The Eden Theological Seminary’s community garden in Webster Groves was dedicated to Patricia Penelton on Tuesday, marking the continuation of the late tornado victim’s legacy of service and feeding the north side of St. Louis.
Penelton — known as “Ms. Pat” and described by family and friends as a “spunky” character — spent nearly 40 years serving at Centennial Christian Church in Fountain Park as church moderator, a deacon, an usher and a worship leader. She also sang as a charter member of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus for 27 seasons.
Penelton, 74, was leading a focus group at the church that gathered insight from unhoused individuals when she died in the May 16 tornado that killed four others and devastated the St. Louis region. She was laid to rest during a funeral service at the Austin A. Layne Renaissance Chapel in Jennings on May 27.
Dozens gathered at the seminary on Tuesday to honor Penelton. Applause erupted as a sign in Penelton’s favorite color, orange, and marked with a black butterfly, was unveiled. It was adorned with the new name of the garden, “Pat’s Place,” also known as The Pat Penelton Garden.
Her daughter Alexis Penelton Dennard took to a podium and reflected on her mother’s servant nature.
“This garden is not just vegetables and spices,” Dennard said through tears. “It's her, it's who she was, a reflection of the way she gave, the way she cared, the way she led people closer to Christ.
“She believed in God’s bounty and for it to be shared. And this garden feels just like that — a place that will forever keep blooming, keep nourishing and keep giving.”
Penelton worked as a volunteer at the seminary’s community garden for the last seven years, said Kristen Leslie, co-director of the Eden and Gleaning Garden Project at the Eden Theological Seminary.
She helped to grow various crops and taught others on the north side of St. Louis how to cook and prepare food, Leslie said, adding that in recent years Penelton traveled with the seminary to glean food from farms in Indiana. Leslie also highlighted the importance of educating volunteers about the historical legacy of racism in farming policies and the practice of gleaning, which involves recovering excess produce from farms to prevent waste.
Last year, the seminary gleaned 20,000 pounds of food from farms, which was distributed through local food ministries in the St. Louis region, including Centennial Church. Leslie said crops including collard and mustard greens, kale, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, carrots and different herbs are grown in the seminary garden.
And there is always an excess of corn, Leslie said. She said Penelton was intentional about distributing the extra corn to ensure there was food, whether people asked for it or not.
“[Penelton] had such an influence on the north side, both because she could take food that we grew and give it directly to folks, but also things that they may not be aware of, she will prepare and cook it and then teach them,” Leslie said.
Sophia Kamanzi, a medical student at Washington University, also gave remarks on Tuesday and said Penelton influenced her greatly as she prepared for a career of taking care of others through medicine.
She had an unwavering commitment to listening and learning from others, Kamanzi said, even when she was uncomfortable about new ideas at first. This was exemplified in their collaborative work on harm reduction and Narcan advocacy, Kamanzi added.
“By the time she passed, she understood the barriers facing people who suffer from substance abuse disorders, and she was in the process of creating an advocacy team to assist folks who are ready to seek help,” Kamanzi said.
“She could have easily dismissed us as kids who didn't know anything and who hadn't lived enough yet — we’re like half her age — [but] she didn't. Her ability to make other people feel heard and to not only listen, but act on what she learns is something that I aspire to have. I miss her every day, but her lessons and contagious determination aren’t gone.”
