Remembering Anna Jane....
Dearest Laurie, Jenn, and Family,
Today we gathered with our dear friends Anne Batley and Ginny Cronister Vaughan at our home at Crosslands in Kennett Square. Since the weather did not cooperate for a walk outside or a sit on the porch, the four of us came together to reminisce about our friend Anna Jane. We loved, adored and admired her. As you know so well, each of us met Anna Jane and Warren in the early days at Westtown. We had so much to discuss today!
We reflected about many other moments during all the years at Westtown. Sam told about the bedroom we loved in Florence, across from the Studio. He described the shelves of yarn to the left of the door -- from ceiling to floor with all the colors of the rainbow… beautiful yarns all awaiting an AJ magical crafting design. Ginny talked of your mother and remembered that she played the harp. As in most Friends Meetings there are things you may learn about someone that are totally new.
Sam, Anne, and I had no memories of AJ playing the Harp! A large concert size one. Ginny was sure it traveled to Nantucket. She shared what a wonderful devoted mother your mom was. She told us that she did not believe that Anna Jane ever had a babysitter for you two girls when at Westtown. To me, it seems, your parents protected themselves from casually interacting socially when they had so little time just as a precious four Krebs with their growing family!
Anne spoke of how dear it was of you, Laurie, to telephone she and John when your Dad died so suddenly years ago. The connection to Westtown is deep I told them. I told them how your mother wanted to celebrate the roots of your family beginning with the Memorial Meeting for Worship at Westtown planned for today and then head to Frederick for burial next to her father.
I talked of the wonderful interconnection of our families together. From our Michael grabbing his bike out of the boat trailer as soon as we arrived -- and off he went to 57 Union Street to announce we had arrived on Island! Tom Wagner’s birthday parties on the beach with only girls -- Krebs girls, Claudia Schindler, and the Bacon girls every August! And then Michael moving in with your parents for two months in the fall of 1992 to star in Butterflies are Free at the Theatre Workshop! Our 25th Anniversary present -- surprise drawing/painting of the house at the farm .. a gift from the boys!
We reflected on the great JOY of Warren and AJ building Turkey Hill and then our getting to be there with the two of them. AND then AJ became the field hockey and lacrosse fan making many trips over to Mount Holyoke to see Charlotte compete. AJ came into Tom and Kristin's life just at the right time. I brought up the precious relationship your Mother brought to Elly as she was emerging into the person that was buried within. She is really missing Anna Jane!
We chatted so long that we missed teatime and moved into cocktail hour. It was a special happening, remembering our dearest Anna Jane!
We love you, Laurie and Jennifer, and your precious families.
With our love, always,
Mary Ann & Sam
Anne and Ginny
Mary Ann and Sam Wagner
Anne Batley
Ginny Cronister Vaughan
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
A Special Poem by Sam Wagner
TODAY
God our Shepherd, Light Within - Thank you for this day
By your Grace to live it fully, by your Light to find our way
Sustain, protect, forgive us as we in turn forgive
Make us instruments of peace, by the Golden Rule to live
Give us lion hearts of courage for the challenges we face
Understanding hearts of wisdom for the choices we embrace
May we treasure sacred Now, this day of life enthroned
To love, to laugh, to learn … Today cannot be postponed
Between our yesterdays & our tomorrows, keep us here
Living in this day, without regret or fear
Lead us in the solitude of peaceful meditation
To patience & compassion, perseverance, inspiration
Keep us ever mindful of how richly we are blessed
Help us care for those in need, in harm’s way, in pain, oppressed
The good we can accomplish let us do without delay
No kindness be neglected … We’ll not pass again this way
Too quickly comes the darkness, too surely the unknown
Too soon we have but memories of this day forever flown
sw
Sam, wearing one of his Nantucket shirts began our special gathering with a poem that he has written quite recently. (The poem is below.) He spoke of various memories of your family over the years.... interacting with our family. His first real memory of your Dad was at a Westtown Lower School workday for parents. A crew had painted the faculty room in the morning and in came your Dad after lunch -- and Sam sat and watched Warren do an amazing painting on the wall of fabulous Sunflowers!