Commemoration and comments on people who have died during the last quarter year.
By Chuck Peek
Friends and acquaintances
Ethel Arrants. In every congregation there are a few quiet folks who make no fuss, are not your leaders, but are found in the pew week in and week out. Ethel and her husband were two of those for me for 10 years at St. Luke’s, Kearney.
Joye Braun, Wanbli Wiyan Ka’win, Eagle Feather Woman, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe—who dedicated much of her life to fighting pipelines and helping to preserve our clean air and water for which she should be on everyone’s “hero” list.
Steve Buttress, friend, husband of Dr. Jan Weber, former economic development officer for Nebraska in the Nelson administration, and a fine writer and chronicler; one of what I dubbed the “brain trust”—a weekly lunch group; he came close to finishing his last story, struggling to move it toward its conclusion as he battled cancer and the complications of its treatment and the pain returned. When he knew he could not finish, he left it to me at our last little brunch of sweet rolls and chocolate shakes, for the use of Kearney Creates.
Richard Farquhar, from a family we’ve known for years, reaching back to J.R. and Fern Baldwin and the family and I working together to get a new downtown recovery club house.
Marty Garringer, out of an unkempt and forlorn demeanor came brilliantly played music—piano or organ made no difference, glad to have had him play often at churches I led and to talk about life at many tables.
Frank Griswold, 25th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, whose take on our growing pains midst many rancorous issues was profoundly and simply this: “We’re learning to live the mystery of communion.” He was also a fine Willa Cather scholar who, at my invitation, both celebrated and preached at Grace Church in Red Cloud and was a well-received speaker at a Cather Spring Conference. He succeeded Edmund Browning, elected at the only General Convention to which I was a Deputy, and was succeeded by Katharine Jefferts Schori, both Schori and Griswold having been visitors to my parish when I was Rector of St. Stephen’s, Grand Island. It is no little tribute to him that he ordained one of my friends and was neighbor to another.
John Liston Hall, former Dean of the Cathedral in Davenport, Iowa, long-time friend from university days, married one of Nancy’s sorority sisters, and we enjoyed many stops to see them in Davenport as we travelled to Milwaukee. Of the old TGIF group in graduate school (Ron Wiley, Brent Bohlke, Mike Cartwright, John, and I), I’m the only one left alive. Old friend Fr. Mel Schlachter was there to give John Last Rites and old friend Fr. Jim Ransom (and Bishp Griswold’s neighbor) preached his funeral sermon.
Colton Hill, son of Jerry and Pam, grandson of Jean and Bill, died in the crash of plane he was piloting, his viewing affording a wonderful moment with his father, Jerry.
Joyce Reece Markham. When Nancy stepped down as director of Christian Education at St. Luke’s, Rosemary Northwall and Joyce Reece teamed up to take her place; later, Nancy and I met up with Joyce again in Topeka (Joyce’s hometown), where she gave Nancy a tour of the Cathedral and, over the years, she and her daughters visited Kearney and St. Luke’s several times.
Leonard McCarville. When I was Rector of St. Luke’s, Kearney, Leonard was Principal at Central Elementary, just across the alley from us. The McCarville’s joined the Haeberle’s and Peek’s on a Christmas lights tour in John Haeberle’s van…the one that had to back up the steeper hills!
David Nixon, former student at BKSM—kind, generous, and a life-long learner—able to worship one Sunday at his Iowa church and found dead at his home the following week…not a bad way to go.
Jack Rall, 50 years at Swan’s Furniture where he worked during college at KSC and where he continued to work after giving up on a promising career as a soda jerk, good friend from SERTOMA who left behind directions for his funeral, including choosing me to officiate and giving me the pleasure of a long-overdue catching up with his two fine daughters.
Marilyn Romines, sister of our dear friend and great Cather scholar Ann Romines, who bonded with Nancy over Nancy’s Navajo Squash Blossom necklace.
Lonnie Vannier. I did not know Lonnie but for this…he walked his granddaughter Breanna down the aisle for her wedding to Dillon Rose, and that may have been the happiest part of their happy occasion, which speaks volumes about Lonnie.
