Garden Club

Continued from page 4 number of road side rests and the state government’s efforts to beautify along highways. He encouraged beautifying highway entrances into the town. Expanding its beautification efforts in 1950, the club had dogwood

The Adrian Hospital Auxiliary’s first House and Garden Tour fundraiser on July 31, 1957, included 12 impressive local homes. The Punxsutawney Garden Club assisted with the project that included the Barletta summer resort home and lodge six miles south of town on the Indiana road. (photo taken by The Punxsutawney Spirit)

Flower shows with themes were popular Garden Club programs during the 1950s and ’60s. A 1956 meeting at Mrs. R.E. Mateer’s home featured 44 arrangements created by members, each representing a song title. Prizes were awarded for the best arrangements and to the members able to identify the most song titles the arrangements signified. (submitted photo) trees planted along the Mahoning Creek from Indiana Street to Morrison Avenue, while in 1952 it became active again with landscaping at the Punxsutawney Hospital.

In 1956, the first trash receptacles were placed downtown by the borough, and the club held a rummage sale to fund a clean-up of the Old Cemetery, thanking Walter Means and his crew for their help with that project.

Members’ own floral arrangements were popular programs in this era. The August 7, 1956, meeting minutes report that 44 flower arrangements created by members were on display at the afternoon meeting in the home of Mrs. R.E. Mateer on Ashland Avenue. Each was to represent a song title. Arrangements were numbered and the members then tried to identify the song each was representing. First prize went to Mrs. William Thompson for correctly identifying the most song titles, and to Mrs. Pringle and Mrs. Bidwell, respectively, for second and third place. The most popular arrangements were first to “Lille” by Mrs. N.H. Boyd, second to “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” by Mrs. E.H. Brennan and third to “The Red Lantern” by Mrs. Chester Bundy.

On July 1, 1957, the Adrian Hospital Auxiliary collaborated with Garden Club to conduct their first annual House and Garden Tour. Mrs. Sam (Elaine) Light chaired this major event which featured a tour of 12 houses over a four-hour period. The J.C. Penney Company, which then had a store in downtown Punxsutawney, provided dropcloths to cover the floors that visitors would be traipsing over, while the Smart Shop and Golden George’s clothing stores dressed models from the Beta Sorority with outfits coordinated with the various house decors at which each was stationed. The Garden Club prepared flower arrangements for each home.

Over 450 guests bought tickets for this very successful fundraiser tour, all the proceeds going to the hospital. Among the 12 homes were those of Mr. Raymond Dereume, Belgian consulate in Western PA, on Pine St.; Mr.

Sam Light on Church St.; Mr. Ben Rubin; Mr. Alva Cole on N. Jefferson St.; Mr. James Brown; Mr. Gene Kiehl; Mr. Lester Pete; Judge Robert Morris; and Mr. Clark McLaughlin of East Mahoning St.; along with the Barletta family lodge named Sunset, six miles out of town on the Indiana road; and Dr. McCaulely’s “old schoolhouse” summer cottage on the Bells Mills road. A second home and garden tour was held the next year in 1958; it drew 500 attendees with proceeds going to rebuild the sun porch at the Adrian Hospital.

In 1958 Garden Club had the first downtown parking meter urns planted and placed, 24 of them, and they’ve been placed every year since. In 1962, Otto’s Florist planted 31 urns, which were placed by the town’s street department. In the mid-sixties, Costanzo “Buck” Verdill was hired to water them. Garden Club paid for the flowers with money from fundraisers, card parties being one of their most frequent throughout the 1950s and ’60s, along with bake sales and tag sales.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Garden Club’s participation with floral displays in WPME radio’s Hobby, Art, and Flower Shows became a regular activity at the Punxsutawney Area High School cafeteria during Groundhog Festival. Eight hundred to a thousand people would pass through the doors of that popular event.

Garden Club’s current oldest, continuous member, Roberta “Robin” Dinsmore, joined the club in the 1965-66 season, 57 years ago. Her name first appears in the printed club booklet dated 1966-67.

The Punxsutawney Garden Club welcomes new members. The current officers are President Kim Wittenburg, Vice President Suzy Meyer, Secretary Gloria Kerr, Treasurer Debby Elder, and Corresponding Secretary Dotty Jekielek.

The next GC meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 2, at Barb Certo’s home at 114 Smithhill Road, Punxsutawney. Dues are $10. If interested in attending, contact Gloria Kerr at drgkerr@gmail.com or any Garden Club member for more information.

Thanks to Barb Certo who provided notes with information on the first two decades of the Punxsutawney Garden Club’s history, and to Debby Elder, Dotty Jekielek, and Judy Hampton whose brains I picked for detailed memories of their many years in the club. Other information was gleaned from Garden Club historic scrapbooks, annual member booklets, and meeting records.