By Bob Burke
Much has been written about Herman鈥檚 unprecedented giving to 蜜聊直播 City University. There was a magnificent public celebration when the business school that bears his name opened. Likewise, it was a very public event when the Kramer School of Nursing, named for LaDonna鈥檚 family, was dedicated. But the private side of Herman鈥檚 life impressed me even more.
I first became friends with Herman nearly 40 years ago when he and I were members of the board of directors of the 蜜聊直播 Hall of Fame. I was a young lawyer, and he was the most famous person in the worldwide floral industry. By the way he treated me, I had no idea of his importance. He was just this tall, friendly and gracious man. I had to ask others about his success because he wanted to talk about other things, my children and latest book project.
I admired Herman for many reasons鈥is business acumen, his ability to communicate, and his dream that catapulted a traveling salesman to the top of his profession. But many of the thousands of people he helped were never the subject of a press release or a television interview. Herman sought out people to help. Herman would see a need and immediately ask his business guru, Mo Grotjohn, how it could be done. More often than not, Mo found a way, and a check was delivered to an individual or organization. Herman did not care if any publicity followed. He said he always slept better if he was able to help someone that day.
I believe Herman鈥檚 generosity came from his deep faith. He had been taught valuable life lessons by his Minnesota farm parents. When he was driving alone across America selling ads in a flowers-by-wire catalog, he faithfully listened to The Lutheran Hour radio broadcast. It was before cellphones and the internet, so radio was his only source of entertainment. He had time to reflect on the messages he heard on The Lutheran Hour and pray for God鈥檚 guidance. In my opinion, spending so much time alone shaped his character and made him one of the nicest men ever.
Herman never forgot his Lutheran upbringing. After he became a successful entrepreneur, he donated substantial funds to build Lutheran churches and provide scholarships at Lutheran colleges across the nation. He also donated to The Lutheran Hour.
Herman had a special place in his heart for flower shop owners who might be struggling and could not pay the full price for a catalog ad. He often sacrificed his own commission to make sure the owner could benefit from calls from other parts of the country. Herman cared because he remembered when he had 20 cents in his pocket when he applied for his first job in the floral industry. When a group of flower shop owners wanted to form a group, it was Herman who sent them money to help defray costs.
When my late missionary son, Robert Burke, was starting an inner-city ministry, Herman, without being asked, made a wonderful donation. Robert made extra money on the side as a photographer. Herman could have gone anywhere in the nation one year for family Christmas photos, but instead used Robert. That was the kind of man Herman Meinders was. He was sensitive about others鈥� needs. He voluntarily shared his good fortune to improve the lives of others.
There is not a calculator on earth that can tell us how many people鈥檚 lives have been touched by Herman and LaDonna鈥檚 generosity. And, changing lives for the better will continue for generations to come.
Bob Burke (JD 鈥�79) authored two books about Herman鈥檚 life. 鈥淔lowers to Philanthropy: The Life of Herman Meinders,鈥� with the late Tom Butler, published by the 蜜聊直播 Heritage Association in 2004, and 鈥淎 Legacy for Generations: The Generosity of Herman Meinders,鈥� published by 蜜聊直播 Hall
of Fame Publishing in 2024.
