Neva Bess (Waller) Alexander
June 6, 1894 - January 25, 1969
American Hemerocallis Society Charter Member
by Ray Houston
Excerpts from Region 6 Articles by:
Mildred Schlumpf, January 1969; Grace Alexander, 1991; and Steve Alexander, December 28, 2005
(Photo provided by Steve Alexander)

Neva Bess (Waller) Alexander was born in Arkansas, June 6, 1894, the daughter of James M. & Viola (Ashby) Waller. In 1916, Neva married John Willard Alexander. In most writings, Neva was referred to as Mrs. J. W. Alexander. John died in 1956.

Neva was a Charter Member of the American Hemerocallis Society.

In Memoriam
by Mildred Schlumpf, January 1969
(Reprinted from the 1969, April-May-June, Region 6 Newsletter)

The daylily world lost another gifted hybridizer with the passing of Mrs. J. W. (Neva) Alexander, a Charter Member of the American Hemerocallis Society, one of only five from Texas. She was perhaps better known for her Hemerocallis 'Southern Pride' (1953), a prolific yellow; H. 'Helen Spiller' (1956), orange; H. 'Mildred Schlumpf' (1957), orange; and H. 'Rosie Meyer' (1957), an excellent red.

Also among her creations were H. 'Dale Rocket' (1958), a lovely pastel pink; H. 'Grape Festival' (1958), a purple maroon; H. 'Prissy Miss' (1958), a miniature yellow; and H. 'Alta Loma' (1963), a large and showy peach blend.

H. 'Lady Neva' (Alexander-Moody), a soft buff yellow with rose eyezone, hybridized by Neva was registered by Rowena Moody in 1970.

Neva was born in Magnolia, Arkansas, June 6, 1894. She attended school there and when she was 17 years of age the family moved to Frederick, Oklahoma, where she later met and married J. W. Alexander. They settled in Galveston, Texas, in the mid-1940s, where she began growing daylilies in the sandy soil of the island. In the late 1940s, they purchased five acres in Alta Loma, Texas, (now a part of Santa Fe) and built a two story brick home where they lived. She began hybridizing daylilies around 1947. Her husband died in the late 1950s. Neva continued to live at the farm until the late 1960s. In all, she spent about 20 years on that farm where she developed and named some 55 varieties of daylilies. In 1965 she and her family moved to Harlingen.

In January 25, 1969, following surgery and a period of convalescence, she was stricken with pneumonia. She passed away in the hospital.

Neva was survived by two daughters, three sons, and thirteen grandchildren.

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Mrs. J. W. (Neva) Alexander
An Early Region 6 Daylily Hybridizer
By Grace Alexander
(Reprinted from American Hemerocallis Society Region 6 Newsletter, Summer 1991)

The American Hemerocallis Society was organized in July, 1946, as the Midwest Hemerocallis Society. My Mother-In-Law, Mrs. J. W. (Neva) Alexander, was one of the five charter members from Texas. I was married to her youngest son in June of that year. At that time she had a small daylily bed in her back yard in Galveston.

In 1945, Mom and Dad bought five acres in Alta Loma (now Santa Fe, Texas) on which they built a house, garage, and chicken house. She then added rabbits and was kept busy building hutches. The supply of rabbits was greater than the demand for them. Of course, she was adding daylilies to her collection and doing some hybridizing during this time.

Her first registration was Hemerocallis 'Midnight Frolic', a black-red self, in 1952. It was her husband's favorite and was planted on each side of the door into the Summer house.

She registered 57 daylilies. Her most popular variety was and is H. 'Rosie Meyer' (1957), a red self, which won a Honorable Mention (H. M.) in 1967 and was on the Region 6 Popularity Poll for many years.

H. 'Southern Pride' (a prolific yellow) was a big hit at the Valdosta Convention in the mid-1950s. Its scape looks similar to that of a tetraploid and is distinguished by brown markings most of the time. I found it on the 1963 National Popularity Poll.

H. 'Laughing Clown' is one of my favorites. Both Lula Mae Purnell and Mildred Schlumpf have told me they suggested the name. It does look like a clown's laughing face. I saw it in a seedling bed in a Birmingham tour garden in 1983. The hostess argued that it was hers, so I referred her to a previous tour garden where it was properly identified. I also showed Bill Monroe the bloom in case she tried to register it. There is only one H. 'Laughing Clown', and that's why it's so easy to identify. W. D. Everett wears the pin of H. 'Laughing Clown' made by the Brazosport Daylily Society in 1987. He says it's the only one he can identify. I find that hard to believe, hut I have a sister-in-law who says the same thing. Anna Rosa Glidden had it listed in her catalog under "oddities." I was pleased to find it in a planter by the Brown's greenhouse entrance at the Regional in 1978 and again in 1985.

