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CONCORD - I find it amazing that, after living all over the world, a family would happen to choose our rural Pike County as their retirement home. Well, why NOT? I got here as fast as I could 31 years ago. Let me tell you about an amazing woman.

Gail Berthe and her Navy test-pilot husband Charles became Pike County residents in 1978. She immediately set herself to embrace the Pike County community. Joined the Methodist church, sang in and directed the choir, perfected her sewing and quilting skills, an excellent cook and -buckle your seatbelt - phenomenal Horticulturist.

She became a Pike County Master Gardener, joined the Concord Garden Club and by extension was a member of The Garden Club of Georgia and The National Garden Clubs. Through the garden club system, Gail became certified in ALL FOUR of the Gardening Schools offered at the National level. She became an Instructor/Consultant in 1. Landscape Design, 2. Environmental Studies, 3. Gardening (both Basic and Advanced), and 4. Flower Show Procedure and Judging Schools. Gail was honored with Lifetime Memberships in The Garden Club of Georgia, The Deep South Regional Lifetime Member, and The National Garden Clubs Lifetime recognition as well.

Gail led our club to and through many gorgeous flower shows for the Pike Community to enjoy and won herself a basket full of blue ribbons for her own plant specimens and educational displays. Her quilting skills led her to a friendship with Master Quilter Sherry Curtis and the Annual Quilt raffle for Scholarships which sent many Pike graduates into Horticulture related college degrees.

Under her leadership “Lunch and Learn” grew and became our 20+ year love affair of sharing with the Pike Community timely topics in gardening presented by experts in their field. Her talents brought us many state and national awards as well.

A walk with Gail was a mobile classroom where she would point out plants and give their botanical names and virtues. She was a human encyclopedia of horticulture. For years she wrote a monthly horticultural newsletter for the Garden Club of Georgia. Writing under the pen name 'The Happy Gardener' she would include timely tips and reminders about the latest info on gardening, and there would always be a little 'life lesson' included. The Annual Yellow Daisy Festival Flower Show's success in the Horticulture division was frequently attributed to her.

Four terms she was president of our club and we quit counting how long she was the Secretary. Always giving an open invitation to visit her Williamson garden, Gail shared the love and knowledge of plants with so many people. You never left her yard without a seedling ready for planting or a packet of seeds.

Today, Gail and Charles live near their grandchildren in California, Our loss, their gain. We cherish and miss her.

Written with thanks to Emily Wilbert, Rosalie Gage, and Martha Boswell for helping gather the facts contained in this tribute!