Marcia Welch. I knew her as a welcoming and warming presence, at poetry readings and in her home; she brought so many wonderful qualities to her marriage to poet Don Welch, and is one of those of whom it is said “her children shall rise up and call her blessed.” Son Chad presided at her commemoration with wit, humor, and substance. I’ll sneak in here my poem based on Charles Fort’s recollection of Marcia:
A Poet Finds Himself in the Presence of Another Poet and His Wife
For Charles Fort and Marcia Welch
Picture composure seated on an easy chair,
With curiosity visible in the pupil of her eye
Magnified by a coke-bottle-bottom lens,
Just this combination putting at complete ease
The visitor seated across who, until this moment,
Had no way of imagining what his reception would be,
Any wariness on his part laid to rest, his
Strong frame easing itself unconsciously
Into a sort of sitting parade rest, finding a position
That allowed the words for welcome
And sincerity to come forward in his mind, her
Countenance spelling out safety and warmth
In that place where among the three of them
Words could grow into poems, and joined in friendship,
No one needed to arrive at any final conclusions.
Kearney, Nebraska
February 23, 2023
In the news aka celebrities
Burt Bacharach, a superstar of song writing, performing, and producing; as you walk on by us, we’ll say a little prayer for you. Thanks for all the enjoyment so many people have had in your music. (Bacharach was from Kansas City, whose Chiefs played in this year’s Super Bowl; on the Eagles’ side of the line, Nebraska’s favorite Nadomican Suh—music against muscle and music won!). Certainly a recruit for the only organized body said to populate heaven: choirs of angels.
Richard Belzer, Under the first things to come up on a Google search, the question: What is Richard Belzer doing now? Good question. Possibly munching on something?
Robert Blake, what was it flew about Baretta? Parrot, cockatoo? Anyway, it is has flown; apparently too late to make the Oscar’s memorial segment?
Bud Grant, the aging Viking taking his 4 Super Bowl rings with him? Joined by Terry Holland, much younger, who brought fame to UVA basketball. Joined by Bobby Hull, Hockey’s “Golden Jet,” all big losses in the world of sports.
Ricky Knievel, we can soar over fountains and limousines, whole blocks of them, but the little pancreas is not so easily passed over, even with big jumps in your genes.
Gina Lolabrigida, Italian femme fatale who made her fame in movies and ended her life as an artist, once rival in fame to Sophia Loren, and whose photo at this year’s Oscars barely drew any visible notice.
Pervez Musharraf, if anything can mitigate suffering from a disease, possibly the Dubai American Hospital is the place to find it? The younger brother of the man Musharraf ousted from office sent condolences “to the family.” The right hand that Pervez always seemed to hold up outstretched as if to ward off something turned powerless against mortality.
Anita Pointer, took her Grammy and made the big “Jump.”
Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of a heart starting and heart stopping singer dies when her heart stops beating, defying her father’s own lyrics: don’t be cruel to a heart that’s true.
Joseph Ratzinger, AKA Pope Benedict, the only modern Pope (so far) to resign, who lived out the rest of his days on earth in an apartment on the grounds of the Vatican and in film as one of the Two Popes; this one turned his back on Vatican II – which he had helped shape – and instead set himself to be, in Jason Berry’s words, a catalyst for “the evolution of a puritanical mindset at odds with human freedom, and democratic ideals of justice.”
Tom Sizemore, somehow somewhat forgotten in the wake of Tom Hanks’ popularity for Saving Private Ryan, now right-sized.
Stella Stevens, actor, writer, and producer, aka Appassionata Von Climax (cf. Lil Abner) and former 1960 Playmate, has now reached, well, the climax
Chaim Topol, sunset has come for blessed Tevya now surely a wealthy man!
Barbara Walters, long-time leading television journalist, a media super-star known for her probing interviews—or for being Barbara WaWa on SNL.
Raquel Welch, Myra Breckenridge is dead, but which Myra died? And why are there no more movies about Roller Derby?
Frank T. Griswold III, 25th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, who died March 5, 2023
This blog continues just about monthly with reflections on anything and nothing.
Kearney, Nebraska March 2023; next the usual Eastertide reflections.
capeek 