Desert Messenger

June 17, 2020 www.DesertMessenger.com 9 CUSTOM TOOTH ARRANGEMENTS Life Time Warranty on Breakage Dental Laboratory Service, LLC Call: 623-444-4013 Goodyear, AZ http://www.DLSAZ.com FREE CONSULTATIONS Same Day Custom Premium Dentures and Partials • US Military Trained with 30 plus Years Experience • 1000's of Satisfied Customers • Extractions & Implants by Licensed AZ Dentist DENTURES Custom Premium Dentures QUALITY BEADS AND JEWELRY American Indian Jewelry Pottery – Beads – Supplies Gemstone Jewelry Black Hills Gold Jewelry Hardies Beads & Jewelry 1250 W. Main Street - P O Box 1920 - Quartzsite, AZ 85346 Across the street from McDonalds 928-927-6381 TEMPORARILY CLOSED UNTIL SEPTEMBER By Alex Taft I had this idea to write about Den- nis last year. Then I read through all his papers and notes that he gave to the Quartzsite Library Friends and realized this was not a simple task. Dennis Wilskey lived in La Paz Valley at least twenty-fi ve years be- fore he died in February of 2018. During that time he was a mem- ber and leader of the Quartzsite Historical Society and the Parker Area Historical Society. Dennis was a master gardener for the La Paz County Extension Offi ce and a part time employee of the parks depart- ment-when the Town of Quartzsite had a Parks Department. When he passed away, there was a notice by the Quartzsite Historical Society honoring his years of service to their organization. Dennis came to work one Friday for the Town parks, and as his day ended, he had a major stroke in the Town parking lot and never regained consciousness. To those of us who knew and worked with him, it was a major loss. His absence is still felt by us and by the trees he tended. Many of those trees died or are struggling to survive. Dennis donated all his books and papers to the Quartzsite Library Friends. His books were added to the library collection and are avail- able for check-out. My commitment to myself, after reviewing all Dennis's papers and notes was personal homework for me. Dennis recorded everything he planted, be it tree, shrub, vegetable or fl ower, where he got it from and how it thrived (or not), its yield, taste, appearance, issues and main- tenance required. Dirt was not just dirt with Dennis; it was a mixture of clay loam soil, peat and steer ma- nure as well as vermiculite. Yes, he made his own soil mix. As meticu- lous as he was as a gardener, see- ing and recording native plants in their natural habitat was akin to his interest in history. Every opinion Dennis had and shared was based on research, fact and observation. That was the historian in him and he applied it to plants and trees. When he worked for the Town, he did not just water the trees; he checked every one to make sure the sprinkler heads were delivering the water. He inspected the trees for problems and made notes for later trimming if necessary. It was a run- ning joke in the parks department that we all worked for Dennis. All of us were master gardeners; Dana was also a certifi ed arborist, but when it came down to it, we all worked for Dennis. He spoke passionately for the trees we should or should not plant and for community educa- tion regarding tree and plant care. I guess this article and those to follow are a testament to the fact that I still work for Dennis and am glad to do so. All of us taught master gardener program classes. I still do. Gardening with Dennis is about appreciation of plants and trees, caring for them, understanding their history, their function and their importance to us. Dana of- ten worried about Dennis because he was well into his seventies and still doing hard labor in the sum- mer heat. He worried he would fi nd Dennis collapsed under a tree. I told Dana to quit worrying. I said if that is what happens you know he died among friends doing what he loved. And he did. Gardening with Dennis Quartzsite Events Online: www.QuartzsiteCalendar.com

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