Father Walter Lawrence of St. Mary's Church Passes Away Holiday

December 7, 2007 The Monocacy Monocle Page A Biweekly Newspaper December 7, 2007 Volume IV, Number 16. Father Walter Lawrence of St. Mary’s Church Passes Away By Rande Davis and Dominique Church in Rockville, went to Catho- lic schools, and chose to go to the Mr. Daryl Clark is firing up the PHS Agnew seminary right after graduating from music program. See Center Stage on Gonzaga High School. He began by Page 11. Father Walter Lawrence of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in attending seminary in Baltimore to Barnesville passed away on Novem- be sure the priesthood was the cor- ber 28, just a few weeks after being rect path. Following this, he was sent first diagnosed with leukemia. to Albany by the archdiocese, then Father Lawrence, who was raised returned to Baltimore to finish his in Rockville, was born in Washington, studies. He held a Bachelor’s in phi- D.C. on August 30, 1947. He voiced losophy and a Master’s of Divinity. great pleasure in being a native son of He also had a strong personal this region and served it exclusively passion and abiding interest in ar- for nearly thirty-five years. The only chitecture and had he not pursed the time he was really away from home priesthood, he may have selected that for any length of time was when profession. As a self-taught scholar of architecture, he was often quite im- PHS Varsity cheerleaders won their he spent three years at seminary in pressive with his knowledge of archi- 2007 divisional competition. See Albany, New York. Even during those tecture. When he helped lead a group Youth Sports on Page 24. years, he still kept his family residence Father Walter Lawrence here and came home for the summers. - Continued on page 18. He was the son of Betty Jean Law- rence and the late Duane G. Lawrence in front of the town’s post office. This and the brother of Jeannine Ann Willis community tradition has been held for of Walkersville. Father Lawrence was Holiday Season over a quarter century. Over one hun- the uncle of Marnie Marie O’Donnell dred residents encircled the town’s (husband Edward) and Paul Michael Season Begins In Christmas tree, a living memorial Willis, Jr., and great uncle to Michael, to longtime Boyds resident, Charles Patrick, and Thomas O’Donnell. Monocacy Area Melvin Harner, Sr. On hand to enjoy Father Lawrence’s call to the the event was Chip Harner, Charles priesthood came very early in For many in America, the light- Harner’s son. “This is a wonderful ing of the tree in Rockefeller Plaza event. I remember the lighting of the life. Even at four years old, he marks the beginning of the holiday built altars from blocks with his tree from when I was a very little season. We in upper Montgomery boy.” For Chip Harner, the festivity father assuming the role of acolyte. County have four traditions that serve PHS midfielder and team co-captain has double meaning since his mother, the same purpose: the lighting of the Karl Mihm in action. See Youth Friends recall a tale of the time that Una, was the postmaster in Boyds for Christmas tree in Boyds, the Odd Sports on Page 23. upon coming home after his first many years. Fellows holiday luncheon for widows The Reverend Merritt Ednie of experience assisting on the altar, he and orphans, the holiday street-lights had told them he had decided that Boyds Presbyterian Church presided in Poolesville, and Santa Claus riding over the Boyds festival of song and “he wanted to bring Jesus to the a fire truck. prayer. He reminded the attendees of people.” The first, the tree lighting cer- the importance of such events in the For an article in the December emony in Boyds, was held on Friday life of families, and that when families 2006 issue of the Monocle, he told us evening, November 30, on the lawn gather together in celebration, they “before he knew himself, he knew create community. After the singing where he was going early on.” From of some carols, “My Country Tis of the earliest age, “as long as I can Thee,” and prayer, the children took remember,” Father Lawrence remi- a short hayride to the Presbyterian nisced how he was always interested Church for sweet refreshments and a in things about the Church, mass, and chance to see Santa Claus. priests. While it is common for people On Saturday afternoon, the Odd to agonize over a career path, he told Coach Duvall led the Falcons to the Fellows Post 97 in Poolesville hosted the Monocle, “It’s always been clear to finals. Read all about it on Page 6. one of the oldest events in the area, me.” He