Monroe's "Premiere" Florist -
Frances, Florist
To know the history of the
flower shop you would have to have known one of Monroe’s early business
leaders back in the day, Raymond Fambrough. Raymond was a business, cultural and
civic leader from the time he began doing business in town in 1924
until his death.
Mr. Fambrough was a native
of Walton County and while he received schooling which took him only to the
third grade, he became one of the city’s most highly respected business
leaders, creating some of the earliest, most sustaining businesses in the city.
“Hard work and plenty of it,” was his slogan.
Pushing himself sometimes beyond the normal workday limits, Raymond
Fambrough had much to be proud of. He
had the first dry cleaning plant in town, the first steam laundry, the first
commercial florist and was the proud owner of the first sedan automobile in
Monroe, a 1916 Ford.
His business ethics were
sound and his judgements and speech were frank and forthright. He was not afraid
to take steps in a direction for which he saw an opportunity to make his town a
better place to live. When you spoke
to Mr. Fambrough you knew you were in the presence of one who came from humble
beginnings but through determination and perseverance gave his city businesses
for which he was proud.
An early photo taken at the
dry cleaners from 1935 shows my mother at the left, bringing in her coat to be
stored until winter. Mr. Fambrough
is visible at his desk in the back and wife Frances is at the cash register.
When Raymond Fambrough
decided Monroe needed a florist shop, he built one and asked his wife what it
should be named. She decided on
“Frances, Florist,” and thus began an enterprise that lasted until 1996.
After the business began
Mrs. Fambrough used her artistic creativity in producing arrangements of note
and made sure to remind the public through ads which appeared in the Walton
Tribune in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s at Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving
and Christmas, that flowers were the ideal gift for any occasion.
In
June 1940 an article appeared in the Walton Tribune announcing Frances, Florist
had moved into a new brick building on Court Street. On either side of the
building were small glass greenhouses in which many of the flowers used in
arrangements and decorations were grown. Another
added feature of the florist shop was that of a telegraph service.
On
August 18, 1910 a unique concept was founded, known as the “Florists’
Telegraph Delivery,” in which flowers could be ordered by wire anywhere in the
country. The idea came from Denver floral company owner and lawyer John
Valentine and thirteen other like-minded florists who saw a need whereby
florists could expand the floral industry as a whole by this simple concept.
In 1914, the FTD’s logo, the Mercury Man, comprised of the Greek god
Mercury in a winged cap and sandals striding along with a bouquet of flowers
held in his outstretched arm, debuted. Since
it first appeared and although it has gone through many transformations, it is
one of the most recognizable logos in the country. In 1965, FTD began offering
international orders and changed the name from Florists’ Telegraph Delivery to
Florists’ Transworld Delivery.
At one point, there were
two flower shops in town. The other florist was Monroe Flower Shop which was
operated by Mrs. J.H. (Lizzie) O’Kelly and was in business from the late
30’s until 1942 when an ad in the Walton Tribune on October 2, 1942 announced
the business was closing. Mrs.
O’Kelly ran the business with her sister, Mrs. Robert (Flossie) O’Kelley.
When the Monroe Flower Shop
closed, Frances hired Flossie as manager of her shop which turned out to be a
very wise move. Flossie was a true artisan when it came to creating just the
perfect floral arrangement for a particular occasion.
When you
needed a flower arrangement for an occasion, all it took was a quick phone call
or visit to Frances, Florist and the problem was solved.
I remember as a young boy
going to the flower shop on Court Street with my mother and as you walked in,
the fragrant combination of flowers and dirt let you know you were likened to be
in a garden of magic….magic created by Flossie O’Kelley and her team. And,
if you came in at just the right time, you would hear the telegraph machine
clicking away, either sending in a telegram or an order for a floral arrangement
to be delivered. The care given to the flowers, especially orchids which came
from the florist in sturdy boxes nestled in a bed of white excelsior, spoke of
the love and care, not only for the flowers but for those customers to whom the
flowers were sent.
When a death occurred in
Monroe the flowers covering the casket was indicative of the talent shown by the
work of Flossie and staff as well as the wreaths, spray’s and cut flower
arrangements which brought comfort to those who had lost a loved one.
Flossie O’Kelley went
from manager of the florist to owner and in her later years wanted to step back
from the hectic life the almost 24/7 florist business had become. In a letter to
the public in the Walton Tribune on Oct. 21, 1959, she stated she was retiring
from the business and had sold the company to Margaret Warbington of Grayson,
Ga. In the same issue of the Tribune
there was an ad and statement from Mrs. Warbington saying she would continue the
same quality and high standards of business running the florist as the public
had come to expect. After a small stint being “retired,” Flossie realized
retirement was not for her and, wanting to keep involved in flowers, she went to
work at Ann’s Flower Shop in Winder for a number of years until she retired
for good.
When Peggy Seymour moved to
Monroe in 1960 with her husband Phil, she was looking for just the right job to
utilize her talents. She heard the florist shop was for sale and purchased the
business in 1962. Several months later she built a new building on East Spring
Street and moved the business from Court Street. In 1996 she sold the business
to Monroe native and florist Jeff Lott, who changed the name to Garden Gate
Florist.
In
the sixties thru the eighties other florists opened and closed shops in Monroe
and these days it is hard to find anyone who remember the glory days of the
premiere florist in town. But if you mention “Frances, Florist” to several
of the old guard, their face will light up instantly remembering Frances
Fambrough and Flossie O’Kelley who had one of the best loved and most
successful florists in the area.
(Appreciation
goes out to Jeff Lott for his assistance with this column.)