08/09/06 WEDNESDAY
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Todays Gazette is made possible by GRAFTON FLORAL and, by the hundreds
of wonderful people that have made Grafton Floral possible.
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The current temperature is 81 degrees
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 88/58
Normal H/L temp for this date is 83/56
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"Profanity makes ignorance possible."
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L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.
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Todays Gazette may well be one of the most difficult I have written,
and, I'm almost certain one of the most difficult for folks to read and
understand. It won't surprise me that many may not even be able to read
it completely.
For several days now, I have pondered the upcoming 60th year
celebration of Grafton Floral. Last night I found it nearly impossible
to sleep. For the past several days, almost everything I did or touched
reminded me in someway, shape or form of the business that is
responsible for my being.
To that end, today's Gazette will be written, to the best of my
ability, much like the thoughts of the past 60 years of Grafton Floral
have emerged from my warehouse of memories. Not, as a true and accurate
chronological diary, rather a capitulation of people and events that
span the 524,160 hours we will celebrate this Thursday, August 10th from
5 to 8:00 in the southeast corner of Grafton at Summit and tenth street,
across from Chandler field.
The first "delivery" vehicle I remember was an early model grey
Chevrolet. The front seat was burned out and I had to sit on a 5 gallon
pail. I thought of Marilyn Hove riding on our float, it was the most
beautiful floral display on a float this area has ever seen. Heltne's
Harness Shop was the first home of Grafton Floral on mainstreet.
I remember Ralph Honsval leaving the uptown flower shop with a armful
of lose flowers and mom giving dad heck for not wrapping them. I
remember the Heltne attic full of white wicker standing baskets used for
weddings and funerals. I thought of the times we would tie miles of
fresh spruce garlands to decorate mainstreet for the Christmas holidays.
I thought of how dad and mom enjoyed watching the neon Grafton Floral
sign light up at dusk and how proud they were to have a business on main
street.
Seeding grass by hand with a Sears 12 foot box seeder. Hulda Carlson's
garden patch on the north end of town. Ed Nelson lived next door. I
remember learning to ball & burlape evergreens with Ed Ebertowski and
Everett Nelson. Plugging (adding branches) christmas trees. Putting on
the wiring and stringing up the moms and pompoms in the south greenhouse
benches with Sharon McIntyre & Shirley Rae Blanchard. Building benches
with Lewis Sondeland. Trying to keep the greenhouses from freezing
brought George LaHaise, Hugo Kutz, Arnold Roth, Arnold Orsund to mind.
Cleaning under the benches brings Jim Almen and Pat Devig Bill and
Denton Offutt back to mind. Planting trees throughout the area envolved
Warren Wilson, Neil McDonald among others. It's hard not to think of the
busy Mothers Day weekends and all the people that worked so hard to make
so many happy on that special day. Often, as many as 25 and 30 people
worked 12 to 20 hours a day the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before
Mothers day. Theresa, Leona, Winnie, Sharon, Bennie, Don, Larry, Robert,
Gerald, Rodney, Jerome & Mamie, Debbie, MaryJo, Sandy, Carol, Mary,
David, Kathee, Jim, John, Andy, Rudy, Ronnie, Gen, Chuck, Pat, Roger,
Stella, Ann, Lowell, Jon, Rosemary, Art, Judy, Barbara, Jean, Helen,
Bernice, Orlan, Glenn, Jason and Norman are some of the names that keep
bouncing around in my head.
The day Bennie Molde stacked over 400 corsages and several bouquets
into the 51 Ford "woodie" and headed for Drayton, St. Thomas and
Cavalier will forever be etched in my memory. Melvin Thompson, Clayton
Cudmore, Almer Bjerke and Bob Kingsbury all hauled soil to us for
planting the spring bedding plants and nursery stock. Initially Melvin
Thompson did the ground preperations for new construction. Later Bob
Oihus took over that business and worked hand in hand with "us". I
thought of the time dad and Clayton Cudmore worked together to aquire
the rest area landscaping job on the site west of Devils Lake.
I remember the time (during a mothers rush) Jen Hvidsten walked into
the flower shop late at night to help us out. She told mom it would be
OK, that Carl was "napping" and didn't know she left the house. I guess
Carl didn't think his wife should have to work. (and, she didn't have
to, she did because she loved it)
I remember Justin Colsen jumping up on the greenhouse bench and doing
pull ups (with 5 buckel overshoes on) from the roof trusses when he was
at least a dozen years older than I am,... NOW. I thought of the time in
late March when the boiler went out and we had to heat the greenhouse by
burning paper and cardboard boxes til Hugo could get the boiler fixed.
And, the spring dad hired a professional gardener from England to work
for "us". That venture, we soon learned, was a super idea,.. but it
didn't work out. John Stewart, it seems was used to growing plants in a
completely differant environment then we had.
I thought of the day we got rid of the 51 Ford "Woodie" replacing it
with a 1960 blue Ford wagon, the one Pat and I used for our wedding
trip. The little house, the one we live in for several years, the one
with "pea rock" by the front door, and, the one Arnold Barclay lived in
for a time, activates my grey matter as often as any.
At one time, Grafton Floral was one of the largest Toro equipment
dealers in the area, and, was the largest Scotts Lawn Products dealer in
the state. That reminded me of my trip to Marysville Ohio to train and
learn about Scotts in their main headquarters facilities.
I still can't drive by a piece of paper in the ditch that I don't
think of dad "driving" around town picking litter with his cane and
throwing it in the back of the station wagon. I'll never forget the
numorous times people, with less than us, would come into the shop to
order funeral or wedding flowers and dad would write the orders up just
like any of the rest, then, when those folks would leave, dad would
scratch off the price and write "paid in full" on the slip. Even now,
after 40 and 50 years, some folks still remind me of that.
Sixty (60) years, for some reason, it doesn't really seem that long to
me today. 60 years, if only I could remember it all. If only I could say
thank you,... just one more time, to all of the wonderful people
responcible for allowing Grafton Floral to celebrate such an event. If
only my Dad & Mom and Peggy could see it now. Sixty years, fortunately,
I remember much of it. Ufortunately, however, not all.
I remember hundreds of smiles as I delivered "our" beautiful product to
their door. I will never forget the many times we were able to share
peoples saddness while bringing beauty into their lives. Nor will I
forget the times we would give Christmas trees to families that thought
"Christmas" was only for the wealthy.
I hope all those that can, will stop by Grafton Floral and Greenhouse
tomorrow (Thursday, August 10) from 5 to 8:00 pm. Goober (Joey Watkins)
and AK have assured me that the turkey, with all the fixins, will be
scrumptious. I've been told Tony Osowski's wine is as close to the
"nector of the god's" as man can ever make it, and, Andrew and Jacqui
will be extremely pleased to have you as their guest.
CONGRATULATIONS Jacqui and AK Moe. Thank you for continuing to make
Grafton Floral and Greenhouse's founders proud. We are both looking
forward to partcipating in this significant milestone.
Pat and Gary
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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"If you never share your memories, they will be lost forever." GLM
Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they are,
before it's too late.
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