Lucile Belen

Lucile was educated in the Lansing Schools and graduated from Lansing Central High School. She attended Michigan State College, and entered the family business, Belen’s Flowers, in the early 1940s. She operated Belen’s Flowers for 60 years, and established the Belen’s School of Floral Design in 1950. She headed the design school until 1990, teaching hundreds of students from the mid-west and across the country. Lucile was elected to the Lansing City Council in 1955 and served continuously until 1992. She served as Mayor Pro tem, and two terms as Council President. She was elected to the Ingham County Board of Supervisors from 1957 to 1963, which included service as Chairman. She was also a member of the Ingham County Board of Health from 1964 to 1973. She helped bring the Lansing Community College to center city, along with the Radisson Hotel, the Cooley Law School, and the restoration of the Turner-Dodge House. She passed away on June 2, 2010 at age 97.

She established the Belen Health Careers Scholarship in 1988 to support students enrolled in the Health Careers at Lansing Community College.