Page 34 - MLD Book

The dedication of the Calvary Burial
Ground was a highlight of 1996 for
sure.! This had been in the works for
a long time, spurred on by the
diligence of Whitney Hardy, who
ultimately gets her way. At the time
of the dedication on May 12, 1996, a
fee of $150 was asked. Now it is
$500. Pat O’Hara was the first one
whose ashes were interned there,
followed by Margaret Toung and
David Broadhead. My Melvin is there
now, along with LaNell Barnes and
her mother, and many dear to me,
including Milton Moore, Herbert
Thornton, Lois O’Hara and others – I
think the ashes of close to 30 are
now out there. Over the years, a
bench and fountain and other
plantings have been added and it is a
lovely spot to go and meditate for a
while. As I write this in 2020, the
roses are blooming and I am able to
cut them and place in our food bags
to feed the needy. But do not tell
Ruth Robins, who considers the
garden HERS to take care of and mandate and never cut anything. As an aside, at one time, a homeless guy named Barney slept out in the Porte-cochere, and relieved himself freely, the liquid running down the driveway to the street. Other times he frequented the burial ground itself, until LaNell caught him one day and said Barney, you better not pee on my mother!
Then on October 28, 1996, our Lindsey joined her sisters Erin and Shelby as our third grandchild. All three, daughters of Maria and Joe, are great delights to this day. Lindsey has gone on to teach third grade in 2019-2020, having earned an education degree and now earning money and being one of the innovators of virtual learning techniques.!
Jonathan Smith and I have written nine hymns for Calvary honoring both liturgical and in house occasions, and think the first one was the CALVARY HYMN written for Homecoming on September 15. The last one was for Holy Cross Day in 2007, with others in between for such occasions as Christmas (Who cries out? TUNE LINDSEY in her honor two months old 1996), saints days, anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone, and other liturgically appropriate occasions. Jon and I wrote a special hymn for Presiding Bishop Browning and called the tune BROWNING. We got a thank you note from him too! The musical regimes after 2012 have had no enthusiasm for continuing to sing these hymns, although both Jon and I think they are pretty good and certainly commemorate events in the life of Calvary worth remembering.