A Pennsylvania teacher helped preserve a family pumpkin that might otherwise have disappeared, growing and stewarding the heirloom for nearly 40 years. Wayne Fortna became the caretaker of what is now known as the ‘Fortna White’ pumpkin, a distinctive cream-coloured squash traditionally used to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. After serving as a tank commander under General George S. Patton during the Second World War, Fortna found comfort in gardening and continued growing the family variety for decades. After he died in 1990, his daughter helped save the seeds through the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum. Today, Seed Savers Exchange shares its seeds with gardeners.
How did Wayne Fortna preserve the White pumpkin
According to the Seed Savers Exchange, before becoming known for preserving the family pumpkin, Fortna served during the Second World War as a tank commander under General George S. Patton. He was a teacher, and he served during the war before returning to civilian life. The organisation says that gardening later became an important source of comfort for him.According to his daughter, Sue Ellen Majer, gardening helped her father cope with the post-war effects of PTSD. She said he found “solace in gardening”, adding that it calmed his nerves and helped reconnect him with nature and the soil. His dedication to growing the family pumpkin therefore became more than simply maintaining a vegetable garden: it was also connected to a deeply personal part of his life after the war.
How did Fortna White reach gardeners
Fortna continued stewarding the family heirloom for almost 40 years, ensuring its seeds could be planted again and that his family could continue enjoying pumpkin pie made from their own squash. The tradition was closely tied to Thanksgiving, when the pumpkin became part of the family’s dinner. Its mild flavour and baking qualities made it especially well suited to pie.After Fortna died in 1990, his daughter Sue Ellen sought help from the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to preserve the family’s treasured seeds. The museum’s Heirloom Seed Project has more than 50 volunteers who maintain a collection of historic Pennsylvania Dutch seeds, including the ‘Fortna White’ pumpkin. This intervention helped ensure that the variety survived beyond the Fortna family’s own garden.
How did Seed Savers Exchange preserve the heirloom
Seed Savers Exchange later received ‘Fortna White’ pumpkin seeds from Landis Valley and evaluated the variety through its Collection-to-Catalog pipeline. The organisation ultimately decided that the squash was worth sharing more widely, introducing it as a featured “From the Collection” variety in its 2024 catalogue. Today, gardeners can grow the same heirloom that Fortna carefully maintained for his family for decades. The variety is well suited to pumpkin pies and other dishes.
