Helen Plagman was one of the leading authorities on plants and flowers in the Quad Cities. She was a weekly guest on WOC's Especially For You.

Especially For You was a mainstay of WOC's live programming from the middle 1950's through 1970 and Pat Sundine, EFY's host, was one of the most popular stars in the WOC viewing area. No known film of EFY exists today. Incredibly, pictures of Helen are on file at the University of Colorado including two pictures from EFY's last program!

The University of Colorado has graciously granted permission for this website to present these incredible pictures. Please note the restrictions regarding their use at the bottom of this page. The carnation is Colorado's state flower. Thankfully Helen was presenting features on carnations on these programs and it is presumed that she donated these pictures to C.S.U. How incredible to view these pictures for the first time in almost four decades! Special thanks to Shan Watkins and Janet Bishop at C.S.U. for their outstanding work.

Helen obviously enjoyed every moment presenting flowers and plants on EFY. She also had her own program for a period of time on Saturdays on WOC TV 6.

This photo is of Anita Sundin and Helen. Anita was a mainstay personality at WOC and was the fill-in guest hostess when Pat Sundine, the regular hostess was on vacation. Anita was an early television pioneer, beginning her radio/television career in 1943. She continues working to this day as one of the premier book readers for Department of the Blind, recording printed material on cassette tapes. She received the prestigious Perowsky Volunteer of the Year Award. Anita has recorded books on tape for over 27 years and has completed over 190 books.

This is the most incredible picture in the collection. Here is Pat Sundine, along with Helen on the very last Especially For You program. There is no known film footage of the show that exists today which makes this photo even more special. The back of the picture reads “Pat Sundine & Helen – doing Ivies and Colo Carnations Sept 25.1970”

Legendary WOC engineer Jon Book ties everything together by providing a document that should not even exist today. It is the WOC-TV Memo announcing the cancellation of Especially For You. This page provides the exact date of the airing of the last show which, along with the writing on the back of the picture, proves that this is a picture from the very last show.

To: All Employees

September 1, 1970

Subject: "Especially For You"

I know it will come as a shock and surprise to all of you to learn that the long-running "Especially For You" program will be terminating September 25.

This was a very difficult decision to make but the factors of program requirements, business conditions and long-range plans dictated that such action be taken. Some of the elements of our public service and community relations programming which have been contained in this show will be handled through other avenues which are currently being planned.

Frankly, an alternative role in these further program changes was offered to Pat but regretfully she has chosen to decline the alternative and terminate after the last telecast. With regard to George Sontag, I assume we will simply have to regard this as early retirement.

I am sure you all know how much both Pat and George have contributed to WOC over the years and wish them well in their future endeavors.

Once again, this was not an easy decision to make but I hope you will all remember that this is a business and must be operated accordingly.

Helen and her friend Anita posing for pictures during a segment on carnations on the popular Especially For You program on WOC TV-6, Davenport, Iowa.

Longtime WOC director Ed Jones moving into action on the set of Especially For You. Note the object sticking out on the right. This is the projector that legendary WOC engineer Jon Book would use the project the cloud formation you see on the back-drop of the set.

A terrific shot of George Sontag, longtime and beloved musical director for WOC, Helen Plagman, Anita Sundin, and director Ed Jones

The last known picture of Especially For You. How fitting that the show would end with a beautiful bouquet of carnations after a decade and one-half on the air. The back of the picture reads - “Show – last one of Pats – We had double time on this segment – doing a lot on Colorado and ivies from Hahn Nursery Pittsburgh – Sept 25, 1970 - Colo Carnations with their shiny buttons – “. This bouquet is clearly seen in the picture with Pat Sundine and Helen.

Colorado State University has graciously granted permission for this website to present these pictures from their collection from the Records of the Colorado Flower Growers Association. This permission is only for use on this website. Permission is only for non-profit and scholarly/educational purposes. For requests for permission for use of material in commercial and for-profit productions, use of our form Permission for Commercial Use of Images from Colorado State University Archives and Special Collections is required.

Preferred Citation for Images from Colorado State University Archives and Special Colections;

Records of the Colorado Flower Growers Association, Colorado Agricultural Archive, Colorado State University, Archives and Special Collections

A WOC TV-6 promotional picture featuring Anita Sundin and Helen Plagman on the set of Especially For You. Special thanks to Anita Sundin for use from her collection and to legendary WOC engineer Jon Book for the scan.

Special thanks to Colorado State University Archives for the following letters from Helen Plagman. In following the letters it is easy to see how passionate Helen was about presenting garden plants and flowers on television. She and her husband were two early television pioneers who started on WOC in the 1950's with their presentations and their own show. The following letters also sadly show the ending of an era for one of WOC's great live broadcasting television programs "Especially For You" after over two decades on the air.


