ONCE UPON A TIME
Lula Mae Purnell
(Reprinted from Region 6 Newsletter, January-February-March, 1977)
Maybe this isn't a Fairy
Story, but I think you might agree some of the events just might have been from
the "Land of Make Believe."
So - "Once Upon A time" - the magazine FLOWER
GROWER had on its staff a lovely and charming lady, known as the
"Flower Lady" - Mrs. Helen Field Fischer. This Fairy Queen for many
years conducted a number of Robins for the magazine. One of these was a
Hemerocallis Robin. Flower shows at the Henry Field Seed Company of Shenandoah,
Iowa, had been discontinued during World War II, but by request it was decided
to resume the shows and there was a strong feeling that there should be a
daylily organization. So, over the daily half-hour program on Radio Station KDKP,
conducted by Mrs. Fischer for the Henry Field Seed Company, plans and
announcements were made for a show and meeting.
On Saturday and Sunday, July 13th and 14th, 1946, five thousand
visiting flower lovers converged on the Henry Field Seed Company from Colorado,
Montana, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia, as well as from the nearby states.
Hotels and private homes were filled, so a dormitory was improvised in the
basement of the Congregational Church, and dubbed "The Robin's Nest."
The Seed House became a Fairyland of Flowers, and everywhere one looked there
was the flower in whose honor the show was held - the Hemerocallis. There were
many lovely arrangements featuring daylilies and even a table of corsages.
On Sunday afternoon a meeting was held in the auditorium of
the Seed House, and the "Midwest Hemerocallis Society" was born. All
who joined that year were Charter Members. When the first yearbook was printed,
there was a membership of 475 and in order to get the book printed they had to
have 600. They decided to go ahead anyway, with the thought that the surplus
copies would one day be Collector's Items, which they now really are. The first
book was printed in March 1947, and in it are listed the names of five charter
members from Texas - Mrs. J. W. Alexander (Galveston),
Mrs. Paul Kane (San
Antonio), Mrs. N. D. Riddle (San Antonio),
Mrs. M. J. Sheridan (Fort Worth), and Dr. Lloyd H. Shinners (Dallas). By the end of the Charter year
the membership numbered 757, and 23 of these were from Texas.
In 1948, the Society really became National, so the name
"Midwest" was dropped and it was known as "The Hemerocallis
Society." It was not until the Meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May
16-19, 1955, that it became the American Hemerocallis Society.
The above brief report was needed to bring us up to date
before going into the Regional activities.
Soon after the Society was organized, the country was divided into ten Regions.
Region 6 consisted of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, with
Mr. F. E. Rice of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, as our first Regional Director, (as
they were then called). Mrs. Paul Kane of San Antonio, was appointed Region 6
Publicity Director. Mr. Rice remained Regional Director through 1949 and was
followed by Mrs. W. R. Mathews of Shreveport, Louisiana, for the terms
1950-1952.
The second National Meeting was again held at the Henry Field
Seed Company, Shenandoah, Iowa, on July 11-12, 1948. The third meeting was at
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, with 770 delegates from 17 states present on June 25-26,
1949. In 1951, Oklahoma and Arkansas became Region Eleven, with Mr. D. R.
McKeithan as their first Regional Director. In 1955, Louisiana became Region
Thirteen. Mrs. Mary F. Stevens of Fort. Worth, Texas, was appointed Regional
Director for Region 6 for the years 1953-54. Region 6 was now Texas and New
Mexico.
A few notes from a Newsletter sent out by Mrs. Stevens in
December 1953: "Wichita Falls, Texas - A Hemerocallis Club was organized
September 1953 with 34 members. Mr. Paul Jones has been appointed Judge in this
area and with his work and enthusiasm he will make an excellent one. This makes
four judges in Texas. We certainly could use more."
"Houston, Texas - the Houston Hemerocallis Society was
organized October 1953, with 40 members. They elected a temporary President,
Mrs. E. W. Woods, and Secretary, Mrs. L. Z. Bean. They will elect officers in
January 1954."
ONCE UPON A TIME
Lula Mae Purnell
Time Marches On
(Reprinted from the Region 6 Newsletter, October-November-December, 1977)
Yes, it really does have a way
of just getting on down the road. It is now the years of 1955, 56, and 57, and
the Board of Directors of the American Hemerocallis Society have appointed Mrs.
