4-H Memorial Garden Receives New Plants, Bushes
WARSAW — For more than 20 years, the 4-H Memorial Garden has been a staple of the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds. As years go by, so does the landscape of the garden.
This year, new plants and bushes were added, said Mindy Wise, 4-H youth development educator for the Kosciusko County Purdue Extension Office.
“We added lots of new plants, said Wise. “We’ve also replaced all the bushes in the last year.” Wise said the group will expand the garden after this year’s fair ends.
“It’s getting full,” said Wise of the garden. “The hill south of the Beaver Dam stand is where we hope to expand. We will hopefully beautify it.”
Wise said she hopes to make the garden a special interest project for any youth in third through 12th grade, not just 4-H students. The winning design will be used for the new garden project. The hardscape will be conducted this fall, said Wise, and next year, after winter ends, the project will begin.
While the appearance of the garden may change, the reason behind the memorial will always be the same. In the summer of 1992, a car accident killed two 4-H members, Jeremiah Anglin and Mike Bishop. By the summer of 1993, 4-H members and Warsaw Community High School FFA had planned and created the 4-H Memorial Garden.
Since 1992, more than 15 other 4-H members have been memorialized through the garden including: Theresa Alber, Chad Beer, Shannon Kay Colbert, Glen Dausman, Jim Demske, Jane Demske, Jay Haab, Penny Hershberger, Sara Hogan, Karen Imhoff, Gene Milner, Jason Mithoefer, Rebecca Shoelty, Mary Smoker, Larry Worley and Joy Young.
“We will be adding some 4-H volunteers, too, sometime this year this year,” Wise said.
Kosciusko County 4-H Junior Leaders take care of the memorial garden. The Junior Leaders are 4-H members in grades seven to 12, and the club is for those learning about leadership through community service. The group spends many hours each season cleaning and maintaining the garden.
The garden is located near the entrance to the livestock barns on the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds. In the garden, visitors can find various plaques that commemorate the lives of those, who died while in 4-H or was a friend of the 4-H program.
Right next to the garden is the pop stand. The stand offers pizza, soda pop and snowcones. A portion of the sales goes toward maintaining the memorial garden.
“We accept donations to maintain the garden as well,” added Wise.
Visit www.facebook.com/KosciuskoCounty4-HJuniorLeaders for more information.