BITTEN 13 TIMES, STILL SELLS SHAVED ICE
- America's Redhead
- Nov 4, 2025
- 7 min read
In 2024, Geoffrey Coleman, owner of Elmer’s Shave Ice, was bitten thirteen times in one day by hostile yellow jackets. This happened while he and his wife, Kim Coleman, were selling from their concession trailer at 3 Mile Antique Mall. When interviewed for episode nineteen of Interesting People, Geoffrey mentioned this casually while preparing a shaved ice for customers. In a second interview, Justus asked him personally about this experience.
“It wasn’t very cool. It was actually horrible.” He expressed his thoughts when Justus initially asked about the incident. “The first year we had our business going was the worst year, I think, that Bonners Ferry has ever had with yellow jackets.”
He went on to elaborate that their concession trailer had a screen that was cracked in one area, allowing yellow jackets to enter throughout the day. As he served customers, Geoffrey was constantly swarmed and bitten by these unfriendly insects. He elucidated to Justus that, as a child, whenever he was bitten and or stung, he was unfazed and continued playing with the other kids. While most children had a tendency to panic, Geoffrey developed a strong resilience at a very young age. He credits his professional demeanor to this same unbothered attitude, saying, “I guess that actually paid off in the end.” Despite being severely swollen, he didn’t attend the hospital but instead treated himself with various Benadryl products.
“Apparently…” His wife, Kim, concluded on the matter. “[Yellow jackets] like sugar.”
“My biggest fear, honestly, is someone else opening up another shaved ice.” Geoffrey said in another part of the interview. This statement showcases his personal connection to the business. With family motivations to preserve the generational legacy of Elmer’s Shave Ice, Geoffrey shows through actions his determination to serve the community no matter what.
The legacy of Elmer’s Shave Ice started in the year 1912 with Geoffrey’s great-grandmother. She would make various homemade candies with her son, Elmer (Geoffrey's grandfather), including fudge. As soon as Elmer could walk, he would stand beside his mother in the kitchen, helping her to cook. He would hand her vegetables, utensils, and whatever else she might need.
“They made all kinds of candies, but fudge was his favorite,” Geoffrey told Justus, referring to his grandfather while describing his unique family history.
As Elmer grew older, he learned a new way to make fudge with the use of a big copper pot, a propane heater, and a three-foot-long thermometer. While homemade fudge was the predominant treat made and sold in the company at first, shaved ice was always part of the inventory. In the 1980s, Elmer went on to open a candy shop and teach his son, Richard, everything he knew. Richard (Geoffrey’s father) carried on the tradition and passed knowledge of the business to his sons, making Elmer’s Shave Ice what it is today.
“So it’s a family business, is what people may not realize.” Justus commented as he learned more. “It’s a generational business.”
Geoffrey nodded in confirmation. Before his interview, he had shared a private family letter outlining the company's history, which he had requested be withheld from the public. With this letter, Justus was able to write better questions so that Geoffrey could clearly tell the story for himself.
“I’m just one year into this.” Geoffrey stated, referring to selling shaved ice. "My grandfather started this way before I was born and worked his butt off and got my father and older brothers into this thing.”
“Three generations!” Justus emphasized again. “So, why isn’t that something you talk about more?”
This is a legitimate question, considering the legacy of Elmer’s Shave Ice. Although they have an impressive story to tell, Geoffrey has chosen not to advertise their history. Instead, he demonstrates great respect for his family and all of their hard work throughout the years.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Geoffrey started his answer. “I just really don’t want to take a bunch of credit for what I’m doing, or what we've got going on, until maybe ten years from now, after we’ve established a good, solid business.”
While Geoffrey and Kim have both been locals for over a decade, they’ve only operated Elmer’s Shave Ice locally since 2024, making his answer understandable. Geoffrey and Kim are passionate about having a positive impact on the community and developing a respectable reputation for hard-working families. Before his revived interest in Elmer’s Shave Ice, Geoffrey focused more on hunting with the use of his and his father’s hunting cabin in Evergreen, Alabama. After his father’s (Richard’s) relocation to Bonners Ferry, Geoffrey soon followed when he tired of the lack of hunting diversity, finally arriving in 2010.
“What motivated you to come to Bonners Ferry?” Justus had asked.
“We were tired of turkeys, and we were tired of deer meat.” Geoffrey answered with folded arms. “I mean, we eat it and we love it, but moose, elk, lions, and bears sounded more intriguing to him.” Geoffrey referred to his father, Richard. “And of course [to] me because I follow in my dad’s footsteps; we’re best friends.”
