Dennis,
I wonder what became of his Irises? I hope someone is
growing them. Olive Hill, Kentucky... That is where
singer/songwriter Tom T. Hall was from. I have been in that town,
but that was years ago.
Mark A. Cook
Dunnellon, Florida. [Freeze this morning. That is two
straight. It could be three by tomorrow.]
On 3/6/2018 6:26 PM, Dennis Kramb
d*@badbear.com [iris-species] wrote:
I know it's strange to mention this almost 4 years
later, but I just got the sad news that former SIGNA
member Ken Wilson had passed away back in spring of
2014. For many, many years he was a big donor of
seeds to the annual SIGNA exchange. I got to visit
him & his garden in Olive Hill, Kentucky (located
in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains) in 2009
during iris bloom season. He took me hiking up into
the hills where I quickly learned to spot wild irises,
even ones not yet in bloom. He was notably impressed!
He raised many types of irises but he was especially
fond of the locally native species. Iris cristata &
verna occurred naturally on his property. He also had a
huge collection... and I mean HUGE... of Iris virginica
from various parts of western Kentucky. I was delighted
to see a big clump of Iris cristata "Sam's Mini" growing
in one of his beds, but he didn't know it by that name.
He said he found it growing wild on his property a long
time ago & had shared it with Sam Norris (of
Owensboro, Kentucky). Sam in turn shared it with
others, which must be how it got its name.
Ken was never on the internet so our correspondence was
always the old-fashioned way. We exchanged many letters
back then but eventually those tapered off. When I wrote
to him last week I got a kind response from his brother
informing me that Ken had passed away in 2014. I found
the following obituary online & thought I should share
it here. (See below.)
Ken contributed SO MANY seeds to SIGNA that I imagine
hundreds of his irises are growing all around the world by
now. I like to think of him as a quiet giant of the SIGNA
community. You may not have known his name, but you
probably know & grow his irises. As fate would have it
I'm spending a lot of time in Olive Hill nowadays & I'm
so sad I won't get to catch up with Ken & his irises. I
was really looking forward to reconnect with him again
during this year's bloom season.
I re-read all of his letters since finding out the sad news.
He was truly passionate about collecting, cultivating, and
studying irises... ALL kinds of irises. In his first letter
he talks about how at age 6 that spark got lit with Iris
cristata & Iris verna. And in other letters he talked
about his adventures searching for wild irises throughout
Kentucky, and the challenges of growing Louisianas in his
mountain woodland location. He really loved the species but
he was also keen on trying a bit of hybridizing between
cristata and lacustris.. I don't think he ever got lacustris
to germinate but he tried several times from SIGNA seed.
I wish I had got to visit him one more time before he passed.
He was so thrilled to show off his garden. He was so proud of
his irises!
Mr. Kenneth Ray Wilson, age 72, of Olive Hill,
Kentucky, passed away Tuesday
evening, April 29, 2014, at St. Mary's Medical
Center in Huntington, West Virginia.
He was born September 13, 1941, in Carter County,
Kentucky, a son of the late Woodrow and Hazel Crank
Wilson.
Kenneth was of the Christian faith and retired from
the Carter County Board of Education after teaching
at Hitchins Elementary School for many years. He
enjoyed working in his garden and flowers and
spending time
in the woods.
In addition to his parents, Kenneth was preceded
in death by one brother, Harlan Wilson.
Kenneth is survived by two brothers and
sisters-in-law, Dewey and Jean Wilson of Olive
Hill, Kentucky, and Larry and Wendy Wilson of
Gregoryville, Kentucky; one sister and
brother-in-law, Mary Alice and Wayne Clark of
Gregoryville, Kentucky; and four nephews, Nick
Wilson, Mike Wilson, Link Wilson, and Kyle Wilson.
He also leaves many other family members and
friends who will sadly miss him.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday,
May 2, 2014, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive
Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Lewis Davis and
Brother George Boggs officiating. Burial will
follow in the Wilson Cemetery at Gregoryville,
Kentucky.
Friends may visit from 6
p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 1,
2014, and until the service hour on
Friday at Globe Funeral Chapel,
17277
West US Highway 60, Olive Hill, Kentucky 41164.
Mike Wilson, Nick Wilson, Kyle Wilson, Phillip
Plummer, Wayne Clark, and Tim Wilson will serve as
pallbearers.
Visitation:
Thursday, May 1, 2014, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Funeral:
11 a.m. Friday, May 2, 2014
Interment:
Wilson Cemetery, Gregoryville, Kentucky
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