Indie Bookstore Owner Bernie Tushaus Remembered

Bernard (Bernie) Tushaus, the longtime co-owner with his wife, Jane, of Prairie Books & Gifts in Hastings, Nebraska, died on October 21 at the age of 70 of brain cancer. Tushaus’ son, Michael, recently paid tribute to his father in a letter to the American Booksellers Association in which he described the joy and success Bernie Tushaus found during his 40 years as an independent bookseller.

Bernie and Michael Tushaus at the 2015 Regional Emmy Awards, Heartland Chapter, in Denver, Colorado

“I could not be more proud of him and my mom for all they have done with Prairie Books & Gifts. It truly has been a success that has stood the test of time,” wrote Michael Tushaus, the owner of a video production company based in Las Vegas. Over the past 40 years, he said, his parents “had a lot of wonderful successes, including outlasting several major-name book retailers such as Borders, Waldenbooks, and many others. They have stood the test of time against Walmart and other mass discount retailers, and they have even outlasted many other independent booksellers in Nebraska and the region.”

Bernie Tushaus received his master’s degree in theater at the University of Colorado, Boulder and taught theatre to thousands of students at Hastings College for 25 years. He and Jane married in 1974, and in 1976 the couple bought their first bookstore in downtown Hastings, which they simply called The Book Shop.

Over the next two decades, the Tushauses moved and renamed their bookstore several times. It was called The Shamrock, Prairie Books, and, finally, Prairie Books & Gifts, which opened in 1999 in downtown Hastings, where it has stayed ever since.

Over the years, the Tushauses met hundreds of authors at ABA trade shows and conventions, hosted book signings and Harry Potter book release parties, and co-produced several local TV commercials for the store with Michael’s help.

The Tushauses’ commercial collaborations garnered six Regional Emmy nominations and one win over the past two years. This year, Michael and his father collaborated on a series of four commercials with the theme “Life is a Book.” Filmed at different locations in Hastings, the commercials feature a number of Tushaus family members, including Bernie, on-camera.

At the conclusion of his letter, Michael Tushaus said that his father would want everyone to know that “he loved every minute of his bookselling career. And, my mother, Jane, and my sisters and I would like to assure everyone that the store will remain open for years to come.”

Tushaus went on to quote a memorial message for his father posted on the store’s Facebook page: “Bernie wanted to leave us all with this thought, ‘The most important app of all...can’t buy it, can’t download it, you can only show it: APPRECIATION.’”