February 8, 2023
**FEDERATED 80 YEARS**
PLANT AMERICA - MAKE A HABITAT
Cultivate Community
JOINT TANGIPAHOA GARDEN CLUB MEETING
HOSTED BY GARDENETTES
Knights of Columbus Hall
1701 Pecan Court
11:30 a.m.
Gardenettes hosted the annual Tangipahoa Parish Garden Clubs Meeting, February 8, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Ponchatoula. Attending the event were presidents and members of Belle Oaks Garden Club, Hammond Garden Club, Stem and Stamen Garden Club and guests River Ridge Garden Club.
Parish Clubs are members of District VI; River Ridge, District II of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. (LGCF Inc), Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. Special guests were the current LGCF Inc. president Roxanna Champagne, Lafayette, and incoming president Tricia Ortalano, Gretna. Other distinguished guests included Cindy Moran, Baton Rouge, current District VI district director; Donna Moran, Covington, incoming district director; Kyle Martin, second vice president (Covington); Kathy Bedenbaugh (Hammond), represenative at large; Elizabeth McDougald (River Ridge), Chairman - Deep South Convention.
Mayor Bob Zabbia gave the opening welcome to the over seventy garden club members in attendance. Kathryn Martin, guest speaker, gave the invocation. Since being discovered by Minnie Pearl and other professionals years ago, Martin has appeared across the United States and Canada as well as on national TV as author, inspirational speaker and country humorist "Miz Maudie." She spoke on gardening, positive motivation and public service.
The prestigious Circle of Roses honorees included Gardenettes Margaret Hardin and Marilyn Wright. River Ridge Garden Club member Kathy Bedenbaugh, a past president of Gardenettes, was also honored. Making the presentation was state president Champagne. Each recipient received a red rose bouquet and an LGCF Inc. Circle of Roses pin. A gift basket of Tangipahoa products was given to Champagne.
An invitation to the Deep South Inc. Convention March 8-10 was extended by McDougald, chairman for the event. Louisiana is hosting the six state event in Kenner at the Airport Hilton. Each club president gave invitations to their coming events.
The theme "You Light Up My Life" was interpreted differently at each table by Gardenette members. A silent auction, raffle items and fifty-fifty raffle were conducted by Mary Hirsch, Gardenette. Music was provided by Rick Tobey.
Parish Clubs are members of District VI; River Ridge, District II of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. (LGCF Inc), Deep South Garden Clubs Inc. and National Garden Clubs Inc. Special guests were the current LGCF Inc. president Roxanna Champagne, Lafayette, and incoming president Tricia Ortalano, Gretna. Other distinguished guests included Cindy Moran, Baton Rouge, current District VI district director; Donna Moran, Covington, incoming district director; Kyle Martin, second vice president (Covington); Kathy Bedenbaugh (Hammond), represenative at large; Elizabeth McDougald (River Ridge), Chairman - Deep South Convention.
Mayor Bob Zabbia gave the opening welcome to the over seventy garden club members in attendance. Kathryn Martin, guest speaker, gave the invocation. Since being discovered by Minnie Pearl and other professionals years ago, Martin has appeared across the United States and Canada as well as on national TV as author, inspirational speaker and country humorist "Miz Maudie." She spoke on gardening, positive motivation and public service.
The prestigious Circle of Roses honorees included Gardenettes Margaret Hardin and Marilyn Wright. River Ridge Garden Club member Kathy Bedenbaugh, a past president of Gardenettes, was also honored. Making the presentation was state president Champagne. Each recipient received a red rose bouquet and an LGCF Inc. Circle of Roses pin. A gift basket of Tangipahoa products was given to Champagne.
An invitation to the Deep South Inc. Convention March 8-10 was extended by McDougald, chairman for the event. Louisiana is hosting the six state event in Kenner at the Airport Hilton. Each club president gave invitations to their coming events.
The theme "You Light Up My Life" was interpreted differently at each table by Gardenette members. A silent auction, raffle items and fifty-fifty raffle were conducted by Mary Hirsch, Gardenette. Music was provided by Rick Tobey.
THE MAIN EVENT!
SET UP DAY!
WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE: Mary Hirsch, Chairman, Jamie LeBlanc Co-Chairman
Table Settings
GARDENETTE CIRCLE OF ROSES: MARGARET HARDIN
GARDENETTE CIRCLE OF ROSES: MARILYN WRIGHT
RIVER RIDGE CIRCLE OF ROSES: KATHY BEDENBAUGH
Kathy Bedenbaugh grew up in Jefferson Parish in southern Louisiana. She currently resides in Hammond on a family home site with her husband Garnett. She has held many roles in her life including working as a “candy striper” in her early years and, later, a career as a buyer and model for DH Holmes. She is a woman of strong faith and the proud mother of 5 children, 3 stepchildren and is also a grandmother.
Kathy actively manages and maintains the grounds of her beautiful home. Kathy’s love of gardening and natural habitats is evident in the astounding types of native plants on her property. You can find her there “deep in the dirt” weeding, planting, and caring for her beautiful gardens - providing a nourishing environment for the butterflies, bees and other animal life that share her home. She is also well known for generously sharing “cuttings” of her beloved plants to foster love of gardening to others.
Kathy has been an active member of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. community for over 20 years. Her dedication and commitment to the state of Louisiana, local civic organizations, schools, and philanthropic projects have been evident through the many roles she has been engaged in. She is a firm believer in “volunteerism.” She has engaged in numerous activities such as supporting the homeless – working with local city organizations to improve a homeless center in Ponchatoula. She has actively given her time as an outspoken advocate of litter control writing editorial comment on the subject and has not been above picking up more than her share of litter along rivers and other scenic spots marred by people’s garbage to make the Tangipahoa parish a “clean parish.”
