Sparta Florist employees include Amanda Ketterling, Owner Martha Walker and Debbie Joines.

50 Years: Sparta Florist celebrates anniversary

In 1955, Sparta Florist opened its doors to provide floral needs to the community. Now, 50 years later, the florist has a customer base of more than 3,500 and according to current co-owner Martha Walker, the business is continuing to grow.

Sparta Florist was opened on Main Street in 1955 by Bill Shifflett to primarily serve Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home, in which the shop was housed, according to Sparta Florist’s former employee and second owner, Linda Shelor.

While Shelor was a part-time employee, “I never dreamed the store would be mine,” she said. “It was everything I wanted when I started working there.” She bought the business in 1960.

During her time at the shop, Shelor noted, “The major part of the business was funeral work.”

The florist was relocated to its present location on East Doughton Street in 1961.

One day that Shelor remembers almost vividly during her time as owner of the florist shop was a Valentine’s Day in the mid-1960s.

“The day started when an employee called in sick and we had to find a replacement for her for the day,” Shelor said. She added that later in the day, a customer had come in and left without her order. “She looked out the door and saw the snow falling steadily and like a lightening flash, she was gone,” Shelor said. Before the day was out, the delivery service of the shop suffered minor setbacks. “We had one individual have a flat tire, and another had a minor collision with a bank in the road.”

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