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

Tue Aug 2 15:18:40 EDT 2011

Thanks so very much for sharing this Herman.  I felt like I was there a
little, and appreciated it very much.

  _____  

From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of Herman Greene
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 7:58 AM
To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'
Subject: [Oe List ...] Fred Buss's Memorial

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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