bought from that trip.”
Four generations of the Welch family have walked the streets here, making memories worth repeating every single time.
“I remember always crying when we left because I didn’t want to leave,” she smiles. “I could sense, even then, that there was something special about this place. Who knew years later, I’d dig my own roots here.”
Sheyenne and her family have always considered park visits “coming to a friend’s house.” “Sometimes, we’d come for the rides, the food or the shows, but we’d often just come for the people. Through the years, they really did become like friends and family.”
It was an impromptu performance on a City stage that solidified the family’s love for Silver Dollar City even more in 2018.
“We got called up from the crowd during the final performance of the Cajun Connection,” she laughs. We were so out of our comfort zone. They told us to dance and dubbed us the Cajunettes. We had gone through a lot of challenges in life, but being on that stage was the start of something even more special here.”
Shortly after that big stage “performance,” Sheyenne’s mother asked Guest Services to tally how many trips the family had taken that season.
“It was 59,” she says with a sparkle in her eyes. “We couldn’t believe they added up like that. That’s when I got the idea to hold up a number sign each visit to keep count.”
They then found a way to turn those selfies into a selfless way to give back to the Citizens the family adored.
“We started calling it ‘Every Number Has a Story” because every single trip we took was special in its own way. We invited employees to guess how many times we visited that year at the end of each season.”
In 2019, that number was 91. “Lisa Ray from Horse Creek guessed the closest, so we blessed her with a gift card. We kept the game going year after year. It’s such a fun way to bless those employees who bring us so much happiness during our trips.”
In 2020, Sheyenne was teaching school but looking for a fun summer job.
“Coming here was the easiest decision. I’ve worked in a few of the shops and loved them all. I really found my place, though, once the position at the Pearl Shack opened
up. I remember Rivertown as a little girl— riding the Lost River and looking through the nautical shops overlooking Lake Silver. Now, I get to work in this special place. Funny how life works out.”
Not only does Sheyenne have fun giving guests an educational and enjoyable experience revealing various pearls in their shells, but she’s blessed to share this scripture with them. God made us all pearls of great prices.
“No matter what you go through in life, there is beauty in the ugliness. Just like the pearls at my shop. God brought me to this great City. Here, I’ve finally found myself.”
As Public Relations Manager for the Silver Dollar City Company, she is eager to tap into her journalism background to hunt down “heart tugs” to write about—those stories that celebrate…
