Jody McHenry has lived and worked in Sequoyah County her entire life, and believes she may have been among the last of the babies born at Sallisaw City Hospital 56 years ago.
“Sallisaw is where my roots are,” McHenry said. “Me and my family have been here forever.”
McHenry graduated from Sallisaw High School in 1987. After a brief stint working at Walmart, she got her start in the florist business at Brenda’s Flowers. She recalls one day, while paying off her mother’s flower bill, Brenda asked if she could make a delivery. She said she agreed and 30 years later, she’s still in the business.
Today, McHenry is the owner and namesake of Jody’s Floral Designs on Cherokee Avenue, where she creates beautiful fresh and silk floral arrangements, as well as wreaths, centerpieces, lanterns and “just about anything for inside your home.”
Over her 30 years as a florist, she has moved around the county. She opened her first storefront in Vian in 2007, then moved to the former location of Brenda’s in 2011. During the Covid pandemic, she closed temporarily in January 2020, but reopened at her current location on Cherokee Ave. last year.
She runs the business alongside her 82-yearold mother, with help from her daughter, extended family and close friends—especially during busy holiday seasons.
“I couldn’t do it without my family and friends,” she says. “As a small business owner, I do everything from taking phone calls, cleaning and creating flower arrangements, to running a social media page for the store.”
McHenry has stuck with the florist business for as long as she has because it is something that she has grown to love. She expresses how she loves working with the public, and although the industry can be stressful at times, helping people is what makes it worthwhile.
Her greatest passion as a florist lies with sympathy and funeral work.
“Floral arrangements are the last thing a family can do to honor someone who meant the world to them,” she explains. “It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly. I strive to make each arrangement as personal and meaningful as possible.”
McHenry’s said her desire to help others was instilled in her from an early age, inspired by her grandfather, who worked for the Sallisaw Water Department and did much of the town’s old plumbing. She would accompany him on side jobs, helping however she could.
“Sometimes, clients couldn’t afford to pay, so they’d offer other forms of thanks like a homemade cake,” she said.
More than anything, McHenry said she loves her “little piece of the world” in Sequoyah County. Outside of work, she enjoys a simple life on her 40 acres with her horses and several rescue dogs. She isn’t concerned about chasing material things. Instead, she finds her peace in going to work, doing the best she can, and helping where she can in the community.
She said she winds down by being outside, hunting and fishing.
“I’m not your typical florist,” she jokes, while watching her animals. “I prefer the slow pace of living that Sequoyah County provides, and believe that living in a small town is a good thing.”
McHenry said she looks forward to retirement someday but in the meantime, she plans to continue growing her business and enjoying the small things in life.