June 5, 1970
Mr. Dick Kingman
Executive Director
Colorado Flower Growers Association, Inc
2785 North Speer Suite 230
Denver, Colorado

Dear Dick;

We are sorry to be so late with the pictures. They seemed to have had real trouble with them. Picture people say the very poor lighting in the background caused the darkness. We are truly sick about it because as a rule pictures are so good.

You are the first to receive any - now our next show isn't far away - June 16th - Rose Gardens, photographed six stories high. We will show the new roses from Jackson & Perkins - Conrad - Pyle - Hemets - (Howards) nursery of Calif. also Armstrongs. The Tri-City Men's Rose and Garden Club will have their big rose show. Dr. Plagman founded that club and it has gone to spread goodwill.

We loved working with you for both carnation shows. Please have a fine summer.

Best Wishes Always

-Helen


June 8, 1970
Mrs. Helen Plagman
Davenport, Iowa 52803

Your letter and pictures arrived this morning and we were very happy to see the impact of our modest donation to your flower programs.

My mother sent a tape of your program from Iowa City, and we thought it was excellently presented.

So, once again we say thank you for your continued interest in our beautiful product.

Dick Kingman

Executive Director Colorado Flower Growers Association, Inc.


June 20, 1970
Mr. Dick Kingman
Executive Director
Colorado Flower Growers Association, Inc
2785 North Speer Suite 230
Denver, Colorado

Dear Dick;

We'll just never recover from that great and wonderful suprise. I took your letter over to Art Gallery last Sunday so Elizabeth Rochow could read it. Now she says you'll know she told you the truth.

I am expecting one of these days you might be visiting in Iowa City. Don't fail to let us know so we can have you on the show. They will change the time to 12:30pm sometime this fall. Also we'll lose our great director- Ed Jones - he runs while he sets up the show while all of the camera men just stand around. Dr. Plagman and I had him 2 years for our own show called "Our Good Earth".

We'll be opposite that soap opera "As the World Turns" but as Pat says - other changes may come along too - we'll go on at 12:30 I think. Now we go on at 9 a.m.

Oh, I think I told you - Harry Hazier comes from Dixon, Illinois so we had constant mail from there. They said his mother and dad alerted half of the town to listen to the broadcast.

Thanks again for being so gracious. Our flowers were thrilling to work with and I love introducing the new ones to the world. Just introduced 14 new roses on Tuesday. Some were named and some were not.

Best wishes always - Helen


October 5th, 1970
Mr. Dick Kingman
Executive Director
Colorado Flower Growers Association, Inc
2785 North Speer Suite 230
Denver, Colorado

Dear Dick;

Your last letter of June 8, at hand - It was a most beautiful letter too, what with your mother taping the show and all.

I had double time on Pat's last show and we did ivies from Pres. Walter Hahn, Pittsburg and Colorado carnations. We had the ivies started a year ago by Pres. Hahn. Coleman's did a beautiful arrangement of your own carnations - I wore carnations and Pat wore a gardenia. We showed 20 slides - many were carnation shows, besides speaking about the ivies and carnations at length.

We took pictures of each segment and I'll send you some when they are done. Now with Pat and I away things move slowly. We had some wonderful director - Ed Jones- who runs setting up a show - the propmen just look!

Have not given up the idea of doing the 2 carnation shows - Please don't let anyone else have them. WOC still might take them. Anita Sundin has M.C.'d - some of them for Pat and she is still there. WQAD might take them too.

We all hope you and your family are fine - Very Sincerely - Helen


October 25th, 1970
Mr. Dick Kingman
Executive Director
Colorado Flower Growers Association, Inc
2785 North Speer Suite 230
Denver, Colorado

Dear Dick;

Received your fine letter of Oct 8 and thank you so much. Enclosed find the poor pictures of our last show on "Especially For You" - Pat and I had forgotten we had to have pictures taken and had gotten into our other clothes.

Enclosed is a new clipping about what "Pat" is going to do. Our director, Ed Jones was over to see me 2 weeks ago and he said he would talk again to the program director about the carnation shows - I have talked to them too - There is still a chance WQAD might take one or both. Have talked to them once. They are so beautiful and we have had more fan mail on them than anything else and that is saying a lot because our other shows were on the GREAT side.

Most Sincerely - Helen


Clipping from Shirley Davis column from Helen Plagman

September 24,1970 - Show on Sept 25

Pat Sundine's "Especially For You" TV show Friday at 12:30 p.m. is bound to be a nostalgic one. Because its her final show, she's invited a number of the personalities who have made appearances with her over the past 17 years.

There'll be Helen Plagman, who has planned so many of the floral shows; Ada Gaffney Shaff, who has done the fashion commentary; Mabel Flint, Scott and Muscatine County home economist; ceramacist Mrs. Ray Larkin; and Pat's husband Jack, who has often appeared as a guest. It's very likely that pianist George Sontag will repeat the fist number he ever played on tv - Stardust.

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