Florence Yost

Florence Yost
Biography
Full Name	Florence Yost
Status	Alive
Gender	Female
Relatives	Ned Yost (husband) Deborah Blakeley (daughter) Paul Blakeley Jr. (son) Katie Yost (stepdaughter) Paul Blakeley (husband, deceased)
Occupation	Co-owner of Yost’s Mercantile Switchboard Operator
Residence	Hope Valley
Production
Seasons	1 - 11
Episodes	101
First	“Lost and Found”
Portrayed by	Loretta Walsh

Florence Yost (formerly Blakeley) is a recurring character in the Hallmark drama When Calls the Heart. She is portrayed by Loretta Walsh.

Storyline

Season 8

Mercantile

Florence discusses with Ned about Carson being concerned for not hearing from Faith for so long. She is still running the mercantile with Ned.

When Henry comes to get his mail, he notices the letter he sent is opened and accuses Florence and Ned of opening his mail. They refuse. Henry gets greatly upset, so upset that he causes himself to get dizzy and stumble from high blood pressure. When Henry feels better, he apologizes for his behavior to both Ned and Florence. Henry gives Florence an "I'm sorry" bouquet of flowers. Both Ned and Florence at touched by the gesture.

Romance with Ned

When the explosion happened at the oil rig, Ned raced in to help. He suffered from an ankle injury while he and some other men plus Fiona, push a heavy cart of dynamite towards the flames to put out the fire. It worked and Florence found his actions, heroic. Ned seemed embarrassed.

Florence and Molly went to dinner and Molly just stared at Bill who was having dinner with Helen, Lucas's mother.

Florence and Molly watch as something is delivered to the mercantile. Molly wonders if it is the new beehive ordered for Ned. Molly wants to get a present for Bill just like Florence did for Ned. Florence states this is going to be hard as Bill has everything he wants but Molly knows he doesn't have one thing...a wife.

When Ned is dealing with stomach pains, Florence places her hand over his admitting she is worried about him. She cares about him and wants to take care of him.

Florence offers to Ned a family solution for his stomach pains. She again expresses how worried she is for him and how much she cares about him. They have a tender moment until Elizabeth interrupts them. Florence comments about needing a bell on the door.

Florence gets a package which is a present for Ned. They open the package together. Florence had ordered a beehive for Ned but instead she got a beekeeper outfit. Ned is excited and asks Florence how she knew he was into bees. Florence tenderly admits, she is into all things Ned. They smile. The moment is interrupted by the bell going off saying they have a new customer. Florence is touched Ned added a bell for her.

Florence gets a present for Ned. She is soo excited to share it with him and helps him to open it. She is upset because it wasn't what she ordered. She had ordered a beehive which should have come in a bigger package but instead it's a bee keeper suit. Ned loves it and asks her how she knew he was into all things bee. She admits that she is into all things Ned. Proudly, Ned goes outside to show it off and overheats passing out on the front porch. Carson and Faith rush over to help him into the infirmary.

After Ned collapses, he is unconscious with Florence by his side as Carson and Faith look over his health history. Both are worried as Carson admits he should have pushed harder for him to go to Union City for treatment earlier. Molly brings soup for Florence to eat as she will not leave his side. When she learns that Carson and Faith have to operate on Ned, she is distraught as Ned's daughter is not here. Ned isn't worried and instead asks Florence to marry him when he wakes up. She is overjoyed and said "YES!".

Worried sick after Ned's surgery, Florence goes to the mercantile and works overly hard. She's overly frazzled as she's cashing people out and taking orders. Elizabeth notices and promises to find the perfect person to cover for her. She finds Rosemary and brings Rosemary in to help Florence allowing Florence to go sit by Ned. Florence is grateful. Florence goes to visit Ned and refuses Faith's suggestion she goes to get some rest. Florence does not want to leave Ned and instead sits by him and sings a song to him. Later on, Florence is distraught after learning from Carson that Ned will need another operation. Molly sits with her as her friend.

When he wakes up from his operation, he sees Florence sitting by his bed. He is delighted. He asked Florence if while fever induced, did he really ask Florence to marry him? She is nervous that he will retract it but admits he did. Instead a smile goes across Ned's face as he is happy to have such good news that she said yes!

Florence knows Ned wants to run the mercantile but also wants him to rest. As she tucks a blanket around him in his chair, she introduces him to their new mail carrier, Robert! Ned feels useless. He feels as though Robert is replacing him. Florence assures him that this is not the case. "No one could ever replace him in this town." She was only trying to make things easier on him so he could rest and heal. He accepts her apology.