F. D. Arthur of Houston to guide our "Good Ship Region 6" on its way.
Edythe Arthur was already well known as a soil conservationist and organic
gardener, being a charter member of the Houston Organic Garden Club, and was
well known as a Garden Club, Radio, and TV speaker. She was one of the early
Awards and Honors Judges, as well as Exhibition Judge of the American Hemerocallis
Society, among her many other activities.
The first Yearbook of the American Hemerocallis Society
(known as Midwest Hemerocallis Society) listed five names from Texas. (None from
New Mexico). These five names are listed in the first pages of this story, but
since they were to be Charter Members if they enlisted by the second annual
(1948), the following other names are listed as Charter Members: Mrs. William H.
Benners (Dallas), Mrs. Emma Blum (Fort Worth), L. B. Brown, Jr., (Fort Worth),
Mrs. W. I. Como (Houston), Mrs. Fred B. Cotlin (Weatherford), Mrs. Joe Goldston
(Clarendon), Mrs. L. R. Hogg (Dallas) , Mrs. L. P. Johnson (Abilene) , Mrs.
Laura R. Jones (Dallas), C. M. Nevitt (Dallas), Mrs. P. A. Rawlins (Dallas), H.
M. Russell (Spring), Jacob Russell (College Station), Mrs. Gross R. Scruggs
(Dallas), Mrs. Lulu A. Sheering (Waco), Mrs. L. S. Sooter (Fort Worth), Mrs.
Mary Stevens (Fort Worth), and Mrs. Etherl Womble (Fort Worth) - a total of 23
Charter Members from Texas! Many more of us old timers joined after that, but of
course were not Charter Members. And don't forget it was the magazine Flower
Grower, with its Robin group that started the whole ball rolling.
During Mrs. Arthur's term of office Region 6 had several
active Societies - among the very early ones we find listed Wichita Falls,
September 24, 1953, with forty members. Houston and Corpus Christi were
organized in the Fall of 1953; Gulf Coast, 1956. Dallas got itself organized at
the home of Mrs. Hugh A. Purnell, with 17 Charter Members in January 1957. Mr.
Paul Jones was appointed as an Awards and Honors Judge, and by now the groups
were having annual shows. Mrs. J. C. Lamb, Exhibition Chair, had gotten out
the first Manual and was appointing new Judges. Each group was allowed one
Awards and Honors Judge for each ten members of AHS. Among those early Judges,
besides Mrs. F. D. Arthur, we find listed: Annie T. Giles (Austin); Ruth Tallman
(Fort Worth); Betty Weber and Mrs. Barton Westerfield (Corpus Christi); Mildred
Schlumpf, Nancye Woods, Mrs. May Del Flagg, and Mrs. Margaret Palmer, (Houston);
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond C. McIver, Iva Hogg, and Lula Mae Purnell (Dallas); H. M.
and Jake Russell (Spring); Mrs. Charles Sill (Van); Robert L. Stepp (Trinity);
and Mrs. Maxine Mills (New Mexico). Most of the above were also appointed as
Exhibition Judges.
The Corpus Christi Society held a Flower Show on May 17,
1956, showing 285 scapes, and attracting hundreds of visitors.
Mrs. Paul Kane of San Antonio reported in June 1956, that
District VII of the Texas State Council of Garden Clubs had adopted the Daylily
as its flower and was featuring it on the cover of their cookbook.
Oh yes, there were plans made for a bus from Texas a number
of years before it really happened. For the Omaha AHS meeting of July 1956, Mrs.
Arthur made wonderful plans for a bus to make an outstanding trip, but it seems
Region 6 folks were still a little bashful, and didn't "take hold" of
the idea as they should have. Well, the next year she made plans again and even
though the bus didn't make it, Austin sent the following members up to Dallas
(by bus): Dr. and Mrs. D. W. Hall, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Merritt, and Annie T.
Giles. In Dallas, they were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Martin McMillan and Lula Mae
Purnell. The bus driver gave us the honor of boarding the bus ahead of others,
so as to reserve our own little section of the bus, and so on to Tulsa.