The list of her many civic and charitable causes is impressive. She has worked in her church, in the Hammond Junior Auxiliary, Regional Arts Board, Longue Vue House and Gardens, Ginger Ford Habitat for Humanity Board, and other organizations. She was president of both Friends of Longue Vue House and Gardens and Ginger Ford Habitat for Humanity Board. She was on the board of Friends of Ronald McDonald House.
Kathy was a member of the Gardenettes in Ponchatoula beginning in 1993. She transitioned to the River Ridge Garden Club in 2017. She is currently an active member and mentor of the River Ridge Garden Club sharing her knowledge and experience from all of her endeavors with its members. She is highly valued across these and other organizations.
She is a past President of the Gardenettes. She was active in turning “blight into beauty” when in 2002, she had interacted with the Ponchatoula city government to turn the unused swimming pool at the Kiwanis Park into a Butterfly Garden which Kathy at a later time had donated several rose bushes in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2007.
Kathy has been working in the LGCF, Inc. from her days as District VI director and former Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. second vice president. As Director of 26 garden clubs, she coordinated three events for Hurricane Katrina victims - bringing food and Christmas gifts in 2005 and school supplies in 2006 for about 100 children. The District received National “honorable mention” in the Parade Magazine for their participation in Make a Difference Day. Kathy served as District VI Cleanest City chairman for several years and also served as the LGCF, Inc. Historic Trails and State Parks Chairman before becoming LGCF, Inc. Second Vice President.
Kathy has a deep commitment to her work in the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Region and on the Louisiana State Parks Commission and her Garden Clubs. Her organizational and gardening talents as well as her civic consciousness are all attributes that these organizations as well as her Garden Clubs see as examples of an individual who gives of herself. Her concern for making things better for others shines through!
Kathy has completed the Landscape Design Consultant course and has assisted clubs besides the Gardenettes and River Ridge Garden Club to place their trees and shrubbery. She has also landscaped several homes for the local Habitat For Humanity chapter doing much of the work herself.
Kathy is currently Deep South Chairman at Large for the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. She is chairman of the Deep South Garden Clubs Project and as such, is actively engaged in motivating garden clubs to commit time and energy to work with local civic organizations, home residences, and cities in efforts to make communities better.
On behalf of the River Ridge Garden Club we are very proud to submit Kathy Bedenbaugh for the Circle of Roses.
Kathy actively manages and maintains the grounds of her beautiful home. Kathy’s love of gardening and natural habitats is evident in the astounding types of native plants on her property. You can find her there “deep in the dirt” weeding, planting, and caring for her beautiful gardens - providing a nourishing environment for the butterflies, bees and other animal life that share her home. She is also well known for generously sharing “cuttings” of her beloved plants to foster love of gardening to others.
Kathy has been an active member of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. community for over 20 years. Her dedication and commitment to the state of Louisiana, local civic organizations, schools, and philanthropic projects have been evident through the many roles she has been engaged in. She is a firm believer in “volunteerism.” She has engaged in numerous activities such as supporting the homeless – working with local city organizations to improve a homeless center in Ponchatoula. She has actively given her time as an outspoken advocate of litter control writing editorial comment on the subject and has not been above picking up more than her share of litter along rivers and other scenic spots marred by people’s garbage to make the Tangipahoa parish a “clean parish.”
The list of her many civic and charitable causes is impressive. She has worked in her church, in the Hammond Junior Auxiliary, Regional Arts Board, Longue Vue House and Gardens, Ginger Ford Habitat for Humanity Board, and other organizations. She was president of both Friends of Longue Vue House and Gardens and Ginger Ford Habitat for Humanity Board. She was on the board of Friends of Ronald McDonald House.
Kathy was a member of the Gardenettes in Ponchatoula beginning in 1993. She transitioned to the River Ridge Garden Club in 2017. She is currently an active member and mentor of the River Ridge Garden Club sharing her knowledge and experience from all of her endeavors with its members. She is highly valued across these and other organizations.
She is a past President of the Gardenettes. She was active in turning “blight into beauty” when in 2002, she had interacted with the Ponchatoula city government to turn the unused swimming pool at the Kiwanis Park into a Butterfly Garden which Kathy at a later time had donated several rose bushes in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2007.
Kathy has been working in the LGCF, Inc. from her days as District VI director and former Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc. second vice president. As Director of 26 garden clubs, she coordinated three events for Hurricane Katrina victims - bringing food and Christmas gifts in 2005 and school supplies in 2006 for about 100 children. The District received National “honorable mention” in the Parade Magazine for their participation in Make a Difference Day. Kathy served as District VI Cleanest City chairman for several years and also served as the LGCF, Inc. Historic Trails and State Parks Chairman before becoming LGCF, Inc. Second Vice President.
Kathy has a deep commitment to her work in the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Region and on the Louisiana State Parks Commission and her Garden Clubs. Her organizational and gardening talents as well as her civic consciousness are all attributes that these organizations as well as her Garden Clubs see as examples of an individual who gives of herself. Her concern for making things better for others shines through!
Kathy has completed the Landscape Design Consultant course and has assisted clubs besides the Gardenettes and River Ridge Garden Club to place their trees and shrubbery. She has also landscaped several homes for the local Habitat For Humanity chapter doing much of the work herself.
Kathy is currently Deep South Chairman at Large for the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. She is chairman of the Deep South Garden Clubs Project and as such, is actively engaged in motivating garden clubs to commit time and energy to work with local civic organizations, home residences, and cities in efforts to make communities better.
On behalf of the River Ridge Garden Club we are very proud to submit Kathy Bedenbaugh for the Circle of Roses.