When the news broke in Kearney that the Thalkens were retiring and Kearney Floral would have new owners, we were out of town with friends. I exclaimed, “Well, this is a cultural earthquake for Kearney.”

Apparently, our friends were intrigued. At any rate, they asked what was so special about the Thalkens! Well, where to begin? When will they give us the TMI sign?

I began with a personal note. The owners previous to the Thalkens were also Kearney stalwarts and we enjoyed them socially–except Mrs. Erikson couldn’t seem to remember my wife’s name. She was always cordial, but would introduce her to people as either Carol, the name of the wife of the previous Rector of St. Luke’s, or Mary, from where we don’t know but I always think of it when I see Mary Bennett in Kearney Floral. “So, at least,” I said, “the Thalken’s always remembered Nancy’s name!”

The truth is, though, that the Thalken’s remembered everybody’s names. Good business practice, of course, but not so prevalent as it once was as Kearney has grown. Reminiscent of the older politicians like Virginia Smith and Frank Morrisons who never forgot a name.

But it was more than good business with Todd and Lois—it was an inherent kindness, a true appreciation for people, whether they were doing business with them or not. It was apparent from the first time we ever laid eyes on them.

It was a concert—a Thalken-Tesdall-Thalken concert with steal-the-show guest Wes Hird. Some groups play for an audience, some play to and with an audience. There’s an almost instant rapport with between the band and the listeners. That’s a gift beyond musical talent.

Of course, musical talent they have in abundance. Todd’s keyboard and Lois’s voice have adorned so many public events, such as KCT’s galas. I recall their daughters involved in liturgical dance at St. Luke’s, and Todd is still the bandmaster of St. Luke’s praise band, where Lois steps in now and then for Brett Ensz. And where Mike Loveless joins Todd and Brett and Greg and John Ross.

My wife, Nancy, was Lois’s quick-change dresser in KCT’s Gypsy. Todd had better stick around to play at my funeral! But this isn’t just personal. Anyone who recalls the Thalken’s performances for fund raisers or Senior College events will also recall the greenery that adorned the stages—plants and bushes and flowers from Kearney Floral.

Other people have provided Kearney with floral arrangements and done so with warmth and skill. Velda Butters comes to mind. But those stages, decorated just so, and the music going out to the audience from those stage gardens have left the Thalken’s—as people and as performers—permanently etched in our minds and hearts.

Kearney Creates wishes the new owners of Kearney Floral well. They wouldn’t be the new owners if that didn’t promise a bright future. But they must know it will be long time before they can leave their imprint on the arts and entertainment, the beauty and the culture of our community, as the Thalken’s have done. That’s what makes this moment in our town’s history a “cultural earthquake.” It is not just the moving of one piece of stage furniture from one place to another on the set. It’s the loss of a driving, dynamic force that lifted us up time and time again in almost any setting you can think of in Kearney. And made Kearney Floral one of the classy and elegant points of light for us all.

–for Kearney Creates by Chuck Peek

Related Article: Thalken Family