Sean C. Morgan
Sunnyside Head Start has dedicated a new garden to the memory of Karen Horton, a Head Start teacher.
Horton, who died of cancer in 2004, taught at Sunnyside for a year and then was a parent advocate for two years at Head Start in Brownsville. Before coming to Sweet Home, she was a preschool director in Three Rivers, Calif., for 12 years and a teacher for six years in Oakridge.
Her husband, School District 55 Supt. Larry Horton, gave Head Start the initial and largest donation to build the garden, said Stephany Koehne, family advocate and site supervisor. The school wanted a quiet area for staff and students.
“We really value quiet places where people can go,” Koehne said. “We thought a garden would be a perfect place.”
Kidco Head Start, which operates Sunnyside, is planning to expand the project with playground improvements, such as dinosaur bones, said Pam Peck, Kidco facilities coordinator. An old water tank will likely become Thomas the Tank Engine.
“We truly are just sort of trying to naturalize the playground but also give kids a learning environment here,” Peck said.
“This symbolizes what can happen when people get together and care about things,” said Debbie Ashton, education coordinator. “That woman was so positive and upbeat throughout the time I knew her.”
Karen Horton had a gentle warmth, Ashton said, and she could be really silly and playful. She was an avid reader, who enjoyed children’s literature.
“It’s an amazing gift to have known her and be her friend,” Ashton said.
“I’m totally speechless,” said Larry Horton. “She would love it.”
Karen enjoyed planting seeds with children, he said. She would plant them, teach about them and watch as they grow.
She asked that there be no funeral, Horton said. Rather, she wanted to be remembered on a certain day.
It’s a tribute to her, he said. “I’m just very appreciative of what they’ve done. The garden was a nice idea for kids.”