On Wednesday, Sept. 12, Onalee Czapla will celebrate her 50th anniversary -- of floral design, that is. But that number doesn't seem to faze her. "Somebody said [the work] keeps me young," she jokes.

Czapla currently works at Design Originals in Shenandoah, Iowa, which is owned by sisters Melinda Kirby and Lori Smith, who Czapla met in the mid '70s. Sept. 12 officially marks the designer's 50th anniversary, and Kirby and Smith will host an open house tonight to honor Czapla and her achievement -- they have even put an ad about it in the newspaper, and invited florists and wholesalers she has worked with over the years.

Czapla got her start in floral design in 1957, when she helped make corsages for Mother's Day at Bill's Floral in Shenandoah. "I stayed on [after that]. It was just a little bitty two room [store], but we did enormous business," she says.

She worked at Bill's Floral for almost 16 years, before becoming a manager at Shenandoah Floral. Kirby and Smith began working for Czapla in 1973 and 1978, respectively.

"We helped out part time," Kirby says. "She was more like family than a boss. She taught us ... good work ethic. If there was work to be done, you stayed and did it ... you don't see that anymore."

In 1995 Kirby and Smith opened their store, and hired Czapla. "I have been at Design Originals almost 11 years," she says. "I am just interested in flowers. I like to be around them ... it's an interesting business."

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

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