State College is no stranger to different clubs and groups. With a seemingly endless number of both indoor and outdoor activities, interest groups regularly pop up in the community. However, only a rare few have been around for decades.
This year, one local club is celebrating its 60th year. Started in 1964 by Thelma Homan, Ferguson Township Garden Club was originally established for local farmers’ wives to meet. Since its inception, the group has continued to evolve and grow, as the option for membership extended beyond Ferguson Township residents.
Jean Dietrick, Homan’s niece and current vice president and program coordinator for the Ferguson Township Garden Club, shared more about the inception of the group.
“My aunt lived out on Nixon Road on a farm. She was quite a force to be reckoned with. She knew other areas had garden clubs, so she just decided Ferguson Township needed one too, and with four other farmer’s wives, they made a constitution and created dues, the whole works,” Dietrick said. “The group grew pretty quickly. By 1970 they had 30 members.”
Originally the group was established for residents in Ferguson Township, but as interest grew, members could join if they were sponsored by somebody who lived in Ferguson Township. Now, the group is open for anyone to join.
The group meets on the first Thursday of every month and has three objectives that have been in place since Homan and the original members created the group: stimulating an interest in flowers, sponsoring groups or individuals in need and beautifying the community.
During the meetings, different topics are discussed, from seed growing and house plant care to canning and freezing, edible wild plants and more. Many of the meetings involve traveling to different gardens, nurseries, outdoor spaces and more.
“Through the years we’ve also raised a lot of money and we’ve given a lot of money to different groups,” Dietrick shared. “We’ve given to Centre Crest, Meals on Wheels, State College Food Bank, PAWS, $1,000 to Schlow Library, Habitat for Humanity, ClearWater and more. The club also purchased two benches — one in Fairbrook Park in honor of Thelma and one in the rain garden off of Westerly Parkway.”
For many years, in an effort to beautify the community, the club planted over 1,000 flowers at the triangle at the intersection of routes 45 and 26. The group also purchased an indoor planter for the hospital.
Ferguson Township Garden Club also regularly hosts potlucks, dinners and banquets, some of which were held at locations that no longer exist in town, like The Autoport and Penn Hi-Boy. Every meeting also includes refreshments.
But in addition to giving back to the community, Ferguson Township Garden Club also provides members opportunities to build friendships and community and learn more about their interests.
“I think members learn a lot. I’ve learned a lot from the group,” Dietrick said. “People have a lot of choices of things they can do in State College, and there are a lot of volunteer opportunities. Even for people outside of the group, I think it’s important for them to know that community members are trying to beautify the community for them. We’re trying to support local groups. There aren’t many businesses or clubs that last 60 years, and it’s nice that a little group that started 60 years ago is still going and still contributing to our community while learning about gardening.”
