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By Nels Parson
Rappahannock News Writer
Flossie Williamson, a creative, dynamic lady who had adopted Rappahannock County as her home, returned from Williamsburg in 1955 with some unusual flower bouquets. The flowers were all dead! But they were cleverly preserved to retain color and shape indefinitely.
The beauty of these dried flower arrangements intrigued her and they looked so easy to make. She collected some materials, Dotsy Davis and Lois Snead made a few and they offered them at the annual Trinity Episcopal Church bazaar (to raise money for the Parish Hall). The response was enthusiastic; all sold.
The next year Flossie helped Lois, Dotsy and a few others to create and sell more. The third year the ladies took their products to the Woodward and Lothrop charity exhibit hall at Seven Corners in Northern Virginia and sold them there. Woodie’s was not too enthusiastic, however, because the dried flowers hurt the nearby silk flower sale.
Then the ladies hit on the idea of inviting the public to a tour of several homes in the county - with the dried flowers displayed in them for sale! By this time such artists as Christine Johnson, Emily Miller, Mata Tholand, Tance Montague, Matilda Walker, Ruth Pillar, Natalie Lewis, Quita Parrish, Donna Parson and others had joined the effort. A few men, including George Davis, former commonwealth attorney, also created arrangements.
The project evolved into sales of the bouquets each year, displayed in the church parish hall and supplemented by tours of three interesting homes. The year James Kilpatrick and David Brinkley offered their homes the ladies made more than $15,000. The house tour is a major production as well. Many people are involved in directions to the homes,
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