Library Rose Garden

A Place To Honor And Reflect

By Jan Howard

Plans are progressing for the restoration of a rose garden at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library named for and dedicated to Sarah Mitchell, who worked at the library for 40 years.

The Sarah Mitchell Memorial Rose Garden, established in 1985, is a small 12-foot by 12-foot area located on the south side of the building. The late Paul S. Smith, retired editor of The Newtown Bee at the time and a long-time friend of Sarah Mitchell, officiated at the dedication ceremony on April 13, 1985.

It is believed the establishment of the memorial garden was made possible from contributions that were received after stories about Sarah Mitchell appeared in The Bee following her death. The articles invited contributions in her name for the library. Because the dedication of the Rose Garden took place six years after her death, the idea for the garden apparently came about after some time and thought.

The garden will be restored according to a garden plan donated by Kim Proctor of K Day Designs. Mrs Proctor was involved in the design of The Pleasance at the intersection of Main Street and Route 302. Planting in the rose garden is expected to begin in May.

Jack Corcoran, coordinator of the rose garden project, said, “It will be a professionally designed, exquisite memorial to people who were prominent in Newtown over the years. It will be a thing of beauty.”

In addition to Mrs Mitchell, seven other former residents are remembered on a plaque on the wall behind the garden.

Mrs Mitchell (1897-1979) was born and educated in Newtown. She served the library before it opened in 1932 and continued her service until she retired in 1971 as head librarian. She continued on part-time at the library for several years. Except for the last two years of her life, which she spent on Cape Cod, she was a lifelong native and resident of Newtown. She had two children, Lincoln B. Mitchell, who is deceased, and Barbara M. Howard.

Starr Conger Smith (1904-1982) was born in New York City and died in Newtown. She graduated from the Veltin School, New York City, in 1923, and then attended in New York, The Central School of Physical Education, graduating in 1925. She taught physical education at the University of Minnesota, Syracuse University, and Mt Holyoke College. In 1926 she went to Denmark as a member of the first group of American women to be trained by Niels Bukh in Danish gymnastics. On June 13, 1931, she married Paul Scudder Smith, former editor of The Newtown Bee. She was a longtime member and former president of the Visiting Nurse Association of Newtown, active in the PTA and Girl Scouts, and worked at The Bee for a number of years. She was a member of the Newtown Congregational Church. She and her husband had three children, Mary Starr Smith Adams, R. Scudder Smith, editor of The Newtown Bee, and Edward Conger Smith. She had seven grandchildren and was great-grandmother to 16. She was a devoted wife and her family always came first.

Dorothy Jervis (1909-1980) was born in New York City and maintained a home in Newtown with her husband, Herman Jervis, from 1948 until her death. A self-taught potter, her works were widely shown in Connecticut, New York City, and Arizona, and also were owned by museums and private collectors. Her pottery creation of Noah’s Ark is owned by the library and is displayed each year. Herman Jervis, who is currently in poor health, served on the library Board of Trustees in the 1960s and 1970s and for several years as president. Mrs Jervis and her husband had two sons, Steven and Robert, and two grandchildren.

Jacqueline Starr Smith (June 24, 1983 – February 29, 1984) was the daughter of Kim and David Smith and granddaughter of R. Scudder and Helen Smith. A trust fund was established in her memory to benefit the Children’s Library of the C.H. Booth Library. The interest earned on the principle of this trust fund has enabled the library to purchase approximately 15 children’s classics and award-winning books a year, each containing a bookplate in memory of Jacqueline.

Andrei Hudiakoff (1894-1985) was born in Russia and came to America in 1922. He married Doris Geile, who taught him English. He was an artist who worked in different media. He designed sets for New York musicals and operas, painted murals and portraits, and illustrated books. He was a true artist in that he paid little attention to the real world. He and his wife moved to Newtown in 1934. Doris predeceased him. His daughter, Diana Kaau, and her children, Kekoa and Karoe, live in Hawaii. Mr Hudiakoff’s work was exhibited at the library at various times. He was not a large man, but had a quick wit. He took pride in growing zucchini and squash.

John W. Friel (1910-1992) was born in Brooklyn. He and his wife, Madeleine, moved to Newtown in 1968 following his 36 years with Exxon. Among his many activities in retirement was his career as a college student. He graduated valedictorian from Sacred Heart University and went on to earn his master’s degree from Western Connecticut State University. Many non-profit service organizations in the Danbury area benefited from his talents as a volunteer to their work. In the 1970s and 1980s, he served the library as a trustee, for several years as treasurer, and as a member of the Friends of the Library. He and his wife had two children, a daughter, Leslie, who died in 1975, and their son, Michael, and grandson Jonathon. Mr Friel later retired to Gainesville, Fla., where he died.

Flora Lavery (1940-1991) was born in Providence, R.I., the daughter of Angelina and Salvatore Vigliotti. She was a professor of nursing at Yale, Bridgeport University, and Fairfield University. For her public and private work she received recognition through numerous honors and awards. Among the many academic, medical, and philanthropic boards on which she served was the Board of Trustees of the library. She and her husband, Judge William J. Lavery, had four children, William, Michael, Christopher, and Sarah. Judge Lavery is chief judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court and lives in Newtown.

Florence Kearns (1903-1992) was born in Danbury to Frederick W. and Harriet (Barnum) Ruffles. She and her husband, John E. Kearns, raised their eight children on their farm in Sandy Hook. After her husband’s death in 1948, she raised the seven of her eight children still at home and ran the farm herself. Her son, Jim, was head custodian at the library from 1967 until his death in 1998. Florence’s mother may have been related to P.T. Barnum.

Plans for the restoration of the garden began in April 1999. The summer provided the time and observation necessary to decide what the restoration activities should cover, according to Mr Corcoran.

A number of people have been involved with the restoration, Mr Corcoran said.

Among the volunteers is Maureen Armstrong, a former employee of the library, who as historian has researched the biographies of the people whose names are on the plaque.

Mary Maki is president of the Friends of the Library, which has provided the financial support to get the new planting started.

Eric Neidhardt, Laurie Wrabel, and Joanne Zang have worked in the garden, digging and caring for the plants. Gary Ober has helped and advised on the plantings. Jim Smith restores and polishes the plaques. One of the goals of the restoration project is to make the lettering of the names on the plaques uniform.

Sue Toll of the Garden Club of Newtown has been both advisor and consultant. Marie Walker of the library staff is in charge of cutting and displaying the blossoms in the library.

The old hedge that bordered the rose garden has been removed and will be replaced with a boxwood hedge after the planting is completed. “It will be the last thing that’s done,” Mr Corcoran said. “We will do the roses and groundcover first.

“We have found that people like to volunteer for this project. It is small enough so that it doesn’t take very much of anyone’s time,” Mr Corcoran said.

 “But the main reason is that everyone feels that it is going to be a little touch of excellence and beauty,” he said. “People also feel good about working on a meaningful project and a memorial is about as meaningful as you can get.”

For more information about the Memorial Rose Garden, contact the library at 426-4533.