MrsGreenThumb

I am a lover of horticulture, gardening and the environment. At age 8, I sent away for a package of Zinnia seeds for 10 cents and I've been hooked ever since. After 25 years of being self-employed, I retired. That only lasted 4 years and I now work in a water conservation program: I buy grass from homeowners who are willing to convert to desert landscaping and lose that thirsty green stuff. I pursue what interests me and you can blame my sister for getting me into this blogging thing.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Goodbye old friend

You know how there are people who come into your life who are special. This week, one of those people in my life, passed away. She was an educator, a friend, a mentor and an amazing woman. Her name was Aggie Roberts. I met her 10 years ago when I became a Nevada Master Gardener. Aggie was one of the educators who helped teach our classes. She was an expert horticulturist, her specialty was houseplants and just about every thing else that grows in Las Vegas. I went to her memorial service yesterday and wasn't surprised so many people loved and admired her. It was wonderful to meet her children and grandchildren, many of whom resembled her. There was a grade school named after her. That's where the memorial was held. Some of Aggie's grandchildren attend that school. She was a presence at her namesake school who always came to special functions. She read to the children during Reading Week, not just for an hour but for a whole day. She planned an Arbor Day celebration every year. Kids were her concern. I helped Aggie a number of times at various schools and libraries around town when she worked with school kids. She taught them how to grow plants and to take care of them. Aggie was tireless when it came to making herself available when someone needed help. I took this picture of Aggie last fall at The Day with the Experts. We have a Garden at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve and one of the highlights of the year is this particular day. Thousands of people in the community come to hear the lectures, visit garden booths, and have their questions answered. It's a big deal around here. People especially wanted to talk to Aggie, she wrote a gardening column and was very well known. Since I got my job with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, I've said I wanted to be the Aggie Roberts of the Water Authority. That has to be the highest compliment you can give a person is to emulate them. She never wanted to retire and worked until a short time before her passing. We never knew how old she was, she kept us guessing until this week. She was 87 years old and she left an indelible mark on Las Vegas. I will miss her and I know many others will too.

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry about the loss of your friend. What a wonderful tribute to her. She sounds like an amazing woman.

May 22, 2006 3:47 AM  
Blogger bornfool said...

A beautiful tribute to a beautiful person.

I didn't know you were involved in the water industry, too. i am a certified water plant operator, Distributer, wastewater operator.

May 22, 2006 7:05 AM  
Blogger Ciardra said...

It's amazing that she touched so many lives. It seems you really liked her.

May 22, 2006 7:19 AM  
Blogger MrsGreenThumb said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

May 22, 2006 8:37 AM  
Blogger MrsGreenThumb said...

MrsGreenThumb said...
Well bornfool, I didn't know that's what you did either. Given the fact that only 2% of the water on the planet is potable, it's really important that we make the most of our wastewater. Here it's really important. Nevada has the lowest allotment of water that can be taken from the Colorado River. We can take out another gallon for every gallon that's cleaned up and returned to the river. It's called returned water credits and that's the only reason this place is growing so fast. Without water, the economy would stagnate, so saving water is paramount. I'm glad that I can serve the community and enjoy myself at the same time. They actually pay me to talk about my favorite subject, gardening, all day.

May 22, 2006 8:39 AM  
Blogger Motherkitty said...

Sister, this was a touching, beautiful tribute to a wonderful woman that you personally knew for a long time. Each of us should be so generous of ourselves. She certainly left a lasting memory of herself to the entire community.

Very well written.

May 23, 2006 6:06 AM  
Blogger Gary said...

Aggie saound like she was a wonderful person. I'm sure she will be missed by many.

That day with the experts sounds like a great idea. I don't think we have anything like it here in Houston.

I hope things are going well for you. I really admire how you live your life.

May 23, 2006 2:27 PM  

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