Jessie Barrett was a legendary figure in the Gardening Club serving in various significant capacities on the committee for 38, yes, thirty-eight years. During her long life she left Loders only briefly to take a secretarial course in Exeter which equipped her for a career at Gundry where she coordinated the outworkers from surrounding villages.
Members will have been sad to hear of the death of Jessie Barrett on February 3rd at the age of 92.
Jessie became secretary of the gardening club in August 1980 continuing in this role for 18 years. On her retirement as secretary in 1998 a note from the AGM records rather enigmatically states that “during that time she has enjoyed many a moment”. She was immediately elected as President and Chairman. Jessie accepted both roles but that of chair on the basis it would be for one year only.
In 2018 Jessie Barrett retired as President and from the committee but continued her long period of generous service to the Club as a distributor of the Newsletter. Jessie’s record of service will be remembered by the cup bearing her name given every year for spring flowers.