Pennie Logemann

Pennie Logemann 93, of Bedford, formerly of Concord, MA, on Oct. 8, 2011, beloved wife of the late Hugo Logemann, Jr. Born May 3, 1918 and raised in Rindge, NH, Pennie was the daughter of Finnish migrs Thomas and Emma Penttila and spoke only Finnish as a young child. Nevertheless, she excelled in her studies and graduated from Murdock High School as Salutatorian of her class. A pre-med student at the University of New Hampshire, she graduated in 1939 and became a medical technologist and was head of the bacteriology lab at Springfield Hospital, MA until she married her late husband, Hugo Logemann, in 1943. An original resident of the Conantum community in Concord from 1952-1993, Pennie was a founding member of the Conantum Garden Club, also being active in the Acton Garden Club. As a member of the AMC, she and Hugo climbed all of the 4,000 foot peaks in the White Mountains. Pennie's passion for gardening and horticulture emerged as she developed the Conantum property, identifying trees, plants and ferns and planning her woodland gardens. In the spring, Pennie loved having May wine parties, serving friends the tasty May wine she brewed from sweet woodruff that grew in her garden. After taking courses in Landscape Design at Radcliffe from 1966-1970, she practiced landscape design and taught landscape design education courses, becoming a Master Gardener and Landscape Design Master Consultant. She brought her students on field trips to her showcase garden, which was designed for low-maintenance featuring native plants and seasonal berries for the birds, and with color of interest throughout the year. As longtime member and activist of the New England Wild Flower Society (NEWFS), as well as becoming a recognized landscape and botanical authority with a specialty in ferns, Pennie received numerous awards from Boston-area and MA horticultural organizations, including the Outstanding Service award from the NEWFS and the MA Horticultural Society Award (Bronze Medal) for "Excellent development of a difficult terrain, including a bog and heavily shaded woodland area". In 2007-2008, Pennie received some notoriety when her 30-year span of meticulous daily notes of the flowering phases of 250 plants in her woodland garden were used by Boston University researchers, along with Henry David Thoreau's similar 19th century plant notes from Concord, for evidence of climate change effects. Her work was referenced in articles in the Boston Globe and New York Times, among others. Pennie was a petite, feisty woman who loved to learn and who had a light sense of humor with a touch of wit. She is survived by her daughter Lois Anne Whitney and husband Alan of Concord, MA; and grandchildren Eric Whitney and his wife Heather of Sharon, MA, and Sarah Whitney of New York City. A Memorial Service will be held on Wed., Nov. 23, 2011 at 10:30am at Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations in Pennie's memory may be made to the New England Wildflower Society, 180 Hemenway Rd., Framingham, MA 01701. For online condolences and guestbook, please visit: www.deefuneralhome.com.