“Pharmacy is all I know,” stated Vernon Masengill, owner of North Village Pharmacy in Yanceyville. After living in and serving the area for most of his life, Vernon and his team are gearing up to celebrate the pharmacy’s 50th anniversary in a few months by reflecting on their journey to this point.
While he can’t speak for the others, Vernon knew early on that this was what he wanted in life. He worked at Yanceyville Drug Company during high school and went on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to earn a degree in pharmacy. Vernon’s love for the people in his community, their kindness, and especially their willingness to help in times of need is what brought him back home. “Those are the principles we started the business on years ago,” he said.
Jan. 26, 1976 – Vernon remembers the exact day he opened for business. With just two employees, himself and his partner, Sylvia Williamson, it was truly a “work of heart” from the start. Things went so well that Sylvia stuck with Vernon for 46 years, until she passed from Covid in 2022. Now, there are 26 employees at North Village Pharmacy, including four full-time and one part-time pharmacists…