the history of hotopp's

Hotopp Jewelry & Gifts is one of the oldest retail businesses operating in Le Mars, IA.  More than six decades  ago, Walter and Frieda Hotopp purchased a jewelry store in Le Mars that still carries their name.

Jessica Pottebaum and her husband Jeff  recently purchased the store and took over ownership on August 1., 2026:

"Hello! My name is Jessica Pottebaum. I have been working at the store for 11 years and have always loved being in the store helping customers and decorating along with my amazing co-workers.

 I am so excited to continue to offer quality jewelry, gifts and home decor in beautiful downtown Le Mars. My husband and I live just outside Remsen.

Jeff along with our two sons, take care of the family farm business. Both of our sons are married, Andrew to MaKenzie and Brady to Allison. We also have two daughters Olivia who is a student at the University of Iowa in the nursing program and Jada who will be a senior at Remsen St. Mary’s.

We are blessed with six grandchildren and enjoy spending time with family and traveling.

We've re-stocked the store with a fresh new selection of jewelry, gifts and home decor....and I invite you to stop in and see all the exciting new merchandise."
Current staff members (pictured here, left to right)  Dawn Richards, owner/manager Jessica Pottebaum ,Jane Grosenheider, Robin Grosenheider, Kim Westergard, and  Kathy SItzmann  offer friendly, professional service and are responsible for the signature breathtaking window displays and merchandising inside the store.  

Most jewelry repairs are done right in the store.  Kevin Small expertly performs the diamond setting, ring sizing, prong replacement, and many other intricate repairs from his workbench in the back of Hotopp’s.

The roots of the hotopp
 le mars history started nearly seven decades ago

Walter & Frida Hotopp started the Hotopp Jewelry store  in in Le Mars during the month of April in 1959.
The couple, originally from Germany, came to Le Mars from Remsen, to operate the longtime Le Mars jewelry story in the H. F. Clasen location.
Walter Hotopp was an expert in watch and jewelry repair. According to a Remsen Bell-Enterprise article, his career began on April 1 , 1927 in Halserstadt, Germany. He worked for a number of jewelry stores and in 1938 built a wrist watch by hand for his "thesis" of Master Watchmaker.
After his marriage to Frida, they opened their own store in Berlin and from 1942 to 1945 worked for the equivalent of General Electric, known as Telefunken.  The Hotopps were bombed out twice and fled Berlin just ahead of the advancing Russian Army.
In June of 1945 the Hotopps opened a store in the province of Westphalia, where they stayed until 1953 when they sold their business and came to America.
Mr. Hotopp received his watchmaker license in Des Moines which, at that time, was required by law.  The couple purchased the Kohler Jewelry store in Remsen and in November of 1958 they purchased the stock of the Huewe Jewelry store before opening the Le Mars business in April of 1959.
Tom Otis and Tom Nelson of Nelson Jewelers in Spencer, Iowa purchased Hotopp Jewelers from Walter and Frida in March of 1973.  They owned the Le Mars store for close to five years before Dave and Robin Grosenheider purchased the store in January 1978.
Bill Otis was the manager of the business until Dave took over the management of the business.

Dave & Robin Grosenheider owned Hotopp’s for forty-eight years. Dave was just twenty-one years old when the young couple purchased the thriving business which at that time was located on what they called “busy Plymouth Street.” Rudy and Marge Adler had their sporting goods store next door and the legendary Club Café was just two doors down. Dave’s parents, Bob and Violet Grosenheider, were operating Carmen’s Dress Shop, just west of Hotopp’s.
The Grosenheider’s relocated their store in 1990 to its current location on Central Avenue . Although it was just  a block and a half away, it was no easy task….especially the move of the large safe, estimated to weigh nearly 3,000 pounds.

  Robin assumed the management duties in 1990 after working as manager of Carmen's Dress Shop, owned by Dave's parents- Bob and Violet Grosenheider.

THE EARLY YEARS- when the store was on Plymouth St.

These pictures are  from the late 1970's when Hotopp Jewelry & Gifts was located on Plymouth Street in Le Mars.

Dave Grosenheider is pictured with long-time employees Phylis Koopman and Sue Barnable.

At that time the store carried German crystal, Hummel figurines, and had a full china department.

Robin Grosenheider  became the store manager in 1990 when the store moved to its present location on Central Avenue.