July 15 , 2020
Story of Perseverance: One Gardener’s Century
When we murder a record high gear of 108 ° , my grumpy mood melt down when I read this true history from Arkansas looker Roy Wilson . It ’s a short , timely tale about his aunt , an unsubduable gardener who missed her 102nd natal day in 2019 by just two month . Her kin pulled together in the deadly Spanish influenza of 1918 – 1919 . At age 99 , she went after wayward plants to relegate them once and for all . Roy beautifully chronicle his aunty ’s trusty plants . Her climb rise , most probable ‘ New Dawn ’ , still rambles along her fence in his recent guessing . I ’ve got one , too , and it ’s a ruffianly , fragrant beauty . Roy Wilson ’s an award - winning account instructor and writer who documents the area ’s chronicle . A sovereign gardener in Sheridan , Arkansas , he also knows how to use a tv camera . His Southern magnolia prompt dentist Dr. Terry Bushay ’s poetic verbal description “ pineapple sit down on clean pillow . ”Here ’s Roy ’s story about Aunt Hazel .
Her name was Hazel Allen Wilson , my mother ’s sis . She was born August 18 , 1917 . She survived the 1918 global Spanish flu epidemic , telling me that her don and sr. brother left food and firewood on their cousins ’ porch since the entire family was unconscious from the flu .
Her husband , my father ’s first cousin , serve in World War II . They had no children . When he leave for the war in 1942 , Hazel settle she want a wedding ring . Since they were in poverty , she took 32 chicken and a cock 25 land mile to Pine Bluff to trade in social club to buy a lean Au band . She wore it for 77 years!Hazel ’s earliest memory at age three was having a job assigned to her . She was always engage in a project . When old enough , her assigned task was doing the laundry for the family of nine . Each Thursday morning was washables daytime . Her male parent would help her attract water from the well to fill the wash drawing tubs and help work up the attack for the iron kettle . When finished , she would take the air two nautical mile to a two - way school . Her motto was “ never sit down . ” If you were get sitting , you had better have a good reason , especially if the “ project ” was still ongoing . Hazel grow a magnanimous veg garden each year after she marry in 1939 until 2015 . Then she “ direct ” me , the medical intern , for two garden : 2016 and 2017 . She was glad that “ we ” made 100 ear of corn in 2016 .
On August 18 , 2017 , I filmed her suppose : “ Today I am 100 long time honest-to-goodness and I can still get up and do what I require to do . ”In 2012 , she fall on her concrete porch and cracked a hip , subsist surgery and the metal rods . She turn on in 2013 step out of her 60 - foot prospicient blossom seam and snap off three rib and a collarbone . After 54 nights of detain at night to help her , she said , “ l’m well now , you’re able to go home and take your paper plates with you . ”In 2016 , she felt the need to dig up her scourge , “ godforsaken ” Allium cepa , and trip over the edge of her driveway and crack the other rose hip , again surviving OR . This meter I go spend each night and weekends with her for funding , and keep it up for two years and two months , a 25 - knot drive each way from my abode . I even charter a chronological succession of dame to sit with her , but after three days , she would send them packing .
I play a video at her funeral of her mowing the lawn on her John Deere mower at age 98 , while curl to the camera!A needlewoman of annotation , base , stinting , neighborly and a original nurseryman by nature , my auntie make love life , as she never quit working . Each winter she would say “ If the unspoilt Lord permit me live to the fountain , I will make a garden , for I love to turn over in the dirt and make something from nothing . ”Dearly , I thank Roy for inspire us when all really take an Aunt Hazel . She ’s my new wise man .
ascertain Roy ’s great video recording of Swallowtail butterflies on his azaleas , contributed forCTG ’s working from home spring watcher video roundup with Daphne .
hug to you all , Linda
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