[Dialogue] [Oe List ...] Fred Buss's Memorial

Tue Aug 2 18:35:54 EDT 2011

Video footage was taken during the service by Herman Greene and Jim Troxel.
ICA-USA hopes to soon have a link on our website whereby people can download
it if they so wish. The eulogy and reflections by Kaze Gadway, Lindsey Buss,
Paul Schrijnen, and Don Warren are all very fitting ways to remember Fred.
Terry

2011/8/2 Isobel and Jim Bishop <isobeljimbish at optusnet.com.au>

> Dear Herman,
> We appreciate so much your sending this tribute to Fred.
> I do feel as if I was present.
> In Australia we remember Fred as giving himself wholeheartedly to us -and
> to the people he encountered- during his year he spent amongst us. 1968.
>
> Sincerely,
>  Isobel BIshop.
>
> On 03/08/2011, at 12:57 AM, Herman Greene wrote:
>
> ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
>
> We held a moving memorial to Fred in the ****Kemper** **Building****(which I understand is now simply called “4750” by the locals) on Saturday.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Joe Thomas did most of the planning for the service with Paul Schrijnen
> providing significant input. Both Joe and Paul were very caring to Fred,
> Lindsey and Sarah throughout this final period. Lindsey has a wonderful
> wife, Dr. Betina Franschini, a pediatrician. I think the service meant more
> to Lindsey and Betina than any other people present.****
>
> ** **
>
> The memorial was held on the first floor in a large room adjacent to the
> entrance called the Martin Luther King, Jr. Room. How appropriate since Fred
> was very involved in the civil rights movement and was even jailed once with
> Dr. King in Albany, GA, in 1962. ****
>
> ** **
>
> I didn’t count the number of people present, but it was around 50. I will
> send a copy of the service in a separate email as I know it will be held up
> for approval because of the message size limitations on this listserve. **
> **
>
> ** **
>
> Fred’s history goes very deep in the life of ****ICA****. (At many levels
> it will always be the Order or EI for me, but I have come to understand the
> evolution that has occurred and our place in history now goes forward as *
> ***ICA****. I learned so much more about this history last weekend.) He
> joined the Christian Faith and Life Community at the **University** of **
> Texas** in ****Austin**** in 1956. (I believe this is the right year.) His
> roommate in the community was Don Warren. Don Warren’s wife was part of the
> women’s branch of the Community and both Don and his wife were among
> original six families that came to ****Evanston**** in 1962 to become the
> Ecumenical Institute of Chicago. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Don was the lead liturgist at the memorial service. He also gave an
> unexpected, extensive eulogy at the end of the service as he was not listed
> on the order of service to do a eulogy. Other eulogies were given by Kaze
> Gadway (I learned that the name Kaze was how children in some country in
> which she served pronounced Kay Hayes), Lindsey Buss and Paul Schrijnen.
> Bettina said a Buddhist prayer on behalf of Meta Karuna (formerly Elizabeth
> Buss and presently a Buddhist nun). Charles Hahn was the other lead
> liturgist.****
>
> ** **
>
> They were surrounded by a could of witnesses including Doris Hahn, Patrick
> Moriarity, Marsha Hahn, Jim and Karen Troxell, Charles Lingo, Joyce Townley,
> Laura Spencer, Terry and Pam Bergdall, Frank Knutson (formerly Bob Knutson),
> Paul Noah, Marge and Paula Philbrook, Sally Fenton, Carol Pierce, Dick
> Alton, distinguished friends of Lindsey, Karen Sims, Roy Stansbury and many
> others. (Terry has the complete list.)****
>
> ** **
>
> We brought our Order memory into the service without repeating our Order
> liturgies.****
>
> ** **
>
> Following the service, we went to the Guild Suite on the sixth floor. We
> sat in a circle and told stories of Fred. Apparently Fred was better than
> anyone at doing the sex section of the Missional Family course. Lindsey
> inquired whether he should leave the room while this was being discussed.
> Paul recounted that Fred’s frequent greeting when he was in ****Australia*
> *** around 1968 was “Are you keeping despair at bay?” I reported that he
> advised priors of religious houses when giving their reports in ****
> Chicago**** should imagine themselves as German commanders giving reports
> of progress on the western front during the last days of World War II. ***
> *
>
> ** **
>
> Following the conversation we had au d’oeuvres and fellowship.****
>
> ** **
>
> Many of us then went to **Fifth** **City** to spread Fred’s ashes on the
> playground behind the ****Fifth** **City** **Pre-School**** (the hanger).
> When the pre-school began in ****Fifth** **City****, EI obtained a grant
> for playground equipment. Fred found rocket ship/slide he wanted for the
> playground. He insisted that the rocket ship be part of the equipment, was
> overruled at least twice, he agreed to let it go, and then put it in the
> budget anyway. Allegedly Fred said, “****Lincoln**** has his memorial,
> Grant has his tomb, and I have my rocket ship.” Now Fred rests under it. It
> is still part of the Fifth City Preschool. (Fred had two pictures on his
> wall at his death. One was of the rocket ship. Kaze Gadway wrote Zoom, Zoom
> Astronaut in honor of the slide.)****
>
> ** **
>
> While in **Fifth** **City** we encountered Ray Fox, the son of Lilly and
> Ray Fox, now 50 and just back from serving in ****Iraq****. How wonderful
> it was to talk with him. He was pleased also.****
>
> ** **
>
> The Iron Man still stands. The ****Program** **Center**** stands . . .
> empty and abandoned. Many of the buildings we knew have been cleared and
> there are vacant lots now—with grass. ****Fifth** **City**** is less
> tense, or so it seemed. It abides. 341 ****Trumbull**** has been tuck
> pointed and is ready to stand for another 100 years. The ****Bethany** **
> Brethren** **Hospital**** occupies the ground of the EI campus.****
>
> ** **
>
> On a personal note, I went to this memorial because Fred and Al/Charles
> Lingo sustained me more than any other people during my years on the
> Westside in ****Chicago****. I wasn’t very aware of Fred’s flaws. He was
> one of my heroes. ****
>
> ** **
>
> He embodied the risen man to me--the best of EI for he brought life,
> abundant life to others. He was that part of Christ who was the Lord of the
> Dance—and we did sing this during his memorial.****
>
> ** **
>
> Lindsey was asked late in the afternoon how he was feeling. He paused and
> said, “Wonderful.”****
>
> ** **
>
> Betina and Lindsey both were able to understand in a new way the part of
> Lindsey’s life and our lives that is sometimes so hard to tell to others.
> The Spirit lives.****
>
> ** **
>
> Herman****
>
> ** **
>
>  ****
>
> ** **
> *_____________________________________________*****
> Herman Greene****
> ********************2516 Winningham Drive************************
> ********************************Chapel Hill**************, ********NC*****
> *** ********27516**************
> 919-929-4116 (h)****
> 919-624-0579 (c)****
> 919-942-4358 (f)****
> Skype: hgreene-nc****
> hfgreene at mindspring.com ****
>
> ** **
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