Las Olas pioneer, Alberta Martin Quinn remembered

East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

East Las Olas Blvd

Las Olas Pioneer, Alberta Martin Quinn Remembered …

Alberta Martin Quinn, 'Mrs. A' to her legion of friends and customers, passed away on Sunday, May 20th after a lengthy illness.

When Mrs. Quinn purchased the building at 713 East Las Olas in 1963, she was already widely known as Broward County's oldest furrier. The building served as a fur salon on the ground floor, that was three times the size of her former salon at 1117 East Las Olas; and an expansive apartment upstairs which was her home.

In commenting on the purchase in the Fort Lauderdale News, Miss Martin said that " … fifteen years ago, Las Olas was the best street in Florida. Today, it's even better". Shortly before her passing, she commented to close friend Zola Keller that Las Olas was better than ever!

Prior to going into the fur business, Mrs. A was a decorator, who used those skills when she bought a 38-year old frame home in 1960. "My friends told me I was crazy to buy an old house like this," she told Society writer Margaret Walker. The quaint little house at 205 S.E. 12th Avenue was transformed into a " … charming little storybook house."

Mrs. A was born in Alberta, Canada. She lived for a time in Oklahoma and then moved to St. Louis where she attended and graduated from St. Louis University with a degree in decorating. She was an early pioneer in the Las Olas business community, being the first president of the Las Olas Association along with Carroll Seghers from Carroll's Jewelers.

She is remembered fondly by friends, fellow business owners and long time customers. The funeral took place on Thursday, May 25th at 11:00 a.m.