Carrier Mills floral designer retiring due to health

After 20 years designing floral arrangements, Tim Borum of Carrier Mills is putting down the flowers. Borum, 47, recently suffered a severe heart-related illness which resulted in open heart surgery. Borum, operator of Village Blooms in Carrier Mills and business owner Kevin Graham explained the situation Thursday.

"I have to slow down and focus on my health," Borum said. "I have to step back from work and take it easier on myself."

Borum has worked in Carrier Mills providing the best in floral designs for some 10 years, seven of which were spent managing Angel Scent Florists and then three years operating Village Blooms. Borum is known throughout the area for his wedding and funeral arrangements.

"Those are my specialties," Borum said. "I love to do weddings and for funerals. I try to help the family's grieving process as much as I can. I feel it really helps for the family to not worry, just tell me what they want and I will handle it."

Village Blooms will remain open, though owner Graham said if he received a good offer that he would consider selling.

"A person can make a good living with it," Graham said. "The building has two bedrooms upstairs so you could live here and run the business downstairs."

In the interim, store assistant Kim Boliek will take over for Borum and run the store. Both Graham and Borum have complete confidence in Boliek's skills. Boliek had no previous experience in floral design, but Borum trained her and she has shown a natural aptitude for the work.

"Kim's a natural, very talented," Graham said.

Borum echoed his sentiments.

"She has the touch, she is very artistic," Borum said. "And Kim does such beautiful wreaths."

Borum spoke about his experience in floral design, discussing his hardest designs, what he feels were his best designs, the most challenging designs and his plans for the future.

"I think one of the hardest designs was the funeral arrangement for Joann Blackwell," Borum said sadly. "She was a very close friend and it hurt very much to have to prepare an arrangement for her funeral. At the same time I knew that her family would appreciate what I prepared for her. It still hurt though."

Borum said that a job he did for the wedding of Melissa Hamilton and Cody Bynum at the Rent One banquet hall was perhaps the most challenging.

"It was a huge hall and we had flowers everywhere," Borum said with a grin. "It turned out absolutely beautiful. They were very pleased."

Borum feels that his personal best is probably the floral arrangements he did for a dinner for former Governor Quinn at the estate of Dr. Roger Herren.

"It was a very formal event and there was no limit creatively on what I wanted to do," Borum stated, adding with a smile, "No budget limit either. It was a once in a lifetime creation."

Borum designed room and table arrangements for that event.

As to his future, Borum plans to remain behind the scenes at Village Blooms, concentrating on recovering his health and being available to help customers.

"I just won't be as hands-on as I used to be," Borum said.

Owner Graham added that there are many customers who insist on Borum alone doing their arrangements and he is pleased that Borum is willing to remain in the picture. Borum hopes that the community will continue to support Village Blooms and allow them to continue to provide for their floral needs.

Borum plans to look for a small house in Carrier Mills and remain in the area.

"This is my home," Borum said. "I grew up in Herrin and I've traveled all over the world, but this is where my family came when they emigrated from Liverpool, England. They came to Carrier Mills and worked in the local lumber mills, this is my home."