Mary Pecola Volter discovered a love for arranging flowers while working for Mrs. Lloyd Gonsoulin.

A half century after opening her own flower shop in New Iberia, family, friends and local officials will honor her on her 90th birthday Saturday as owner of what family research shows tp be the oldest continuously-run African American business in Iberia Parish and perhaps Acadiana.

“She’s the oldest living (minority flower shop owners), I guarantee you, in Acadiana,” her son Tommy Volter said. “There’s not that many Black-owned flower shops. Just recently they have about three in Lafayette. There are not many.”

Dr. Phebe Hayes, founder of the Iberia African American Historical Society, said she suspects the business is the longest surviving Black-owned business in the area since Segregation ended in the 1960s and many of the Black-owned businesses at the time closed.

“Miss Pecola has been one of those long-standing Black businesses in Iberia,” she said.

Volter recalls how she got her start.

“(Mrs. Gonsoulin) had flowers outside, blooming flowers, and I would take them and arrange them and see to it that they had water,” she said. “Every three days I would change the water. I just got interested in it, and I started from there.”

After studying for a year at Ella Mae’s Flower Shop in Lafayette, she got her florist’s license at LSU and opened her business in 1971, first on Gilbert Drive in West End Park and since about 1980 at 701 Anderson Street.

“When I opened I was the only Black female (shop) owner,” she said.

Tommy Volter joined the family business, part time, at the age of 16 when he became the youngest person in the state to get his florist’s license. Initially he helped around the shop part time as he had a full-time job at Bell South for 20 years, and eventually began working at Pecola’s full time. He took over running the business around 1999 but notes his mother still works.

“I really don’t want her to have to do anything, because she’s put her time in,” he said. “But she’s still active. She still cooks and everything.”

HIs mom also is the oldest member of their church, Star Pilgrim Baptist, he said.

“I’ve got to know a lot of people” from the flower shop, Mary Pecola Volter said. “I just enjoy people.”

She also enjoys cooking and at one time ran Pecola’s Snack Bar, but closed that after Hurricane Katrina.

“I’ve met a lot of people through the years, and I’m proud that I knew that many people,” she said. “I enjoyed them.”

Since his brother and sister passed, it’s just Tommy Volter and his mom in the business.

“I’m just trying to give her her just due,” he said, noting his mother’s generosity in feeding those in need and giving people a place to live in tough times. “She’s a good Samaritan. If you need something to eat, just knock on the door. She’s very, very gracious.”

Pecola’s Flower Shop was opened in October of 1971 by Mary Pecola Volter.

Location: 701 Anderson Street

Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday

9 a.m.-Noon Saturday

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Florist/Pecolas-Flower-Shop-721272224675719/

Phone: 337-365-5937