This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/25/2016 08:30 AMSue Lowe grew up in East Haven, but her family moved to Clinton when she was 12. Sue remained in Clinton, raising her four children there with her late husband. Then, 3 ½ years ago, Sue’s aunt passed away, leaving Sue as the beneficiary to the estate, which included her grandparents’ East Haven home.
“My husband passed away 13 years ago and my kids are now grown, so I decided to downsize,” says Sue. “Within a week, I felt like I was back home. One of the first things I did was restore my grandmother’s garden.”
Sue has fond memories of gardening with her grandmother and recently found pictures of her children as babies in front of one of her flowerbeds. She spent time clearing the garden and planting nearly 120 bulbs.
Sue’s aunt also enjoyed gardening and was the former president of the East Haven Garden Club. When Sue moved back to town, she joined the club, which is now known as the Shoreline Community Garden Club.
“We have a really, really good group of people,” says Sue. “Several members have been in it for a long time and were friends of my aunt’s. It was an easy group for me to slide into. I knew a few people and have gotten to know a few more.”
Sue was recently elected to vice president of the club, which has more than 25 members. She notes that new members are always welcome and regular meetings are held at the Beach House in Momauguin on the third Thursday of the month, though some meetings are held at work sites.
The club maintains and beautifies many public areas in town, including the beds in front of Town Hall, the area around the fountain, and the planting in the rowboat at the Beach House.
“It’s a group effort. Many hands make light work and that’s really true when it comes to this stuff,” says Sue, who has two step grandchildren and a three-year-old grandson. “It makes the town look nicer and I like to do what I can to make it better. There are so many good things about East Haven, including our beautiful beach park and splash park and the great people in town who want to pitch in and keep making it better.”
Sue’s volunteer work is not limited to the Shoreline Community Garden Club. Her time volunteering has also influenced her family as she notes all four of her children are active volunteers.
She has volunteered at Connecticut Hospice for more than 10 years and volunteers at the Shubert Theater. She and her aunt also shared a love of history. Sue is now a member of the East Haven Historical Society.
Sue remembers her aunt spending time in Town Hall examining land record and researching the area’s history. Her aunt helped her find her first job doing title work in a law office.
“I’d always been interested in history, but that really got me into the local history,” says Sue, who works part-time at Stop & Shop. “I enjoy learning who used to own property and what it used to be. The history of the East Haven Green goes back to Revolutionary War days.”
When Sue moved into her grandparents’ house, she found many of her aunt’s historical pictures, which she donated to the historical society, which has a space at the old high school at Tyler Street. The historical society has regular hours on Wednesday mornings and visitors can peruse old pictures and other artifacts from the town’s history. People can also schedule visits by calling 203-467-1766.
In addition to preserving the town’s history, the historical society also hosts a variety of programs and meetings throughout the year, including a potluck supper, a military whist card game, a bingo fundraiser, and various speakers.
The Shoreline Community Garden Club also hosts speakers at non-working meetings. Sue has not only enjoyed being involved in the beautification of her town and the relationships she’s made through the club, but things she has learned as well.
“It’s always a learning experience and we talk about lots of different things—what grows well in shade, what you need sun for—there’s always a discussion about something,” says Sue, who enjoyed the speaker who discussed growing orchids last year. “I’ve come away learning a lot of things I didn’t know before.”