Every spring morning, Stanley Bachman got out of bed at 4 a.m. to pick carnations in the greenhouse for the family floral business.
"It was so dark, he could only see the white flowers to pick," said his son Paul Bachman. "Then he milked cows and got dressed to go to school."
Bachman's love for plants took root as he climbed the ranks at the family-owned Minneapolis floral and garden center business on Lyndale Avenue, launched by his grandfather Henry Bachman in 1885.
As a member of the third generation of Bachmans, Stanley was president from 1971 until 1989, when he retired.
Bachman, who focused on retail, dramatically grew the business by opening free-standing Bachman's gift and floral stores in Southdale and other malls. He also collaborated with Dayton's on the first auditorium Flower Show in 1963. Today Bachman's has six Twin Cities floral and garden centers and a 670-acre nursery and landscape center in Lakeville.
Stanley Bachman's integrity and friendly demeanor were among the reasons for his success, said family members. "Dad was extremely well-liked by employees and had a real knack for remembering people's names and asking about their families," said Paul, who retired from Bachman's last year.
Bachman, 93, died on July 15 at Friendship Village in Bloomington.
He was born in 1924 in a big house on the Bachman family acreage on Lyndale Avenue, where the flagship garden center stands today.