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

Wed Aug 3 23:00:17 EDT 2011

Thanks to everyone, especially Herman, Joe and Terry for taking us all 
on this journey with Fred and our global family.

Evelyn sitting in Taipei and enjoying the stories.

On 8/3/2011 6:22 PM, Janice Ulangca wrote:
> Herman,
> Your account took us deep into those early days and the vision, global 
> care, and stubborn persistence of the people who went before me and 
> have changed the world for so many.  Thank you for your care and 
> insight in bringing this experience to those who could not be there.
> Janice Ulangca
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     *From:* Herman Greene <mailto:hfgreene at mindspring.com>
>     *To:* 'Order Ecumenical Community' <mailto:oe at wedgeblade.net>
>     *Sent:* Tuesday, August 02, 2011 10:57 AM
>     *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 <mailto:hfgreene at mindspring.com>
>
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