Yesterday the Chattanooga Area Food Bank dedicated it's new green house and teaching garden. The Hamilton County Master Gardeners were very involved and were there for the dedication. Very soon after Gene and Emily moved to Chattanooga, Gene became involved in the Master Gardener program. At first he may have been a bit put out that he had to complete the 40 hours of classes, but he did it with his usual good attitude. From there on he was a fixture on the Master Gardener scene. For several years he volunteered every Monday morning at the County Extension Agent's office. He helped set up and man the display at the county fair every year, and he helped teach the Master Gardener Classes every year after he got the title himself.
Yesterday at the dedication, Tom Stebbins, an extension agent at the Hamilton County Extension Service, was a speaker - friends of Alan and Lynn were in attendance, and called to say that Tom had chosen to talk about Gene. He spoke of Gene's dedication to the Master Gardener program, of his stories that everyone wanted to hear - he said that when Gene spoke, no one really wanted him to stop.
Gene loved being a Master Gardener. His involvement in that program was one of the things that really helped him acclimate to the move to Chattanooga. The County Agent's Office saw what he had to offer and were eager to have him involved in their work. Thanks to Tom Stebbins and the Master Gardeners.
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