In 1958, Irene Welborn Herrington started a company that to this day continues a tradition of celebrating life’s biggest and smallest moments. On Sat., March 23, when word of Welborn Herrington’s death spread throughout the community so did memories of the legacy she created.
Welborn Floral began as a tiny shop on Fourth Street after Irene had trouble finding exactly what she wanted to send to clients of General Electric, where she had worked for 10 years and had been in charge of their flower fund.
According to her granddaughter, Sally Knight Barker, Irene used her entrepreneurial spirit, bought a cooler, opened her doors and never looked back. In 1965, her husband, Carlos Welborn, left his construction job to help with the thriving endeavor and then her son, Dick Knight, took on the role of delivery driver the day he received his driver’s license.
“I enjoyed working alongside my mother and stepfather to take care of the community and be a part of a business that has grown to be a staple in town. Reliable, credible and dependable are the three words we worked by,” Knight says of his mother and the company she created.
Irene spent decades defining the look of floral arrangements in Owensboro and was an integral part of many of the events that took place in the area over the past 50 years, even after her semi-retirement in 1996. Recognized for her talent and her tenacity, Irene served not only her community but her profession in many ways, including time spent as the appointed state director of the Southern Retail Florist Association and state president of Teleflora Wire Service.
Irene continued her work after the death of her husband in 1974, by implementing a holiday decorating service, which started with the interior of the Executive Inn. From there the concept grew under Knight’s vision into today’s version, where planning and execution of holiday installations begin in early November when the Welborn team helps trim the trees in public spaces, corporate buildings and individual homes throughout the city and beyond.
Welborn Floral has grown over the years under the watchful eye of Irene and is now being run by its second and third generation. The floral company now includes an events division, specializing in social and corporate events run by Barker.
Stepping into her grandmother’s footsteps has meant a great deal to Barker, and she said the biggest lessons she takes with her into the future are “never stop learning and listen to your customers.”
“It is always humbling to meet with a client and they tell me Irene handled my grandparents and parents wedding,” Barker said. “I am honored to carry on her legacy. She and my dad both have taught me the importance of hard work and customer service. I am forever grateful that I grew up with such an amazing female role model. “
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory where visitation will be from 4 – 8 p.m. Tuesday and after 9 a.m. Wednesday. Entombment will be in Owensboro Memorial Gardens.
