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HANCOCK - From the board games to the dog curled up in the corner, the Lone Wolf Hair Den offers a comfortable atmosphere to go with the affordable haircuts.

Owner Kelly Barkell opened up the shop seven months ago. Many of her customers have been coming to her since she was at Bryan's in the Copper Country Mall, or during her visits to Regis.

She'd wanted to be a barber since she was four. It ran in the family.

"We even had a barber/cook on the coal boats," she said. "But not on the same day, because he was full of hair."

After living in places such as California, Arizona and Germany, Barkell decided to come back home.

Two-and-a-half years ago, she suffered a coma, which has led to recurring seizures. Fortunately, she became friends with a dog trainer, who trains dogs that can recognize the signs of seizures nearly half an hour ahead of time.

So Barkell decided to open up her own business, with her dog, Titan, by her side.

"I've had a lot of memory loss," she said. "But I never forgot how to cut hair."

She's enjoyed the new location. For Christmas, she brought in candy for children, and brought in another dog for them to pet.

Many of her customers will drop in between haircuts for conversation or a game of Scrabble.

"They're nice, they're kind to me," Barkell said. "And I couldn't have a business without them, that's for sure. They bring their kids, and their kids start another generation when they grow up ... it's nice living in a small town again."

Barkell's ultimate goal is to open up a trade school for kids.

"There should be a trade school up here," she said. "But first I have to get the place running and save, and save and save."

Lone Wolf Hair Den is located at 422 Quincy St. in Hancock.

Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.