Saturday, September 3, 2016
My first acquaintance with Tom Merritt occurred when I was director of the Medieval Studies Center at Penn State when we were planning a conference on medieval Agriculture and an educational fair to go with it. His name was given to me as a faculty member who liked agricultural history. Tom was enthusiastic about the project and opened many doors for me in his college, which greatly increased the success and extent of our outreach. For example, he cleared many hurdles for our tent featuring heritage livestock breeds at the fair. Tom also arranged for medieval studies to present an exhibit at Ag Progress Days on the history of the horse. As a farmer's daughter, I was thrilled to be an official exhibitor at Ag Progress Days.
We continued our friendship after that, when he and Norma talked to a neighbor with space for a garden. When that property was sold, he generously made space and water available on their beautiful property. It was a real refuge for me to have such a beautiful garden and such wonderful people to visit with when I came to work in the garden.
Tom enriched my life in so many ways in his kind and gentle manner. I will always remember both his kindness and his wonderful stories.
