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

Tue Aug 2 11:42:53 EDT 2011

Dear Herman,

I so appreciate your stories of Fred Buss.  He was one of the
"larger-than-life" order colleagues that I knew from afar but not
personally.  The stories that continue to be told are wonderful and begin to
fill out a picture of his gifts to the world.  Thank you.

Love,

Nancy

2011/8/2 Herman Greene <hfgreene at mindspring.com>

> ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
>
> 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 ****
>
> ** **
> **
>
> _______________________________________________
> OE mailing list
> OE at wedgeblade.net
> http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/oe_wedgeblade.net
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/oe_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20110802/82df110c/attachment.html>