1983 ❖ Raffle Winning Gardener with her new trug ❖

Helen C. Storey    
(14 Dec. 1919-22 Jan. 2001)
RAFFLE WINNER
on this day of 7 May 1983.
Shaw Island Community Building,
three years before the dedication.

Helen, with her island neighbor,
John Twitchell (1922-1985),
who drew her name as the winner.
The copper riveted Sussex trug was made of Ash,
a traditional wood used for this type of basket,
donated by island boatbuilder Peter S. Christensen.
The Franciscan Sisters at the Shaw Store
helped sell raffle tickets for weeks ahead.
The word "trug" comes from an
 old English word for boat, trog.

7 May 1983. The first fundraising plant sale had to happen with so many dedicated gardeners on the island. After all the work of harvesting and arranging bouquets, the crafting of items for sale, hauling in boxes and buckets, stewing gallons of manure tea for sale, the cashier tallied just over $1,000 for the landscaping for the new Community Building, on the drawing board of Gil Hilen. That was a nice sum in 1983.
      Mother Kateri handled sales of annuals, and Joan Twitchell and Eve Johnson sold coffee, tea, and cookies. The 4-H kids sold wren houses, robin nest shelves, and suet cakes. John "J.C." Laursen made cedar bean poles, Sig Grip (Marlyn's step-dad) made wooden flower boxes, Beverly Graham and Kath Melville donated beautiful cut flowers and His Honor Judge Soderland handled the clean-up. Many more people helped. It was the island booster, Helen –– who mastered gardening on one of the hottest garden patches on the island –– who skipped home with the raffle prize. She was sporting a new apron designed and sewn for the work crew by another island gardener, and textile artist, Doris Oliver.