—Lancaster Farming, Saturda: 34 I * I i :•: :•: Ready Easter being an annual festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives Christians hope for their resurrection and eternal life. It was also a spring pagan festival and it usually coincides with the Jewish Passover. Thus, it means very much to most people and is ex pressed in many ways. With the bursting forth of new life as we see plant life greening and flowers pudding apd blooming, what better way to express it than with flowers. No one lives closer to nature and can see new life unfolding than the farm family. One farm girl who says “I really love working with flowers” is Mrs Dennis (Deborah) Kolb of 1928 Creek Hill Road, Lancaster. Debbie has been working for Wengers Flowers, Inc. of 56 Quarry Road, Leola for six months She works in the retail section. Among her duties are an swering the phone and taking orders, waiting on customers, helping customers select arrangements, wrapping plants, matting and decorating plants, filling orders that are sent out and decorating the sales and show rooms She is busy now getting ready for Easter. This means decorating for and han dling extra sales during their spring Open House or Easter Show It also meant making herself a special outfit to wear during Open House. She made a long full skirt of printed material and a purple vest to match. Wengers supply the same material for about 12 girls and each girl makes her own outfit to wear during Open House. The dresses are not made exactly alike but most of them are full length The material this year is a very colorful print of early spring shades of deep pink, yellow, purple, blue and lime •5* - tr* 0t “ is- at -* (Left to right) Mrs. Mildred Bomberger and Debbie Kolb making Easter sales To Greet Easter with Farm Feature Writer Mrs. Charles McSparran green. Wengers’ spring Open House is currently running for six days, April 14 through the 19th and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wengers have tour large display areas for the show. One room depicts an Easter setting and one room has a high stone wall and waterfall. Both resemble natural garden settings with all kinds of flowers. The one in front of the waterfall features a lady standing in the garden displaying several kinds of corsages. A rustic room features a water wheel with green plants and the fourth room has a large section of shelves displaying all kinds of candles, candlesticks. Debbie Kolb helps arrange the display window at Wengers Flowers, Leola. >rH 14.197: > 1 > *sp r 7 / 0* ' *t* i. 4ft candle rings, glass and pottery containers, figurines, potted green plants, artificial and dried arrangements. Wengers have been having Christmas and Easter Shows for 25 years. The Christinas Show runs for two weeks. Hundreds of people attend them and most of the people return year after year. Wengers flower business started in 1920. Prior to that the late Samuel Wenger was a but cher and painter. His son Paul, who graduated from Elizabethtown College, was a schoolteacher. The two con structed several greenhouses where they grew flowering plants, cut flowers and tomato plants and sold them at two markets in Reading. Paul married Miriam Stauffer, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Stauffer of Drumore Township. She grew up on their family farm. Miriam too graduated from Elizabethtown' College and was a schoolteacher before marriage. About 25 years ago Wengers started a retail flower business and stopped tending market. Mr. - > i Floral Tributes Mrs. Dennis Kolb, East Lampeter Township is w< her handmade Wenger Flower Show outfit Holdi Easter arrangement, she is standing in the garden before the waterfall background.' Debbie Kolb is right at home in her kitchen pn meals for her farmer husband. and Mrs. Paul Wenger both worked in the business and their children grew up in it. Betty has worked full time in the business for 28 years and Mildred full time for 23 years. It is still a family business. Rev. Paul Wenger and Mrs. Wenger are taking less part in it although he makes distant deliveries and Mrs. Wenger helps by making boxes for plants and lace for corsages at home. Mildred, now president of Wengers Flowers, married Carl Bomberger who serves as the treasurer. Carl grew up on a farm in East Lampeter Township but attended West Lampeter High School in order to take the agriculture course there. The Bombergers have a son Kenneth who is attending Bethany Seminary in Chicago. Their daughter Carlene is at tending Messiah College where she is taking Home Economics. She is very good at designing flower arrangements and plans to take a one year leave of ab sence from colleee to work in the business. Julie Ann and Lawrence are attending Conestoga Valley High School. k V * They help *in the weekends and whenevei not in school. Betty, vice-presit Wengers Flowers, is rr Allan Bewley who is se( the business. They he children. Cathy is e Elizabethtown Colie attends Brownstown where he is taking fit He also attends Conesto High School. Bradsor Leola Elementary Scht Wengers’ regula hours are from 8 t< Monday through Satur employ 14 people regi during their shows em; help. From three to sev Rev. Wenger make largely over a 25 -mi Their employees work week except during sb they work overtim However, for the fam seven day a week ta care ~bf ventilating, checking heat, doing ft wedding work and necessary delivers business is not open (Continued On Pai A SP
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