Jenene Curtis Smith
The Garden Club of North Carolina – President 2013-2015
Cape Fear Garden Club – Parliamentarian 2014-2015
Cape Fear Garden Club Judges: Flower Arranging & Horticulture – Chair 2014-2015
Cape Fear Garden Club – President 1993-1994
SAR Life Member 1999, National Life Member 1993, State Life Member 1993
Interview and profile completed by Ms. Linda Snider, February 18, 2015
Jenene Curtis Smith was born in Grundy, Virginia, July 9, 1937. Her kindergarten year was spent in Washington, DC, where she received a great beginning to her educational years. After Washington, DC, the family lived in Bluefield, West Virginia and Roanoke, Virginia. Early on in her life, her Dad was in the service and while he was away, the family lived with grandparents as did so many people during those years. Bluefield is where she will tell you she was raised, however. Many things affected her future from kindergarten in DC to wanting to take care of her little brother, plants, and people, thus her choir director Miss Liz suggested she might want to be a nurse. Her love of flowers came from Grandfather Rhodes who grew lilies and taught her about growing vegetables. Her Grandmother was the plant grower with many lovely houseplants.
From third grade on and through her high school years Jenene was in Bluefield, then back to Washington, DC for three years of nursing school. After becoming a Registered Nurse and working for a few years, she came to North Carolina for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of North Carolina. The most memorable event during her college years – you guessed it- she met her future husband, in the cafeteria.
Clayton Bernard Smith, Jr.,” Bennie”, was the man Jenene married. Ever her love and friend, Jenene speaks of him with much warmth and good memories. Bennie joined the Navy while a junior in dental school and served for four years. They moved to Wilmington in 1966. They have three sons, Ben, Sam, and Walter. All of the “boys” are a great part of Jenene’s life as are her eight (8) grandchildren: five boys and three girls. Her refrigerator door is covered in lovely photos of the grandchildren. Jenene’s hobbies are family, music, having served as president of the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs, judging of flowers, going to the beach and being a wonderful friend to so many people.
In 1976 Fanchen Vance sponsored Jenene into the Cape Fear Garden Club where she has served on many committees, all offices, except Treasurer, becoming President in 1993-94. She first joined the Belle committee and has always remained on that Committee. She has a large collection of Azalea ticket booklets and every handbook since 1976. In 1976, Eleanor Hunt was president; Dot Bryant was vice president and Jo Chadwick was 2nd Vice President. Ida Newton was the president just prior to Jenene’s term and she (Ida) wanted to start a Flower Show School so she encouraged Jenene to become a Flower Show Judge and now she is certified as a National Flower Show Judge.
Jenene then became active in the Garden Club of North Carolina, serving as Treasurer, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Vice President and this year is completing her two year term as President of the Garden Club of North Carolina. In 1996 she served as a page at the South Atlantic Region Convention in Raleigh and at that time became Chairman of the Life Membership for the South Atlantic Region, a position she still holds.
Jenene’s greatest personal contributions to the Cape Fear Garden Club have been her hours of volunteering at the club level and the state level the national level. The greatest changes she has seen in our club has of course been the membership numbers but thinks this is a good thing, as we would not be able to contribute to our community without the many working hands. She foresees the expanding of our contributions to city, state and nation in beautifying our world, education of members, involvement in civic development and promotion of scholarships. Jenene does not belong to any association that does not offer scholarship opportunities – a statement to be considered and an example of her purpose. Always loving and always helping, we are proud to know and love our Jenene Smith.