MUMS THE WORD - Top, Wyatt Grose stopped by the Geneva Grill and Bar's Mum sale on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Kathy Wobschall was one of the volunteers who helped with the purchase. Below, Hadley Wayne was sampling the smells of the mums she wanted before she made a purchase, with assistance from Jill Golhoffer. Star Eagle photos by Ben Revermann
Geneva Mum Sale helps in fight against cancer
Thu, 09/17/2026 - 8:00am
Thanks to the efforts of about 20 volunteers, brightly colored mum plants in shades of purple, burgundy, rust, lavender, red and yellow lined the sidewalk in front of the Geneva Bar and Grill the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 11. Priced at $20 each, they were a fundraiser for the Geneva Cancer Auction, with a goal of bringing in $2,500 in support of the group’s efforts to help eradicate cancer.
The yearly sale has become quite a tradition since it began in 2011.
The flowers were set out in a line, so that buyers could easily pull up to the curb, make their purchases, and load them into their vehicles.
Barb Kuchenbecker had bright eyes and a mum in her hand, “We drove down to Iowa this morning and got the mums. There was a big donation from Thrivent which helped us pay for a lot of the cost. Other than that, we donated our own money to buy the flowers and then that goes toward the Geneva Cancer Auction.” Kuchenbecker has been working with the auction since 2014.
Kuchenbecker mentioned people buy anywhere from one to 10 plants either to decorate their property or to give as gifts.
Kathy Wobschall, who has volunteered for the mum sale in past years, was in charge of the cash box. “I like mums because they’re easy to work with.” she observed. “They are not perennial, so plan on getting another one next year. I don’t mind because things have gone well this year with our sale. We have dedicated people who like going to get the flowers and those same people like setting all this up. I already have 10 myself; some are gifts for people.”
Kuchenbecker expressed her thanks to the volunteers who made the sale possible, including some who drove to Iowa to pick up the plants, the folks who loaned their truck and trailer for the drive, and those who donated money to augment the Thrivent grant.
She also mentioned that, for those who could not come by during the sale, there is a chance a few plants will be available yet at 101 W Main in Geneva, or by calling (507) 256-7278.