Kim, on the other hand, moved from Tacoma, Washington, in hopes of being closer to her daughter and grandchildren. Two years later, in 2015, Geoffrey and Kim met, starting a relationship that has lasted over a decade. Considering their successful partnership in business, it’s clear they enjoy working together.
“We just work [well] together. For some reason, we have some sort of kinetic energy that makes everything work for us. She [doesn’t] get tired of me, I don’t think…” Geoffrey’s voice trailed off as his eyes drifted to Kim for confirmation. “Don’t answer that!” He playfully said as she laughed in response.
“The fact that we can have a business and grow it together…” Kim began when asked about the same topic. “It’s rewarding for both of us.”
Outside of work, Geoffrey and Kim relax by exploring the local scenery with their two dogs, often favoring spots at the Kootenai River. Over their time in Boundary County, they claim to have made friends with a large portion of Bonners Ferry, including police officers, firefighters, the school district, and many business owners.
“How does Elmer’s Shave Ice represent Bonners Ferry?” Justus asked after quoting a Facebook post from Geoffrey.
“I’ll tell you.” Geoffrey gestured enthusiastically with folded hands. “Besides the fact that Kim and I have made tons of friends for life in this town… I mean, we’re just affiliated.”
By “affiliated”, Geoffrey explained that they know many of their customers by name, personally connecting with the community as individuals rather than focusing on profit. Justus, along with his girlfriend, Mia, witnessed this while filming Geoffrey’s and Kim’s interactions with customers during the Bruce Festival at the Boundary County Fairgrounds earlier this year. On multiple occasions, Geoffrey recognized attendees specifically by name, happily serving them their favorite flavor of shaved ice.
“We just feel like with the business that we do and our good, positive attitude, I think that’s how Bonners Ferry should be represented.” Geoffrey concluded his answer. “I feel like we are definitely representing our town with pride.”
A good example of representing their town with pride would be their awareness of local health concerns, especially the dietary needs of growing children. As reflected in a private conversation with Justus, an opinion held by some parents of Boundary County is that the state of food quality has declined. While corporations continue to raise prices for healthier foods, snacks, and treats, Elmer’s Shave Ice provides a simple option with only four ingredients: sugar, ice, sodium benzoate, and citric acid. They also use water from local sources exclusively approved by the Panhandle Health District. Additionally, they’re very adamant about maintaining cleanliness and upholding all health codes, regardless of their location.
“How do you maintain a clean and sanitized environment at outside events?” Justus inquired. “Especially when you have a lot of dust flying in. How does that work?”
“That’s a good question, and I’m glad you asked it.” Geoffrey said while standing underneath his Elmer’s Shave Ice tent at the Bruce Festival. “All you have to do is stay busy; that’s the only thing you can do. You [have] to work with the elements; you have no choice. You’re there, it’s happening, you can’t stop it, so you stay busy. You never stop! You stay busy wiping stuff down. If you’re not talking to someone, you need to be cleaning. That way, when someone comes to your stand, they see a clean environment.”
Obviously, Geoffrey and Kim stay very busy in the summer, but wintertime is another story. With the North Idaho weather, shaved ice only remains in demand seasonally, potentially leaving their business in a precarious sales position. Even after being told by some locals that they would continue to buy shaved ice throughout the cold season, Geoffrey maintains a realistic view of his product, knowing that shaved ice is rare to sell when people are struggling through the snow. His solution? To sell cotton candy, instead. Already featured in four local businesses (Misty Mountain Pizza, Pro X, Conoco & Sturgeon Station), Geoffrey and Kim have been pictured smiling joyfully as they stand next to racks of Elmer’s Shave Ice cotton candy. This exemplifies their resilience and determination to continue contributing to the local economy in spite of harrowing weather conditions.
“They married me here and they’ll bury me here!” Geoffrey spoke proudly.
Geoffrey’s words aptly summarize his loyalty and connection to his adopted hometown. For the last twelve years, Geoffrey and Kim have established a reputation based on trust, integrity, and hard work. With the sale of each shaved ice and with their participation in each local event, they further demonstrate their love and passion for what they do and where they live. From shaved ice in the summer to cotton candy in the winter, Elmer’s Shave Ice is in business year-round, doing what they love, regardless of how many problems they must solve… or how many times they must be bitten.
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