COLUMBUS, Ohio — Flags usually represent patriotism and passion, but for a family-owned business in Columbus, flags have a much deeper meaning.

What You Need To Know

  • Mary Leavitt, also known as the 'Flag Lady' passed away last December, but her legacy lives on

  • Her daughter Lori Watson and grandson Harrison Watson are continuing to run the store in her honor

  • This will be the first Flag Day celebration without Leavitt

“Wow. It's really big shoes to fill,” said the CEO of The Flag Lady, Lori Watson. 

Lori Watson is the daughter of Mary Leavitt, the so-called ‘Flag Lady’ who became well known in the Columbus area for her love of selling flags. But after Leavitt died last December, Watson is continuing her mother’s legacy.

“She trained me well," Lori said. "I worked with Mom for 35 years, and we miss her a lot, but I was trained up to do this and in the way that she did it."

Faith and family mean everything to Watson and her son, Harrison. That’s why on this Flag Day, continuing the family business and honoring the woman who started The Flag Lady store 44 years ago is their priority.

“It's a privilege," said Harrison Watson, COO of The Flag Lady. "I think that the Lord has been kind to our family to show each of us a different version of what the original vision of God and country that she saw says, and so I'm thankful to him for his faithfulness."

Harrison plans to take over the business after his mother retires. They said working together is a blessing and that they are doing this for something bigger than themselves.

“We're really a fun family, and flags are fun. They celebrate, they rally, they motivate and they tell a story," Lori said. "So our family is full of stories that we've inherited, clear back from our great grandmother."

And even though it’s the first Flag Day in decades without Leavitt manning the store, Watson said they’re celebrating by serving cake to their customers as a way to remember their beloved matriarch, the flag lady, forever.