In my last appeal for her daylilies in the Newsletter about ten years ago, Elizabeth Krebs sent me H. 'Captain Arthur', named for the husband of Edythe Arthur. Mrs. Arthur was RVP in 1958 when the American Hemerocallis Society (AHS) National was held in Houston.

Anna Rosa Glidden and Rodger Croker both came up with H. 'Pretty Baby'. I had not seen it before, but it has appeared since at flower shows. Anna Rosa had it in a bed at front as you entered her garden. Mable Nelson also grows it well.

H. 'Mildred Schlumpf' and H. 'Helen Spiller' were named for friends. Of course, we all know and love Mildred.

H. 'Louis Klinger' was named for a bus driver from Orlando who was at the Valdosta Convention in mid-1950s.

As mentioned before, the National Convention was held in Houston in 1958. Her Woodlawn Acres was on the tour, with 128 attendees enjoying the garden.

Hugh Russell wanted to buy her out some time in the early 1960s. Most of the family wanted her to sell, but instead she moved (with some of her daylilies) to Harlingen in 1964.

One of the strange phenomena of life happened on January 27, 1969 , the day of Neva Alexander's funeral. Rowena Moody (H. 'Lady Neva' and H. 'Hitchcock') had a daylily blooming and brought it to put in her friend's hands. Mildred Smith, who won the Sunshine Cup in 1988 for her H. 'Chatterbox'. is Rowena's daughter.

I believe the following sums up most of our feelings. It is from the 1966 Yearbook Issue - 20th Anniversary (April-May-June), AHS Journal: "The daylily has meant many things to me, and three words sum up the most important: Friends. Happiness, and Hope.

It has brought me friends and acquaintances from many places that I would not otherwise have had. The visitors to my garden and getting together at other gardens and Conventions have given me much happiness. The letters and kind words have been special. Nothing is more thrilling than finding a beautiful flower one has helped to create. There is always that eternal hope that next year will be better."

From: Pollenites Round Robin
Mrs. J. W. (Neva) Alexander
Harlingen, Texas

Mrs. J. W. (Neva) Alexander's Daylily Introductions
(Remarks in parentheses are from handwritten notes left by Mrs. Alexander)

1. Hemerocallis 'Alexis McCulla' - 34" EMRe - Iight yellow self SE (1956)

2. H. 'Alta Loma' - 34" - EMRe - 6" peach blend with rose tone eyezone and chartreuse throat - ext. - dor.; (1963)

3. H. 'Alzada Hassett' - 30" M - burgundy self - SE (1954) (Good bloomer - SE - Better in shade)

4. H. 'Amberglow' - 29" EMRe - light orange-yellow self - SE (1953) (Good bloomer - sun resistant)

5. H. 'Anel Unger' - 36" EMRe - Iight yellow with red purple eyezone - SE (1956) (Green throat - very striking)

6. H. 'Arthur Meyer' - 28" - EMRe - maroon self - SE (1955)

7. B-8 - never registered - very dark maroon, almost black (1957.

8. Improved B-8 - never registered - very dark maroon, almost black (1957)

9. H. 'Bertha Cone' - 30" - EMRe - apricot self, SE (1957)

10. H. 'Betty Souders' - 30" EMRe - Iight orange-yellow self - SE (1954) (Sun resistant)

11. H. 'Big Tex' - 28" MRe - light yellow self with green throat - SE (1961)

12. H. 'Black Butterfly' - 36" MRe - dark red self - Ev. (1953) (Sun resistant)

13. H. 'Black Warrior' - 32" EMRe - very dark red self - ext. - SE (1953) (Very dark purple - good bloomer - sun resistant)

14. H. 'Border Bright' - 30" MRe - yellow self - Ev. (1961)

15. H. 'Border Delight' - 24" EMRe - yellow self - Ev. (1961)

16. H. 'Border Lass' - 25" EMRe - yellow self with gr. throat - Ev. (1961)

17. H. 'Border Maid' - 32" MRe - light yellow with gr. throat - Ev. (1961)

18. H. 'Captain Arthur' - 36" M - red self - SE (1958)

19. H. 'Country Gentleman' - 32" EMRe - light yellow-orange self - Ev. (1953) (Apricot - good bloomer)

20. H. 'Dale Rocket' - 42" EM - pastel pink self - Ev. (1958)

21. H. 'Edythe Arthur' - 28" EMRe - very light yellow self - Nor. - SE (1959)

22. H. 'Elizabeth Weber' - 36" M - light yellow self - Noc. - SE (1958)

23. H. 'Ethel O'Hara' - 33" ERe - 7" orange melon self with chartreuse throat - Ev. (1963)

24. H. 'Eyes of Texas' - 32" EMRe - light yellow with dark eyezone - Ev. (1953) (Greenish yellow with red eyezone and green throat - extra good bloomer - sun resistant)

