LANSING, Mich — Jon Anthony Florist, a fixture in the Lansing community for nearly 80 years, is closing its doors after decades of serving residents through life's most significant moments.
"We've been here 78 years, but it's been over 80 years that my dad has been in business," Pamela Sage said.
What started as just a dream of a flower shop for Jon and Harriet Anthony bloomed into so much more along East Michigan Avenue in Lansing.
"He just built on and built on and built on. My daddy had a vision, and this is what we ended up with," Sage said.
For eight decades, the florist has been part of some of the biggest life moments for countless neighbors, from joyful occasions like birthdays and holidays to more somber events like funerals.
"I said I should write a book about all the things people have told me when they come in... The Jon Anthony Story," Sage said.
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Each chapter would tell stories of neighbors like Julia Grimm, who has been a loyal customer for years.
"I remember getting corsages for my daughters for their proms," Grimm said.
But this story is in its final chapter after Pamela and her sister Pat decided to close the store.
"One of them would be my parents are deceased, but my sister is ready for retirement, and just feel like it's God led. We've had our run, and we just feel it's time," Sage said.
As customers grab their final purchases from the florist and say their goodbyes to the team who has dedicated decades of their lives to being part of the neighborhood's biggest moments, the Jon Anthony Florist team is taking in this bittersweet moment.
"The parents will be missed, and now the store will be greatly, GREATLY missed," Grimm said.
Sage offered a heartfelt message to the community: "Not only from me but from my parents, all I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you... that's all I can say."
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