I first heard about Susan’s Flower Shop through a message from a friend. “If you’re looking for a great story,” she said, “I’ve got one for you.” What I didn’t expect was a tale that perfectly encapsulates the heart of small-town Kansas life—the kind where people come together not because they have to, but because they want to.
A Business Rooted in Family and Community
Walking into Susan’s Flower Shop, you get the feeling that the walls have absorbed decades of stories. The scent of fresh blooms mingles with the remnants of old wood and timeworn memories. Susan Welborn, the owner, has been here since 1984, building something more than a business—she’s built a home for the community.
Susan’s story goes back even further. Her parents opened their Hardware store in 1963, a staple in Meriden that served generations. Susan took that same spirit and poured it into her shop, creating bouquets for proms, weddings, and funerals—silent witnesses to life’s biggest moments. Her hands have arranged flowers that graced hospital rooms and high school gymnasiums, church aisles and gravestones.
I sat with Susan for a moment as she looked around her shop, her eyes heavy with exhaustion but still holding a flicker of hope. “It’s hard,” she admitted. “This place means everything to me. It’s my life’s work.”
A Crisis That Threatens a Legacy
Recent storms have turned Susan’s safe haven into a disaster zone. Rain found its way through a damaged roof, soaking into the walls and leaving behind black mold. She had tried to fix it before—hired someone to make repairs—but they took her money and left her with patchwork that didn’t hold. Now, water dripped into buckets as she and a handful of volunteers tried to hold things together.
When word spread about what was happening, Meriden did what Kansas small towns do best: it rallied. Volunteers tore out ruined drywall and started mold remediation. A GoFundMe campaign went up overnight, and donations began trickling in.
A Town Comes Together
The thing about small towns is that businesses aren’t just businesses—they’re institutions. And when one is in trouble, the people who grew up with it step up.
I met a friend [who like most local hero’s refused to be named in this story], one of the community members leading the charge to save Susan’s shop. “Susan has been there for all of us,” she said. “She was there for our weddings, our babies, our losses. We can’t just let this place go.”
Standing outside the flower shop, I watched as people showed up—not just with money, but with materials, with tools, with hands ready to work. Donations were collected at Jeff West Elementary School, and local businesses offered to help in any way they could.
Susan wiped away a tear as she watched the efforts unfold. “I never imagined this kind of response,” she said. “I knew people cared, but this… this is overwhelming.”
The State of Kansas Steps In
Just when things seemed impossible, an unexpected lifeline arrived. The state of Kansas awarded Susan a grant to help modernize the shop, providing critical funding for repairs and improvements. The grant will allow her to replace the damaged roof, upgrade outdated electrical systems, and even install proper insulation to keep the shop running efficiently for years to come. For Susan, this grant was more than just financial aid—it was validation that her shop mattered not just to Meriden, but to the state itself.
A Local HVAC Company Comes in Clutch
One of the biggest struggles Susan faced—especially during brutal Kansas winters—was the lack of a functioning heating system. With no way to properly heat the shop, she had relied on space heaters to get through the coldest months. That all changed when a local HVAC company stepped in, donating and installing a brand-new heating system free of charge. Now, for the first time in years, Susan’s Flower Shop will have reliable warmth in the winter, making it a more comfortable space for both Susan and her customers.
The Hidden Struggles: No Bathroom, No Running Water
One of the most shocking revelations during the renovation process was the fact that Susan’s shop had never had a bathroom or running water. For decades, she carried in every drop of water needed to care for the flowers, filling buckets and containers from home before bringing them into the shop each day. The community was floored by her dedication—how she had quietly made it work all these years without ever asking for more. But now, as part of the restoration efforts, volunteers and local businesses are coming together to finally install plumbing, giving Susan the basic necessities that most businesses take for granted.
The Future of Susan’s Flower Shop
As I left Meriden that evening, the sun was dipping below the horizon, casting a warm glow on a shop that had seen better days—but now had a fighting chance at seeing many more. The story of Susan’s Flower Shop isn’t just about saving a business. It’s about preserving the kind of place where memories are made, where a single shop can mean the world to the people who grew up with it.
The fight isn’t over. Donations are still needed, and there’s plenty of work left to do. But if there’s one thing I learned from spending time in Meriden, it’s that when a town comes together, there’s very little it can’t save.
Donations can be made through the GoFundMe page. Those interested in volunteering or contributing materials can contact Jeff West Elementary School for more details.
In an era where small businesses struggle to survive against the tide of big-box stores and online retailers, the people of Meriden are proving that community still matters. And as long as they stand together, Susan’s Flower Shop—and the spirit it represents—will endure.
Here are the local companies that spend nights and weekends helping our community, lets send them love!!!