The Tulsa Convention was fine, but as a Region 6 Reporter, I
would just like to say, "they knew we were there and that we wanted them to
come to Texas next year, as we would be hosting the first Region 6 National
Convention in Houston." Yes, Mrs. Arthur had prepared a large blue felt
badge with a large "silver" 6 on it for each of us to wear.
Region 6 became fourth place in AHS membership in 1957, even
then Mrs. Arthur was pushing for first place for us.
The dates May 15, 16, 17, 1958, are important dates for
Region 6. Daylily lovers came from all over the country and Houston was ready
for them. Not only were the Tour Gardens groomed and ready, but the whole city
of Houston had large plantings all over the place and they saw to it that folks
got a touch of Texas History by having one luncheon at the San Jacinto Inn with
its Monument and Battleship Texas in the background. The South of the Border
party around the pool let everyone know we were not only colorful but ready for
fun. The Honor guest and speaker was none other than the "Old Dirt Dobber"
himself.
The following gardens were on tour: Mr. and Mrs. H. B.
McKnight, Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Schlumpf, the Earl W. Wood Garden, Mr. and Mrs. Mel
Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Thibodeaux, Mr. and Mrs. Asbury Parks, and the
Russell Gardens. There were many other gardens open to anyone who could grab a
little time to go to see them, and a bus was sent out to Alta Loma to see the
large plantings of Mrs. J. W. Alexander. Not many of the visitors had ever seen
such a sight as the 33 acres all in full bloom at the Russell Gardens. No, it
was not a dream - it was real.
Mrs. Mel Thomas was the lucky Region 6 Supervisor over all
this beauty, fun, and fellowship of this wonderful Convention - and on top of
that, to have her beautiful city block garden on tour. The daylilies had a
beautiful setting under the huge Oak trees. Jean Thomas had only grown daylilies
since 1953, but now had hundreds of the newest and finest with easily read
labels. The many outstanding companion plants, such as the 40 foot bed of
Leopard Plant, the gorgeous Agapanthus, Creole Lilies, Crinums, and Centifolium,
and the extra large Hoya in the hot house will ever remain a beautiful memory.
Mrs. Thomas was the last to be known as Region 6 Supervisor,
for 1959 has arrived and Miss Annie T. Giles becomes the first Region 6
Vice-President of the American Hemerocallis Society. Yes, the same duties, the
same honors, the same work, but under a different name. They had been called
Regional Directors through 1951, Beginning with the year 1952 they became
Regional Supervisors. Now in 1959, they were Regional Vice-Presidents.
Miss Annie T. Giles held this job for the years 1959-60, with
Jewel Covington as her Publicity Director. Region 6 was growing fast. The year
1959 had shown forty-seven new members. So Annie set a goal of 500 - her motto
"Everyone - Get One." She reports thirty-nine Awards and Honors
Judges.
When Annie T. Giles and Lula Mae Purnell met for the first
time at that bus station on their way to Tulsa, roomed together, and became good
friends, those retired teachers began to make great plans for Region 6. They
decided it was now time to get Region 6 really organized. Annie told Lula Mae
that if she would get Dallas to host a Meeting that June, she would see to it
that Austin would do likewise in 1960. So now the Region 6 begins not only to
turn but to go!!
The second Meeting of Region 6 of the AHS met at the Tower
Hotel Courts, Dallas, on June 11, 12, 13, 1959. That first program is included
in the Regional Scrapbook. It was lots of fun and people came. On Thursday, June
11, seventy-five people registered and cars were sent to the Dallas Garden
Center to see the Flower Show, hosted by the Dallas Hemerocallis Society and
from 5-7 that afternoon a school for Exhibition Judges was held, with a Dutch
Treat supper and brag night to follow. Friday morning buses loaded and the
following gardens were visited: Mr. and Mrs. Milton Berry, Mrs. Richard
Robertson, Mrs. Nata Yound, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh A. Purnell - box lunch, Mr. and
Mrs. M. W. Norton, and Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Wheeler.
