The English Club held their August meeting at McCoy’s Catering. President Jane Walker welcomed everyone and thanked the hostesses, Donna Barnhart, Carolyn Horan and Suzanne Miars. The flowers at each table were from the garden of Donna Barnhart.
Following a delicious meal, Donna introduced the speaker, Susan Hunt, who is a longtime member of the Wilmington Garden Club. She read excerpts from the early years of the club. The first year, 1930, there were 140 members, both women and men.
Areas around Wilmington that they decorate with their skilled hands include Point Park, Sugar Grove Cemetery, Wilmington Public Library, the county courthouse, and Wilmington College. They get ideas from their field trips to gardens all around the state.
Their flower shows began in 1954 at the Clinton County Fair for many years and, for the past few years, they have had their shows at the History Center.
It was the vision of early member Helen Reisen to make Wilmington beautiful. In 1986, she and some friends built the gazebo at Point Park. The most recent addition to this area is the agricultural exhibit dedicated by the Henry family.
Roll call was answered with the question” “Would you rather be an Olympic gold medalist or an astronaut?” Others present in addition to those already mentioned were Sharon Breckel, Joan Burge, Susan Henry, Nancy Jones, Shirley Katter, Joyce Peters, Judy Sargent, Frances Sharp, Jean Singleton, Helen Starkey, Connie Townsend, Jane Walker, Kitty Werner, Avonelle Williams, and Nancy Williams.
