DI-ANN'S FLOWERS AND GIFTS

by Stella Baldwin

Entry B34 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Di-Ann's Flowers and Gifts, Stella Baldwin, Owner.

Cecil and Stella Baldwin bought the
Hardware Inventory from Wes James in
August 1971. That business was located in
the old Lowe Building on the southwest
corner on intersection of Highway 97 and
Main Street in Mullen, Nebraska. Cecil and
Stella were in the hardware business 10 years,
at which time they sold it to Joe and Deanna
lsom who moved the business across the
street one block northeast of the Lowe
Building.

"Di-Ann's Flowers" was started in the
summer of 1973 by Diane Baldwin and her
sister Annette Winberg. The two sisters put
their first names together and came up with
"Di-Ann". This husiness was located directly
across the street east of the hardware store,
in the Ray Henry Sexton building. (Diane
Baldwin is Cecil and Stella Baldwin's daugh-
ter-in-law.) Diane and Annette were in the
flower shop one year when they sold the
business to Cecil and Stella Baldwin in Dec.
1974. Cecil and Stella, at this time, moved the
flower shop business in the northwest corner
of the hardware store. They operated both
businesses out of the same store for 7 years.
Due to Cecil's failing health they then sold
the hardware business to the Joe lsoms and
moved the flower shop to its present location,
(306 West 1st Street), which is directly across
the street north of the Hooker County
Courthouse in Mullen. The flower shop is in
a room on the east side of their house. Stella
has regular hours but has been known to
make up arrangements or make a sale late at
night and on Sundays. In the flower shop you
can purchase fresh cut flowers and house
plants, funerals and any other occasions
desired. She also sells household wares and
Watkins products. Fresh flowers are shipped
from Denver, Colo. to North Platte, Nebr. by
bus. The 142 mile round trip to North Platte
has to be made to pick up the flowers at the
bus depot. The freight is high but this is her
only means of getting fresh cut flowers. The
Nebraska weather during the winter months
had not always cooperated with the flower
runs.

Due to his lengthy illness Cecil passed away
Mar. 9, 1984. Stella continues to run the
flower shop at the present time.