25. H. 'Flower Girl' - 33" M - orange-red self - Ev. (1953) (3 1/2" - coral tone - scape 28" - sun resistant)

26. H. 'Grape Festival' - 30" M - purple maroon blend with purple eyezone - Ev. (1958)

27. H. 'Helen Spiller' - 36" EM orange self - SE (1956) (Large gold - excellent bloomer sun fast)

28. H. 'Hitchcock' (Alexander-Moody) - 36" EM - brilliant red self with yellow-green throat - Fr. -Ev. (1968)

29. H. 'Honey Babe' - 24" M - light yellow self with chartreuse throat - (1961)

30. H. 'Honey Peach' - 32" EMRe - peach bitone with darker eyezone and chartreuse throat - Ev. (1961)

31. H. 'Irish Smile' - 32" MRe - pink tone with deep pink eyezone - SE (1957)

32. H. 'Lady Neva' (Alexander-Moody -1970) - 42" EMRe 9" soft huff yellow with rose eyezone. green throat - Fr. - SE.

33. H. 'Laughing Clown' - 28" ERe - red and orange bitone - Ev. (1958)

34. H. 'Little Gem' - 28" EMRe - yellow self with small chartreuse throat - Ev. (1961)

35. H. 'Louis Klinger' - 42" MRe - tan with brown tone eyezone - Ev. (1955)

36. H. 'Mamie Grey Holcombe' - 32" MRe - rose bitone with deeper halo - SE (1957)

37. H. 'Maribel' - 33" M - orange bitone, red eyezone - SE (1956)

38. H. 'Mayor Holcombe' - 42" MLa - light yellow self - SE (1957)

39. H. 'Mia Con Cop' (Alexander-Johnson, 1969) 32" EE - 5" reddish copper blend with dark red throat - ext. - Ev.

40. H. 'Midnight Frolic' - 38" M - dark red self - SE (1952) (6" EMRe - maroon - stays open late)

41. H. 'Mildred Schlumpf' - 36" EMRe - Medium orange self - Ev. (1957)

42. H. 'Miss Galveston' - 32" La - light yellow self - Ev. (1953) (Reblooming light yellow, wide petals 2 1/4", sepals 1 1/4" - scape 32" - well branched)

43. H. 'Missy' - 22" EM - yellow self - SE (1961)

44. H. 'Oro Grande' - 32" La - orange self - SE (1961)

45. H. 'Perky Miss' - 28" EMRe - yellow self with chartreuse throat - ext. - Ev. (1961)

46. H. 'Pretty Baby' - 24" M - salmon self with green throat - ext. - Ev. (1961)

47. H. 'Prissy' - 26" EERe - light yellow self - Ev. (1959) (Full petaled yellow - well branched - sun fast

48. H. 'Prissy Miss' - 22" E - yellow self - Ev. (1958) (Well branched - sunfast)

49. H. 'Reveller' - 36" M - light red/light yellow bitone - SE (1953) (EMRe - rose pink petals and light yellow sepals - scape 32" - sun resistant)

50. H. 'Rose Carol' - 26" EMRe - dark orange red veined polychrome - Ev. (1953) (6" - EMRe -brown rose with deeper eyezone - scape 26" - very sun and wind resistant - stays open late)

51. H. 'Rose Goddess' - 30" ERe - light red self - Ev. (1953)

52. H. 'Rosie Meyer' - 32" ERe - red self - Ev. (1957) (Red self with green throat, wide petaled -good form and very good substance - takes the sun well - Ev)

53. H. 'Scarlet Gem' - 30" ERe - medium orange-red - Ev. (1953) (5 1/4" - EMRe - very bright red - scape 30" - sun resistant)

54. H. 'Shammy' - 28" EMRe - pastel peach blend with deep peach eyezone and chartreuse throat - Ev. (1961)

55. H. 'Southern Apricot' - 30" ERe - light yellow orange veined polychrome - Ev. (1953)

56. H. 'Southern Pride' - 24" EM - medium orange self (dark yellow) - SE (1953) (6" ML - SE -yellow, chartreuse throat - wide ruffled petals 2" wide, sepals 1 1/8" scape 24" - good bloomer)

57. H. 'W. D. Commander' - 34" M - red violet self - SE (1955)

58. H. 'Westerner' - EMRe - dark orange-red - SE (1955)

59. H. 'Winks' - 27" MLa - yellow and lavender bitone - SE (1955)

60. H. 'Wistful' - 36" EMRe - light violet red - Ev. (1953) (4 1/2" EMRe - Ev. - rosy lavender - scape 36" - good bloomer - sun resistant)

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12/28/2005, Neva's Grandson, Steve Alexander, wrote:

As a young boy, I have many recollections of her daylily farm: plowed fields, daylilies as far as the eye could see, and my grandma always on the move. As a kid too busy playing, I didn't pay much attention to what she was doing. But now I know and she was apparently pretty good at it.

My Mom, Grace Alexander, has carried on the tradition in our family.

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