Bertie
Mae (Piper) Ferris was born in Heath, Rockwall County, Texas, February 7, 1906,
the daughter of James Isaac Piper and Sallie Angeline (Bratcher) Piper. She had
a twin brother, William Buel Piper.Bertie
Mae (Piper) Ferris was born in Heath, Rockwall County, Texas, February 7, 1906,
the daughter of James Isaac Piper and Sallie Angeline (Bratcher) Piper. She had
a twin brother, William Buel Piper.
Bertie married Royal Andrew Ferris, Jr., December 5, 1941. Royal was a native of Dallas and his father was one of the Southwest's most prominent bankers. Ferris Plaza in front of Union Station in Dallas is named for him. Royal attended the old Terrell School, Sewanee Military Academy, and the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. In 1916, he graduated from the University of Texas, where he majored in geology. He served with the U.S. Army in both World Wars, rising to the rank of Colonel. Royal was the founder of Browning-Ferris Machinery in 1926, and he remained with the company until his retirement 1949. He died after a brief illness April 19, 1958.
At the time of Bertie's death in 1998, there was no name better known in the American Hemerocallis Society than that of Bertie Ferris. It has been fondly said by many that Bertie was the "Grand Dame of American Hemerocallis Society."
She was not only a "daylily" person, but was also interested in daffodils, hostas, and flowers of all kinds. She planted her first seed when she was six years old. She purchased her first daylilies in the late 1940s. She asked her husband if they could afford $20 to purchase some Stout daylilies. He said, "Yes if you purchase red ones."
American Hemerocallis Society Presidents, Board members, and committee members came to her for advice, ideas, and just to "talk things over." She gave unstintingly of her time and talent to American Hemerocallis Society for over 40 years. Bertie started to get involved with the American Hemerocallis Society in 1955 and became an American Hemerocallis Society member the year the articles of corporation where drawn up. Bertie attended her first American Hemerocallis Society Convention in 1958.
Bertie was asked to join the American Hemerocallis Society Board of Directors as a committee member by Annie T. Giles in the early 1960s. She was appointed as Protocol Committee Chair in 1963. She held this position until her death.
In 1964, Bertie worked with the director of the 1964 World Floral Exhibition Display Garden in Austria. She took 100 daylily cultivars to this exhibition.
Bertie served as Exhibitions Chair for 12 years and as American Hemerocallis Society President in 1969. She taught Exhibition Judges Clinics all over the country and had charge of the National Convention Exhibition Judges Clinics for more than 20 years. It is impossible to know how many people Bertie tutored or encouraged along the way. She was a staunch promoter of the Exhibition Judges Clinics.
Bertie was the recipient of the American Hemerocallis Society Helen Field Fischer Medal in 1970. This is the Society's highest honor and is the official recognition for distinguished and meritorious service rendered to the Society by a member on the National level.
In 1977, Bertie won the Region 6 Annie T. Giles Award with Hemerocallis 'Dallas Miss'. This award is given to the most outstanding cultivar hybridized by a local member of the club hosting the Regional Meeting. She registered 28 daylily cultivars under the name Ferris-R.
Bertie grew her best daylilies in her garden at her residence on Turtle Cove in Dallas. She grew her seedlings on a plot at Ury Winniford's residence along with Ken and Virginia Henson. When Region 6 held its annual Meetings in the Dallas area, the Ferris-Henson-Winniford garden was always on the garden tours.
Bertie received the Region 6 Service Award in 1981. She also was presented awards from many other horticultural societies.
Her interest in gardening culminated in being chosen Texas Garden Club's "Woman of the Year," in 1986, and President of the Board of Directors of the Dallas Civic Garden Center, 1987-88.
In 1992, the Region 6 Bertie Ferris Youth Endowment Fund was set into motion. This fund was officially established in 1993. In June, 2005, the Region 6 Fund was ended and a portion of the funds was donated to the American Hemerocallis Society Bertie Ferris Youth Scholarship Fund. Bertie was a firm believer in endowment funds. She is quoted to have said, "Non-profit groups like ours just have to have an endowment fund to meet their expenses." Bertie frequently encouraged people to donate money to the American Hemerocallis Society William E. Monroe Endowment Fund.
A memorial service was held for Bertie on Friday, February 27, 1998. It was a simple but elegant service led by a local garden writer Phil Huey. After a short prayer at graveside, all in attendance sang her favorite song - "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain."
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