Page 69 - MLD Book

IN August, our dear friend LsNell Barnes died of the big C. Jim and LaNell knew Melvin before I did, when in 1960 they sang in his choir in Frankfort coming over from Transylvania, so it was an emotional time for us once again. We all ended up in Louisville eventually and made music together at one place or another through the years. They sang for me at Calvary, then for Melvin at St. Francis for a while, but always were a part of the LBS. Jim was already
volunteering at Calvary in various capacities (as was LaNell) and a while before her death he assumed the role of administrator and Verger. He jumped into it full force with her death, really needed to be occupied as well as being so very good at doing it. His understanding of what it meant to be busy would serve me well later!
I mentioned that Sandra Cherry was instrumental in leading the pack to right the wrong. She went all out insisting that Calvary show appreciation for what we both had done for Calvary over the years, and so on September 22, the Eucharist was celebrated In honor of the Ministry of Margaret and Melvin Dickinson!!! The bulletin for that day read Today we will celebrate and give thanks for the ministry of Margaret and Melvin Dickinson, who served Calvary as organist and choir director for many years. Margaret will play the voluntary ((I hate that word) which will be followed by a luncheon. So I got to play the Widor once again! And what a luncheon it was! Highlight was a huge scrapbook of letters from everywhere, remembrances of many occasions, and they had worked hard to present this huge book. Finally, the reception that Molly had offered the day they fired me took place. They had to talk us into it, but in the end, it was a good thing to have waited over a year. It gave us time to heal and opened the door for me to return eventually in different ways.
2014
OPUS 22 January 14 Felix Mendelssohn Performers: Lisa Lewis, Dr. Jack Ashworth, Margaret Dickinson, Dr. Robert Bozeman, Margaret Dickinson, Glenna Metcalfe, Dr. Paul Weber, Timothy Baker
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS LECTURE TOOK PLACE ON JANUARY 14. MELVIN DIED ON JANUARY 31, SO YOU COULD SAY HE WAS PRODUCTIVE UNTIL THE LAST!
OPUS23wasslatedforFebruary11,andwouldhavebeen JosefRheinberger.
We had already written the lecture and it would have featured me, Glenna, and Lisa playing sonatas 20, 14, and 4. Copies of Opus 23 are in our library still, if anyone wants a copy.
In spite of our many efforts to put off the inevitable end that we knew was coming, it was clear to me as 2014 began that Melvin wasn’t going to make it. The two of us really never discussed it as such, but we both knew. The medical situation was further complicated by our precious doctor Tom Blanford’s retirement the end of December, with regrets on both ends but especially for us. Tom had gone way beyond what a doc usually does (including