Hybridizer Mary (Frakes) Tharp (1879-1965)

Payette, Idaho, USA

Tell Muhlestein dedicated his 1962 catalog edition to Mary and he wrote a beautiful message as follows:

Idaho's pioneer iris grower and hybridizer responsible for creating interest and converts to the love and growing of Irises in this Gem State. Born in Davis County, Iowa 20 Dec. 1879 she came to Payette (then called Boomerang) with her parents in 1882. She married John Stewart Tharp in 1905 [he died in 1937]. She is the mother of Peggy[Ida Margaret] Daniel of Boise, Idaho and James (Jimmy) Tharp who resides with his mother at 445 North 7th Street, Payette, Idaho. Peggy's daughter, Nita, is thrilling great-grandmother with beautiful issue.

Mary Tharp's hybridizing efforts paralleled the work of other early breeders in this country. A contemporary of such famous breeders as Wm. Mohr, Hans and Jacob Sass, Grace Sturtevant, Col. Nicholls and others, her early work was primarily with the diploids and undoubtedly many beautiful seedlings were produced, some of which would fall into the border or table-bearded classification, today. Snow Orchid, Sylvia and Meadow Lark, later productions, are examples of these. With the introduction of ‘Top Helen’ the acme of her triumph is manifest. Here is a line-bred product and the result of three generations of Tharp breeding: Blue Champagne being a seedling of Gloriole x Ice Maiden, the later a seeding of Purissima x Santa Barbara.

We thank this gracious lady of arts for her contribution to the Iris World and for the inspiration she has been to fanciers in her home state as well as faraway places. May she and her family have the enduring rewards they so richly deserve.

Registrations/Introductions:

Arilbred: 'My Day',

Intermediate Bearded: 'Charm Girl', 'Lady's Choice', 'Little Cindrella', 'Mollymawk', 'Toy-ee'.

Miniature Tall Bearded: 'Meadow Lark'.

Tall Bearded: (A-C): 'Alda', 'Aldabella', 'Alice Murdock', 'American Girl', 'Amethyst Twilight', 'Annie Ross', 'Annual Meeting', 'Apricot Lights', 'Arcadia', 'Ark Royal', 'Barbarian Maid', 'Beacon Light', 'Beau Geste', 'Belle Rooney', 'Bells of Bastogne', 'Bengal Lancer', 'Best Wishes', 'Beth Jewell', 'Black Luster', 'Blond Bebe', 'Blue Drapes', 'Blue Heart', 'Blue Horizon', 'Blueberry Hill', 'Bonnie Bentley', 'Bright Pledge', 'Brigid', 'Broadway Rose', 'Bronze Lullaby', 'Brown Bomber', 'Burning Blossom', 'Caesar's Toga', 'Calico Frills', 'Campus Queen', 'Candy', 'Captain Midnight', 'Carolina Rose', 'Cavel Del Aire', 'Celebrity Blue', 'Charm Girl', 'Chendie', 'Chief Tallboy', 'China Gold', 'Christine Gray', 'Coffee Time', 'Colonial Lady', 'Copper Room', 'Coral Melodies', 'Cosmopolite', 'Criollo', 'Crystal Dome', 'Cup of Gold',

Tall Bearded (D-J): 'Dancing Daffodil', 'Dark Rapture', 'Dark Victory'. 'Deep Purple', 'Delphinus', 'Desert Canyon', 'Desert Commando', 'Dr. Foster', 'Duchess Of Main Street', 'Dusti-Gold', 'El Oro', 'El Rojo', 'Elizabeth Otten', Emperor Jones', 'Ever Glad', 'Feumee', 'Flaming Youth', 'Flamme D'Or', 'Fluted Arrow', Gabriel's Radiance', 'Gay Way', 'Gem State', 'Gertrude Fields', 'Golden Falcon', 'Golden River', 'Golden Tangerine', 'Gold Salute', 'Good Enough', 'Gorgeous Girl', 'Graduation Night', 'Grand Mufti', 'Green Gables', Gypsy Dance', 'Happy Warrior', 'Hartzsong', 'Harvest Wine', 'Hawthorne House', 'Heather Hill', 'Heliotrope', 'Hesper', 'Hoepi', 'Honey Chile', 'Honey Cloud', 'Honey Rum', 'Honeysuckle Rose', 'Honor', 'Ice Maiden', 'Idaho Skies', 'Idaho Vandaleer', 'Idaho Witchery', 'Ideal Rose', 'Island Treasure', 'Isle of June', 'James Lloyd', 'Jansie', Jean Harriett', 'Jean Hughes', 'Jeroma', 'Jingo', 'Jubilo', 'Judith Gardnier', 'Jungle Drums', 'Just Rite',

Tall Bearded (K-R): 'King Fish', 'Kingwood', 'Lady Gladys', 'Lady Marguerita', 'Lady Reta', 'Lake Success', 'Lemon Ice', Lillian Wilson', 'Limberlost', 'Loneta', 'Lotus Blossom', 'Luther Peterson', 'Madam X', 'Marion Estelle', 'Mary Clapp', 'Mary Dianne', 'Mary K', 'McCall', 'Mei Mei', 'Melodious', 'Merridee', 'Mexicalli Rose', 'Mission Bell', 'Mist O' Rose', 'Misty Moon', 'Molten Gold', 'Mood Indigo', 'Mr. Deeds', 'My Choice', 'Nancy Till', 'New Loveliness', 'Nita', 'Northland', 'Nifty Nugget', 'Olatha', 'Old Brier', 'Opaque Beauty', 'Orchid Gown', 'Orient', 'Oriental Splendor' 'Pacific Echo', 'Paderewski', 'Pansy Bouquet', 'Pax', 'Payette Lakes', 'Peace Valley', 'Pearl Bush', 'Pearl Harbor', 'Peruvian Princess', 'Pete's Choice', 'Pinafore', 'Pink Flame', 'Pink Moth', 'Pixyana', 'Prairie Flower', 'Prim Prest', 'Primrose Perfection', 'Prince Valiant', 'Princess Pale', 'Raspberry Revel', 'Rawnie', 'Revery', 'Rio Sun', 'Rio Tinto', Rodeo Queen', 'Rose Marion', 'Rosy Maple', 'Royal Chord', 'Royal Guest', 'Royal Regent',

Tall Bearded (S-Z): 'Safe Harbor', 'Sapphire Lakes', 'Saving Grace', 'Signal', 'Silver Flute', 'Silver Frost', 'Simone', 'Singing Hills', 'Sir Fire Fly', 'Sir Hokus Pokus', 'Small Fry', 'Smiling Through', 'Snow Orchid', 'Southern Breezes', 'Special Moment', 'Spring Zephyr', 'State Fair', 'Stone Mountain', 'Strawberry Blonde', 'Summer Schnee', 'Supreme Blue', 'Swashbuckler', 'Sweet Clover', 'Sweet Hortense', 'Sweet Madness'. 'Sweet Meadow', 'Sylvia', 'Tea Room', 'Teen Time', 'Titian Beauty', 'Top Helen'. 'Uhlan Chief', 'Village Queen', 'Whispering Hope', 'Wild Grape', 'Wings', 'Winter Wonderland', 'Wood Winds', 'Zasu'.

-- BobPries - 2012-05-18