Owosso barber reopens despite state orders: 'I was in despair, I had to go back to work'

OWOSSO — Karl Manke gave his last haircut at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, ending a 15-hour shift at his downtown barbershop.

Manke was violating Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order for non-essential businesses to remain closed, but he didn't care. He needed to get back to work. 

"(The shutdown) collapsed me, mentally, physically and spiritually," Manke said. "I was in despair, I had to go back to work...I don't have anybody paying me unless I'm doing work."

The 77-year-old barber received a citation Wednesday for violating the executive order on the third day he was open. Violating the order is a misdemeanor that carries a fine up to $1,000 and possible license sanctions. 

Barbershops and salons have been shuttered under Whitmer's executive order since March 21. 

Manke said he's been following all safety guidelines: wearing masks, social distancing and using an ultraviolet sanitizer on his tools. Cutting hair with a mask on is tough, Manke said, but he's making it work. 

He worked 15-hour days Monday and Tuesday, trying to keep up with the demand. He had customers travel from Grand Rapids, Novi and Romulus, all willing to wait hours to get their hair cut. 

"When people will drive 100 miles for a haircut, for them, that's essential," Manke said. Manke, who has been a barber for 60 years, said he was nervous to reopen his shop at first. It'd be reckless not to be scared, he said.

But as more people turned up to support him, that fear turned into courage, he said. 

"It bolsters me to do what I need to do to get food on the table and get bills paid," Manke said. "I'm not trying to prove some point. I needed to get back to work." 

Knowing people will travel so far for him lifts his spirits, Manke said. Before opening Monday, he wasn't sure if he would be alone in his shop. But he's seen an outpouring of support. 

"I'm doing walk-ins, appointments, working people in between appointments...It's been nonstop," he said. "It's hard, but I love doing it. I'm so grateful I can make a living again." 

More than half of Manke's 84 reviews on Facebook are from the past three days, and nearly all are positive. Many reviewers called Manke a patriot. 

Manke was denied unemployment three times and did not get his stimulus check until Tuesday. He couldn't survive on nothing for any longer, he said. 

"I've managed my life up to this point," Manke said. "(Whitmer) is not my mother...We're not children, we can manage our own lives." 

A Dallas, Texas salon owner was sentenced to seven days in jail Tuesday for violating county and state orders to close her salon, USA Today reported. Barbershops in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Snohomish, Washington, also opened this week despite state-wide closure orders. 

Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.