San Marino mayor honors florist Erna Ferner during Women’s History Month observance

Mayor Gretchen Shepherd Ramey used part of the city’s Women’s History Month observance in 2025 to highlight the life and local contributions of Erna Ferner.

Ramey said Erna Ferner’s writings documented the planning and building of Lacey Park and helped record what life was like in San Marino during the 1920s and 1930s. “It is largely thanks to Erna’s writings that we have documentation about the planning and building of our beloved park,” Ramey said.

The mayor described Erna Ferner as a businesswoman who opened two flower shops, including one in San Marino called Erna’s Flowers. Ramey said Ferner was an award-winning florist who designed floral pieces for the Academy Awards in its early years and served on the board of the National Floral Professional Organization. Ramey also noted Ferner volunteered with the San Marino Garden Club and the Soroptimist Club and that she supplemented her family’s income during the Depression by doing housework and later opening her own business.

Ramey said Erna Ferner was married to Armin Ferner, whom the mayor said was tasked by the city council to build Lacey Park. The mayor closed her remarks by thanking the community for honoring local women’s contributions and wishing residents success in their civic work.