At 7 o'clock Mrs. Huge A. Purnell, Convention Chair,
called upon Mrs. J. W. Hoffman for the Invocation and Mrs. Richard Robertson for
the welcome, with Mrs. A. M. Tallman of Fort Worth responding. Mrs. Purnell then
introduced all of her committees, and then turned the meeting over to Miss Annie
T. Giles, Regional Vice-President, to conduct the Regional business and final
organization plans, inviting the group to meet the following year in Austin.
There was more to come - for on Saturday morning June 13, the
buses loaded for visits to gardens of: Mrs. Mary Redman Irving, Mr. and Mrs. R.
C. McIver, Mr. and Mrs. Jay E. Warner, Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Roquemore, and Mr. and
Mrs. Marcel Jones with a chuck wagon barbecue. At 2:30 that afternoon a
beautiful Tea was held at the home of Mrs. Royal A. Ferris. A number of other
gardens were also open to visitors.
An exact quote from Annie's Newsletter sent out to boost the
above Meeting: "The Annie T. Giles Trophy will be awarded for the first
time at our Dallas meeting. This is a rotating Trophy awarded as a visitor's
choice to a local seedling, voted best by the out of town members attending the
Regional Meeting. The hybridizer of the winning seedling will hold the trophy
for the period between our Regional Meetings."
The Annie T. Giles Trophy was won by Mrs. Raymond C. McIver
on her 58-96, a beautiful green-throated, yellow, much ruffled seedling. She
also had the runner-up.
It should be mentioned that an Awards and Honors Clinic and
practice judging was held in the Norton Garden, conducted by Mrs. F. D. Arthur.
Oh yes, and the Robins were there with all their chirps - 14 of them sat
together at the Friday night banquet.
With all this enthusiasm behind us, we can look forward to a
New Year and a new get-together in Austin in 1960.
During the year 1960, people everywhere were becoming Daylily
fans. The large Russell Gardens (I believe then the largest in the United
States) were advertising and shipping them all over the country. They put out a
most interesting catalog (some parts of their early catalog can be found in the
Scrapbook section). There began to sprout up other Commercial Daylily Gardens.
Dolly Wheeler was not only selling from her large garden, but was shipping large
quantities to nurserymen all over the country. Lucille Williamson was becoming
known for her line of adorable "ponies." Mrs. J. W. Alexander was
becoming well known. The Hughes Garden of Mansfield and Norton's in Dallas, at
first better known for their Iris were beginning to be well known, to mention a
few of the first commercial growers. Then, many began being known as
"backyard hybridizers" and were also taking orders from their backyard
gardens.
Then on June 3-4, 1960, the Austin Hemerocallis Study Group
hosted the third annual Meeting of Region 6 of the American Hemerocallis Society. (This Study Group was organized as the Austin Hemerocallis Society, May
26, 1961). Headquarters were at the Villa Capri Courts. Starting with a Tea in
the Tropicana Room, the group had a beautiful display of cut Hemerocallis and
lovely arrangements. At 7:30, the Annual Dinner was held, with Mrs. Stanley
Miller, Chair, presiding. The Invocation was given by Dr. C. W. Hall, and
welcome by Mrs. Cora A. Lewis, President of the Violet Crown Garden Club, with
Mrs. J. B. Covington responding in behalf of the Region. Miss Annie T. Giles,
Regional Vice-President, presided at the Business Meeting. This was the first
time that AHS had asked the Regions to nominate their own Regional
Vice-President and the name of Mrs. Hugh A. Purnell was presented for this
honor. The "hat" was passed to help pay some of the expenses of the
Newsletter and other Regional expenses, but it was suggested that if everyone
would send Miss Giles fifty cents it would be appreciated. For the rest of the
year a small amount was raised in this way.
Mrs. Hugh A. Purnell was the speaker for the evening. Her topic was
"Something New In Hemerocallis - Miniatures and Dwarfs." Also some
interesting slides were shown.
On Saturday morning June 4, buses took the group to visit the
following gardens: Miss Annie T. Giles, Mr. and Mrs. P. G. Crum, Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Merritt, Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Rowe, and Dr. and Mrs. C. W. Hall. The group
was then taken to Barton Springs where they were served a delicious box lunch.
As the Group bid each other good-by they were looking forward to meeting in 1961
in beautiful Corpus Christi.
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