Who is Gary O'Sena?

Deborah · March 14, 2013

I Googled thinking it was a real person but all I found was that a man named Keith named the tomato for his grandmother. Huh?

Fusion_power · March 14, 2013

correct spelling: Gary'O Sena

WVTomatoMan · March 14, 2013

It is a real person. Keith Meuller crossed Brandywine with Cherokee Purple and named the selected OP variety after his paternal grandmother. As Fusion already mentioned Gary'O Sena is the correct spelling as recorded by Keith when he documented family history.

I learned a lot about crossing and tomato genetics from Keith and have a lot of respect for him. Some commercial venues sell plants of some of Keith's varieties including Gary'O Sena. The proceeds go to support various autism research charities. His son has autism.

Here are a couple of links you might be interested in:
http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/releases/
http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/xingtom.html

Randy

emcd124 · March 14, 2013

Wow, what a fantastic story! Now its moving up in my list of things to grow next year. It might just be the pregnancy hormones in me, but the idea of breeding a tomato variety that you name after your grandmother, but that "pays forward" benefits to a cause that affects your son just strikes me as the heart and soul of what familial gardening is all about. I'm feeling a little weepy and wishing that I was a better 'mater breeder right about now. Stupid hormones.

Sun City Linda · March 14, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by emcd124

Wow, what a fantastic story! Now its moving up in my list of things to grow next year. It might just be the pregnancy hormones in me, but the idea of breeding a tomato variety that you name after your grandmother, but that "pays forward" benefits to a cause that affects your son just strikes me as the heart and soul of what familial gardening is all about. I'm feeling a little weepy and wishing that I was a better 'mater breeder right about now. Stupid hormones.

Anyone who has been pregnant understands completely.

March 16, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Anyone who has been pregnant understands completely.

Our youngest child is forty two years old and he was adopted. I was just wondering how long it takes for those mood altering hormones to wear off.

Ted

Fusion_power · March 16, 2013

Ted, That is part of the female conspiracy. They never wear off. Thought you knew.

DarJones

March 16, 2013

Dar,

Ted

RobinB · March 14, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by emcd124

Wow, what a fantastic story! Now its moving up in my list of things to grow next year. It might just be the pregnancy hormones in me, but the idea of breeding a tomato variety that you name after your grandmother, but that "pays forward" benefits to a cause that affects your son just strikes me as the heart and soul of what familial gardening is all about. I'm feeling a little weepy and wishing that I was a better 'mater breeder right about now. Stupid hormones.

Oh yeah. I used to cry at toilet paper commercials! Those stupid hormones are not my favorite part. The kid was worth it though!

Sun City Linda · March 14, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinB

Oh yeah. I used to cry at toilet paper commercials! Those stupid hormones are not my favorite part. The kid was worth it though!

Well, he is pretty cute.

Redbaron · March 14, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinB

Oh yeah. I used to cry at toilet paper commercials! Those stupid hormones are not my favorite part. The kid was worth it though!

Don't let it bother you. Some of those TP commercials are so bad, it could make anyone cry!

Deborah · March 14, 2013

All right, you hijackers ! (Just kidding)
But OK, I don't get the Gary if he's Keith and it's named for his grandmother.

WVTomatoMan · March 15, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deborah

...But OK, I don't get the Gary if he's Keith and it's named for his grandmother.

That's because you're thinking in modern American terms. Gary as a masculine given name is relatively recent and seems to be tied to the popularity of Gary Cooper (refer to the wiki article on the name Gary). Keith's grandmother was of Irish decent. Knowing of the Irish background I assumed that her name was a mangled Anglicised form of the Irish female name Gearoidin (which can be shortened to Gerri). In this context when I see Gary'O I pronounce it with the J sound and try to make the rest of it sound as Irish as I can.

Randy

Doug9345 · March 15, 2013

Thank Randy now the reason for the apostrophe being were it is makes sense. It never occured to me that Gary'O was a contraction.

Deborah · March 15, 2013

So the O' means OF? The town of Sena?

March 14, 2013	#1
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	Who is Gary O'Sena? I Googled thinking it was a real person but all I found was that a man named Keith named the tomato for his grandmother. Huh?

March 14, 2013	#2
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	correct spelling: Gary'O Sena

March 14, 2013	#3
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	It is a real person. Keith Meuller crossed Brandywine with Cherokee Purple and named the selected OP variety after his paternal grandmother. As Fusion already mentioned Gary'O Sena is the correct spelling as recorded by Keith when he documented family history. I learned a lot about crossing and tomato genetics from Keith and have a lot of respect for him. Some commercial venues sell plants of some of Keith's varieties including Gary'O Sena. The proceeds go to support various autism research charities. His son has autism. Here are a couple of links you might be interested in: http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/releases/ http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/xingtom.html Randy

March 14, 2013	#4
emcd124 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 104	Wow, what a fantastic story! Now its moving up in my list of things to grow next year. It might just be the pregnancy hormones in me, but the idea of breeding a tomato variety that you name after your grandmother, but that "pays forward" benefits to a cause that affects your son just strikes me as the heart and soul of what familial gardening is all about. I'm feeling a little weepy and wishing that I was a better 'mater breeder right about now. Stupid hormones.

March 16, 2013	#7
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Ted, That is part of the female conspiracy. They never wear off. Thought you knew. DarJones

March 15, 2013	#14
Doug9345 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Durhamville,NY Posts: 2,706	Thank Randy now the reason for the apostrophe being were it is makes sense. It never occured to me that Gary'O was a contraction.