PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (WLOX) - Every fall, you can find the “Pumpkin Lady” in Pass Christian, bringing joy to those searching for the perfect pumpkin.
“We have pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors,” Jeanne Tagge said. “They’re kind of like people, they’re all different.”
Tagge knows all about pumpkins and what they can be used for.
“Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, I even have a recipe for pumpkin dog treat biscuits,” Tagge said.
32 years of volunteering for the Trinity Episcopal Church’s pumpkin patch has made Tagge the “Pumpkin Lady.”
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“I love seeing the kids and their families come out,” Tagge said. “The kids are so excited, families bring their babies to take family pictures, and that becomes a family tradition. We have adults who came here as children, now bringing their own children to the pumpkin patch.”
Picking pumpkins is a tradition for many of the visitors, setting it up, and keeping it going is a family tradition for Tagge. Her children and grandchildren, like sixth-grader Corbin Farrell, help every year.
“Whenever someone smiles, it gets me and Gigi happy just to see someone smile,” Farrell said.
The smiles and pumpkins come with a view.
“This is one of the only places in the U.S. you’ll find a pumpkin patch this close to the water,” Tagge said. “It’s kind of hard to miss thousands of pumpkins on the beach.”
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The pumpkins with a beach view can come with obstacles. Hurricanes have washed away the pumpkins several times. It never stops Tagge. She always comes back, even after Katrina.
“In 2006, we were back, and we were one of the first things back on this end of town in Pass Christian,” Tagge said. “I had a lady that came up and said, ‘This is the first happy thing I’ve seen all day.’ To know that we brought joy to that person’s heart means a lot. It means that we are important to people’s lives here in the community.”
The pumpkins bring more than smiles. Proceeds from the sales go to more than a dozen charity organizations.
“Everything that we earn goes back out into the community,” Tagge said.
Helping others and bringing joy are the reasons why the “Pumpkin Lady” does her part to keep the pumpkin patch going.
“To me, it energizes me. I love to see everybody having fun,” Tagge said.
If you want to stop by, Trinity’s Pumpkin Patch is open every day from 10 a.m. to dark until Halloween.
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