Service Saturday for longtime Gardnerville florist

A memorial service is 11 a.m. Saturday at Carson Valley United Methodist Church for the Nevada native and Gardnerville businesswoman Ethel M. Fleischer, 89, who died May 13, 2010, in Gardnerville.

The Fleischer family moved to Carson Valley after Milton and Ethel Fleischer got married in 1952.

Mr. Fleischer owned Gardnerville Drug near where Sharkey's stands today from 1952 to 1982.

When opened Aladdin Flower and Gift Shop in 1960, it was still safe to ride a horse down Main Street Gardnerville.

"Dad had the drugstore," said Susan Davies. "I remember we used to ride our horses right up to the store."

Mrs. Fleischer worked as a bookkeeper and was a legal secretary during the family's early years in Gardnerville, and then purchased the flower shop in the old Harris Building, which is where the Historian Inn now stands.

In a 2000 interview for the shop's 40th anniversary, Mrs. Fleischer said it took her a week to come up with the name.

"It was hard coming up with the name - I think it took me about a week - but then I thought of Aladdin and it just seemed like an ideal name," she said. "To me it represented magic."

The family's three children were always working at one of the two establishments.

The flower store moved across Main Street to the brick building next to Sharkey's in 1984, and remained in the family until it was sold in 2002. The shop moved back across Main Street last year.

A native of Mason Valley, Mrs. Fleischer was named Beta Sigma Phi woman of the year. She was a past member of the Carson Valley Literary Club, Minden Fortnightly, the Bridge Club, and the Carson Valley Lion's.

After her retirement at 82, she enjoyed her family, garden, books and her dog, Magic.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Milton; and brother Arthur.

She is survived by son Ted (Diana) Scott; daughters Susan (Greg) Davies and Debbie Fleischer (Tom Currence), both of Gardnerville; grandchildren Mike (Nicole) Davies, Stephanie (Dan) Keever, Brian Scott, Jenny Scott, Corey Hawker and Jordan Murphy; sisters Gladys Turner and Virginia Hamilton; several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

A reception will follow at the church.