Tributes

Henrietta G. Truitt, Renowned Horticulturalist Henrietta Gould Truitt of Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, PA, active in Philadelphia and national horticultural circles, died December 27th after a long illness. Born April 13, 1919 to Erl C. B. Gould and Katharine Laughlin Gould in Pittsburgh, PA, Henrietta “Henny” Truitt moved to the western Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, the late Charles S. Truitt, following World War II. She was known especially for her contributions to gardening groups since the 1940s, including vice president and national board member of The Herb Society of America and past president of The Society’s Philadelphia Unit. In 1994 she was the recipient of the Helen deConway Little Medal of Honor for outstanding contributions to The Society, the highest award given by The Herb Society of America. Previously, in 1986 she had been awarded a Certificate of Achievement from that same organization. A member of The Four Counties Garden Club and The Garden Club of America since 1946, Henny Truitt served as president of Four Counties from 1961 to 1963. She exhibited frequently and also judged at the Philadelphia Flower Show. She served on the Philadelphia Flower Show Committee of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Henny Truitt helped establish and design the Herb Garden at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC, and was appointed Chairman of the National Herb Garden Committee in 1982. During the 1960s she brought her horticultural enthusiasm to inner-city Philadelphia where, through the Neighborhood Gardens Association, she helped residents rehabilitate abandoned building lots by planting “vest pocket” flower and vegetable gardens. Henny Truitt was a very modest person, avoiding publicity, but her artistic achievements were legion. In addition to being a gifted garden designer whose own gardens are featured in the Time-Life Encyclopedia of Gardening, she was an accomplished watercolor painter and craftswoman. In the 1940s, she taught craftmaking to wounded soldiers at the Valley Forge Army Hospital. She created exquisite needlepoint rugs and pillows, a talent learned in childhood from her beloved grandmother, which she practiced until her old age. Henny was an avid reader throughout her life, seldom without a book by her side. With a sometimes feisty temperament, she held strong opinions and enjoyed spirited discussions of world affairs. She was a champion of environmental and conservation education, particularly to today’s youth. She is survived by sons Robinson M. Truitt of Wynnewood, PA and Peter G. Truitt of Falls Church, VA, daughter Katharine L. Streitwieser of Lake Wales, FL, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and brothers George M. L. Gould of Landrum, SC and John D. B. Gould of Vero Beach, FL. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am Tuesday, January 8th, at the Church of the Redeemer, 230 Pennswood Rd, Bryn Mawr, PA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Student Conservation Association, 689 River Rd., PO Box 550, Charlestown, New Hampshire 03603-0550.

Tributes

Henrietta Gould Truitt

April 13, 1919 - December 27, 2007