Welcome to our Friends of the Library Monarch Waystation Butterfly and Pollinator Garden
Important Links:
- Monarch Watch – https://www.monarchwatch.org/
- Dyck Arboretum – https://dyckarboretum.org/
- Dyck Arboretum Native Plant List – https://dyckarboretum.org/native-plants/#!/all
- Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation – https://xerces.org/
- K-state Research and Extension – https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/
Plant and donor signage made possible by a grant from MenoCause Ignite Valley Center:
Twila Kruse Memorial:
Twila Kruse was a member of the Valley Center Senior Center. She had a big smile and loved flowers of all kinds but especially sunflowers. This small marked garden is in memory of her in our larger “Butterfly Garden.”
She was born April 7, 1940 in Hutchinson, KS and died May 29, 2019 in Wichita. She graduated from Buhler High School in 1958 and attended Hutchinson Community College. She retired from Farmers Alliance, McPherson, where she worked as a filing clerk. Twila was united in marriage to Stanley Chester Kruse on June 2, 1963. He preceded her in death in 1980.
They had two sons, Mark Kruse and wife, Janet, and Mike Kruse and wife, Brenda, all of Wichita. She had four grandchildren—Taylor Kruse, Taryn Kruse, Lauren Kruse and Allison Kruse.
History of Our Chaste Bush/Tree:
This Chaste Bush was started from a Chaste Bush/Tree planted by George Lester (Jack) Myers at 112 N. Meridian in 1940. At the time of the planting, Jack and his wife, Altah Geniveve (Chenoth) Myers lived at that residence with their two daughters—Pat (now Postlethwait) and Louann (now Luehrmann—deceased.)
Jack loved all kinds of flowers but especially peonies. Pat said the whole back yard was covered with peonies at one time.
The house was built in 1887 and was the Methodist Church parsonage and was north of the church which was on the corner of Main and Meridian. The church was torn down after 1914. In 1936 the old parsonage (at 112 N. Meridian) was used as a rental and that’s when the Myers family moved in. They bought the house in 1940 and Jack began to plant flowers and bushes.
Pat started first grade in Valley Center and graduated in 1946 from VCHS. She still considers Valley Center her home and is active in the community.
The house became the Valley Center Historical Society Dec. 4, 1975 and still exists today at that location.
Since 1940, the Chaste Bush has been a constant in the same place it was planted. It flowers every year and continues to attract butterflies and pollinators of all kinds. Pat calls it the “Beauty Bush.”
Friends of the library got a start from the bush and wanted to include it in the Library Butterfly Garden so more people could enjoy its beauty.
Thank you to Jack Myers for giving us this beautiful bush and to Pat Postlethwait for giving us the history!
FOL Butterfly Garden in the News:
Funding, Labor and Donations for the garden and features provided by:
- Friends of the Valley Center Library
- Valley Center Public Library
- City of Valley Center
- Area Master Gardeners
- Menocause: Ignite Valley Center Grant
- KLA Grant
- Monarch Watch
- Knox Crouch, Eagle Scout Project
- Rhonda Holt
- SCKLS Programming Grant