Page 43 - Abraham Lincoln Hearse Narrative

EIGHTH PROGRESS UPDATE APRIL AND MAY 2015 - ERIC HOLLENBECK
How Craftsmanship Is Healing Lives at The Blue Ox Village--continued
The Blue Ox In Springfield, Illinois: Through the generosity of Mark and Terri
Greenwald of Springfield, IL and Dean Lambert, from Homesteaders Life Company, the entire
contingent of The Blue Ox Build Crew was flown from Eureka, California to St Louis, Missouri
where chauffeured vans with signs reading “Welcome Hearse Build Team” picked us up! One
and a half hours later, we were all snuggled into our rooms in Springfield. Our motel was the
Route 66, which borders its name sake, so now I can say I have been on the famous ROUTE 66.
Maybe you have to be as old as I am to remember the song!
We all had a wonderful time and were treated like royalty, being shuttled to each event
and activity. The Staab family was the most gracious of hosts and their staff was unbelievable
at orchestrating all the activities. Imagine entertaining a group of 26 Blue Oxers for 5 days and
nights! It seems to me that such an endeavor should be a direct line to Sainthood!
Some of the sights we saw were a private tour of the Carillon (a 6 story bell tower) where
we got to go up and watch the maestro play the bells. This was big for Viviana as it was a relative
of her family who built the Carillon. The view from the top story was incredible as the country
there is FLAT and you could see to the horizon.
That night we were honored as the build team for
the Hearse unveiling in the largest airplane hanger
I have ever seen. It seemed like there were over
1000 people there and it wasn’t crowded! The next
day we had individual portraits taken by a master
photographer Lou Szoke (we have yet to see these,
but we will). We then had a guided tour around
Springfield, including the Oak Ridge Cemetery
where Lincoln is buried. It is the only hill (read

Patrick Knox, Springfield Park District that as “small bump”) and is wooded and almost
Interim Carillonneur, was a jovial character: as green as home. It is beautifully kept and very
playing this thing is a full-body experience large, a fitting place for Lincoln.
including fists and feet!
The next morning Saturday, May 2, at 10:00
was OUR DAY. There we were, street side along
with thousands of other people, wearing our
Hearse Build Team buttons when out she came in
all her glory. It was the first time any of us had seen
the Hearse with her plumes and six horses. What a
sight, 56 feet of splendor and Victorian Opulence.
Even the horses had plumes! They unloaded the

flag-draped coffin from the reconstructed funeral On the first day of the funeral procession the
railroad car and loaded it into the hearse, where a Veteran’s Build Team posed with the Hearse. A
parade of 1200 re-enactors escorted it for six blocks, special thanks to Dean Lambert, DesMoines,
in full Victorian costumes, with the military in the Iowa, for suggesting we all pose for this photo
lead and the civilians bringing up the rear. What in the moments before the procession began.
a sight! We got cheers from the onlookers, a heartening
experience.
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