attended St. Mary’s Catholic - Continued on page 26. December 7, 2007 The Monocacy Monocle Page 2 Sponsored by: Selby’s Market Your IGA Hometown Food Store The Reverend Merritt Ednie of the Boyds Presbyterian Santa Claus made his first visit to the area at the Boyds Dale Nestor (left) and Jack Church greets Andrea McAvoy and her children Leah Presbyterian Church after the town’s tree lighting ceremony. Shawver of the Odd Fellows and Mason as well as Jacob and Brady Gross as the tree selling the seasonal fruit as a lighting ceremony in Boyds begins. fundraiser for the organization. Jane Poole sits among nearly two hundred stuffed toys and animals that she and Shirley Sporey (not pictured) prepared on behalf of the Odd Fellows to be given to needy children. Widows enjoyed the warm hospitality of the Odd Fellows. Left to right: Dorothy Fowler, Mary Woods, Betty Watkins, Pat Ferris, and Shirley Smith December 7, 2007 The Monocacy Monocle Page a full-scale nursery or a single rosebush. everything. It helps to keep everything In the Garden At $44.00, it is pricier that many oth- in one place. Oh, lastly, we need some ers, but it is worth it. It is well made, garden shoes. It is very uncomfortable Holiday Gifts for a feels good in your hand, and the blades to have wet, cold feet while doing early Gardener do not stick together like the cheaper spring chores. I have three favorites. For By Maureen O’Connell models. Add to this a hedge shears with chilly weather and very muddy ground, Teflon-coated blades, a small folding I love my tall, Hunter green Wellington It is that time of year again—what saw, and a lopper for trimming thick boots. They used to be available only to get for gifts for family and friends? branches. They should take care of your in dark hunter green, but now fashion You can narrow your choices down a basic pruning jobs. has stepped in, and you can buy wellies bit by selecting something that would Next you will need weeding tools. in light blue, bright pink, orange, red, be useful and appreciated in one of Buy those that are heavy duty and rust aubergine, yellow, chocolate, black, and their hobbies. There is a vast range of resistant. My favorite is a Japanese navy. When the weather gets a little gifts that many gardeners would love to weeder. It has a small, sharp blade at warmer, I like low mud flats. In the sum- receive. To help you out, I visited several an angle that easily cuts through the mer, nothing beats my bright red Crocs. stores and websites in the last couple of toughest weeds. A dandelion weeder is Don’t forget the birds. In our area, weeks and drew up a list of gifts—some good for penetrating deep into the soil there are many stores that carry gifts for practical, some whimsical, some for the and pulling out weeds by their roots. bird lovers. There are stately, whimsical, gardener’s soul, and some for no reason A cultivator is handy for incorporating and artistic homes for bluebirds, wrens, at all. I also looked around my garden compost or fertilizer into small beds or finches, woodpeckers, and titmice. There and potting sheds to see what tools or containers. You will also need a hand is every imaginable kind of feeder, from gadgets I can’t garden without. fork, a wide trowel, a narrow transplant- ones that are guaranteed to be squirrel On the most basic level, we need the ing trowel, and a number of gadgets: proof to the lovely ones that hold nectar ‘tools of the trade, from a simple pair of plant markers, deadheading scissors, for hummingbirds. pruners to a finely-crafted English trow- green garden twine, and foam kneel- I recently saw a beautiful, artistic el. I never seem to have enough tools. ing pads. You can never have enough book that was published in the United That might be because I often leave garden gloves. There are the all-purpose States for the first time last year: Between them in the garden in the grass, and my cotton, rubber, or leather gloves, the flex the Wings—The Secret Life of Birds. husband runs over them with the trac- lightweight gloves for handling delicate Award-winning Swedish photographer tor. I have lost many a fine weeder that transplants, thorn-resistant gloves, and Brutus Östling invites us to understand way. I believe the Swiss-made Felco #2 a good pair of goatskin gloves that come birds by seeing them in their natural Classic Pruner, originally available only almost to the elbow—very necessary for state. He traveled the world over, from to professional horticulturists, is the best pruning thorny rose bushes.

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