Everyday people: Noah cultivates small-town lifestyle

KENYON — Pam Noah was born and raised in California. She married a fellow California native and spent more than 40 years working as a medical assistant in the southern part of the state.

Still, Noah said her home state never really felt much like home to her.

“It was just the whole different lifestyle. We never considered ourselves the beautiful couple in California,” she said of herself and husband Dean.

The couple didn’t fit in with the fast-paced lifestyle and the intense focus on appearance, Noah said.

So when the Noahs traveled to Kenyon to visit family years ago, they reveled in the small city and friendly atmosphere.

“We fell in love with the place,” Pam said. “People would drive by and wave at you (in Kenyon),” Pam said. “You never saw that in California.”

Dean and Pam used the last of their vacation money to make a down payment on a house in Kenyon. Then, as soon as they could, they packed up their belongings and moved, hoping to enjoy being semi-retired.

But they soon found that was harder than they expected. Around the same time, the floral shop in Kenyon was put up for sale. And though Noah’s only prior experience with floral design was working sporadically as a wedding coordinator for her church in California, the couple didn’t hesitate.

Now, five years later, the couple owns and operates Kenyon Floral Impressions downtown. Pam herself staffs the shop 99 percent of the time.

“I love to do weddings,” she said. “I get the most joy of out seeing the brides’ faces when they see the flowers.”

And though Noah said seeing growth and progress is hard in a downturned economy, she has been able to post positive numbers. The shop had its first profitable Valentine’s Day this year, and overall, sales have increased 39 percent.

Noah said her secret is finding out what the community wants.

“You need to get it right,” she said.

And while Noah said owning the shop and living in Kenyon makes it harder to see her five grandchildren as often as she would like, she still loves calling the small Minnesota town her home.

“I love to see the seasons,” Pam said. “I definitely love the slower pace and to see trees instead of buildings.”

Tags: progress