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

[JOHN L. EPPS]

Thanks again Herman for sharing this with all of us. And thanks to Joe and
Paul for arranging a fine event to mark this completed life. We join all
in appreciation for having known Fred.

John & Ann Epps

Quoting 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
>
>
>
>



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