Florence and Ned's Wedding

Florence struggles to find the perfect wedding dress despite Rosemary trying so hard. She and Molly head out just in time to welcome Fiona back. She said she was determined to make it before the wedding. She did!

The ladies plan a fun bachelorette party including some fun games. Once again the males join as their party isn't as fun. Fiona introduces a game where you blindfold the female and the touch the male's hands and choose their true love. Florence went first and found Ned's on the first try easily. Elizabeth went second and thought Nathan's was Lucas's. There was an awkward pause.

After Carson leaves. Faith told Fiona and Clara that Carson can be gone for up to two years and there is no guarantees he will ever return. Just then Florence and Molly arrive. Florence thanks everyone for her party saying she had so much fun. Faith comments she appreciates how open and honest Ned is about his feelings for Florence. Then Mike arrives asking Fiona to dinner. She accepts. After Mike leaves, Fiona assures them it is just two friends having dinner.

Florence needs her hair done for the wedding. Molly, Rosemary, Faith and Clara all have opinions n how she should wear her hair. Florence is overwhelmed so Fiona shoos them out saying it's Florence's choice. Once they are inside, Florence tells Elizabeth and Fiona that she wants a style that will show Ned just how she feels about him. She always feels like the ugly duckling but wants to really feel beautiful and special today as today is special. Fiona assures Florence that she will fix her hair so that Florence will see the beautiful swan inside which is what everyone else sees.

When Fiona was distracted, Ned snuck in to see Florence admitting he had cold feet. Florence said no matter what, she would not think less of him and he decides that thicker socks will do the trick. Touched, Florence gives him a kiss before he goes.

Florence tries on her dress and looks beautiful. Everyone did such a great job. Florence asks to speak to Molly privately. She thanks Molly for her sacrifice knowing that this was Molly's dress. She has always wanted the best for her, even at her own expense. She has always been there to pick her up when she has fallen. She has a present for Molly, a new dress for the wedding! Molly is happy.

Florence and Ned fell in love and were married. Their children, Katie Yost and Paul Blakely Jr. were in attendance at the wedding, but Florence’s daughter Deborah was away at university and was unable to attend. After the wedding, Ned gives Florence his family heirloom, a ring stating that his mother would have wanted her to have it.

Ned and Florence go away on their honeymoon together but Florence returns without him. Florence gets worried not hearing from him. He finally returns and shows Florence why. He has invented band-aids. Florence is delighted.  

Season 9

Florence and her husband, Ned, have taken over Dottie's Dress Shop and changed it into Yost's Pharmacy and Soda Fountain. They announce the news doing a fun song and dance. Florence confides in her husband that she was a dancer. She and Ned struggle with Mae Sui who misled them by claiming to be Geoffrey in her letters in reply to being hired as the pharmacist. Once it is decided she has the credentials, they hire her temporarily. They offer Mei the full time job but Mei is arrested before she can accept it.

Florence and Ned are carrying washing machines and is suckered into doing Bill's dirty laundry as he claimed he would not buy it until he knows for sure it works. While washing clothes, the washing machine attacks Florence making a mess.

Florence is greatly upset by the announcement in the newspaper that the mine might reopen. She takes it out on Henry who is working with the company who will reopen it and slaps Henry across the face calling him a "hateful man".

We get to see Florence in her ballet slippers. She dances for a minute but when tries to go en pointe, it hurts. It is interrupted by her friends Faith, Fiona and Molly who come bringing treats hoping to cheer her up after hearing the mine is reopening.

Relationships

Family

• Ned Yost (husband): Florence began working at the switchboard, which led to her spending a lot of time with Ned, since he ran the mercantile that housed the switchboard. They got to know each other well as friends, and their feelings began to deepen into romance. Ned suffered a health scare that made Florence realize she really loved him. They were married in 1918.
• Deborah Blakeley (daughter)
• Paul Blakeley Jr. (son)
• Katie Yost (stepdaughter): Katie loved and was protective of her father. She had some objections to his marrying Florence because she remembered when her own mother had died, and she feared the possibility of Ned having to go through the loss of another loved one if something should happen to Florence. Eventually, she realized that Ned and Florence loved each other enough to risk losing each other, and that the risk was worth it. She welcomed Florence as a stepmother.
• Paul Blakeley (husband, deceased)

Friends

• Molly Sullivan: Florence and Molly became best friends and supported each other through the loss of their husbands in the mine disaster.
• Fiona Miller: Fiona was Florence's boss at the switchboard until Fiona quit working for the phone company. She patiently guided Florence through learning the ropes of the job, and they became good friends through the process.

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