The Catherine Woodbery has bloomed

One of the last of my new daylilies bloomed this morning, the Catherine Woodbery, and it is a beauty.

This daylily is a historic variety, developed by Frank Childs in 1967. It is a 30" mid- to late season bloomer with an extended bloom, said to be very fragrant. It is described as an orchid self with green throat. 

I was curious about the name, and google found an obituary, which gives a bit of a picture of the woman for whom this flower is named.

Catherine Chapman Woodbery, 94, of Waynesville, NC, died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008 at Brian Center of Waynesville after an extended illness.

Born in Dothan, Ala., she was the daughter of the late Judge William R. Chapman and Ethel Corley Chapman. She was preceded in death by four brothers and husband Edward “Pinky” Woodbery, who died in 1978.

Catherine was Valedictorian of her high school class, was Miss Troy, graduated from Troy State’s Teachers College (now Troy University) where she taught music history. She married Pinky in 1938 and moved to Quincy, Fla. She was a former member of Centenary United Methodist Church in Quincy, where she played the piano for 25 years. She was also a very accomplished pianist and gave numerous concerts in the area. She is most known for the Catherine Woodbery Day Lily, which was hybridized and named for her by Frank Childs in 1969. She has lived in Waynesville, NC for the past 25 years, where she gardened, worked with her numerous day lilies and really enjoyed the mountains and their beauty.

She is survived by two sons, Edward B. Woodbery (Linda) of Waynesville, NC, and William C. Woodbery (Jewel) of Waynesville, NC, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

A graveside memorial service will be held Monday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetary in Quincy, Fla.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be made in Catherine’s memory to: Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, PO Box 6299, Deltona, Fla. 32728-9988.

Charles McClellan Funeral Home in Quincy is in charge of arrangements.

For more about the rest of my daylily garden see the extended post here.