ESTATE

by Sharon Stevens

A couple of years ago I attended an estate sale at the home of D.A. and Muriel Shirley and their daughter, Louise. Dr. Shirley was a professor and Vice President at WTAMU, a distinguished and handsome man, truly treasured as an educator.

I walked away that day with a broken down Radio Flyer wagon, bits of tattered quilt scraps, a box of Literary Digest magazines, a rusted liberty bell wind chime, AND, last but not least, a framed letter thanking Louise for her contribution to the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1983 on the occasion of her one hundred anniversary.

October 28, 2011 marks the 125th anniversary of the dedication of this wonderful monument as a beacon and lighthouse to everyone in the world. To celebrate they will be installing webcams in Lady Liberty’s torch. Afterwards they will close down the statue itself to remodel the inside, leaving the grounds open for visitors to still enjoy the experience.

I have always kept the letter to Louise as a memory and reminder of the simple contributions of those around us. Louise lived a very private life. She must have treasured and protected bits and pieces of these moments of recognition. With further research I am sure I could find copies of her correspondence, but there doesn’t need to be. I would much rather imagine a letter attached describing her family, the college, the community, or maybe even the lineage of the Shirley name. There also may have been notes about her passion for snow skiing and the Swiss Alps or the mountains of Utah as a ski instructor for the teams. No doubt her letter contained a check written on a local bank, further evidence of a strong and giving community.

No one knows the trail her contribution followed in renewing the statue. Louise Shirley gave and she gave to a cause she believed in that had to have been close to her heart, never expecting kudos or compensation, celebrating freedom, community and family.

Anyone can write to the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Centennial Commission and receive a report of the actual amount given. On the letter it is written that the value “has been officially recorded and your name entered on a permanent Register of Contributors to be displayed at the museum of the rebuilt Statue of Liberty. Port of New York, United States of America.

I would like to imagine it was used to refurbish her tarnished garments, or to polish the broken chains of freedom encircling her feet, or could have been in restoring the copper sheen ravaged by the weather as well as the passage of time.

In May 1997 our daughter along with the Canyon and Randall High School choir students traveled to New York. They sang at St. Patricks Cathedral and The Star Spangled Banner at Shea Stadium for New York Mets game. The students and their sponsors saw “Beauty and the Beast” on Broadway, shopped at FAO Schwartz, and even got to ride the subway. What a lifetime experience!

One of the highlights of this was the visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Our thoughtful daughter even researched the name of her great grandfather and purchased a historical document listing the heritage of his family crest. At the time we didn’t know that our daughter and all the kids and sponsors would witness a gleaming Statue of Liberty because of a simple donation. Millions of dollars were raised by thousands upon thousands of patriotic men, women and children who shared in their own way for the restoration of a purpose, a dream, a freedom.

It was only until the estate sale fifteen years later that I recognized the significance of the connection between a framed correspondence in Canyon Texas and a choir trip a thousand miles away.

The last line of the Proclamation states, “The Statue of Liberty will be saved, restored, and preserved so that future generations throughout the world will see the symbol of Liberty’s light burning brightly.”

As a writer I never take for granted a simple tangible object and its significance. I treasure how it is linked to the heart and soul of someone that shares a common heritage, a precious memory. And I believe that if I hold onto it long enough the treasure will be revealed. I just know this because Lady Liberty holds her torch high so as not to cast a shadow as I follow my path.

And on another note, I cannot leave this blog without remembering Lois Rice who passed away this week. Lois touched my life in so many ways, as a businesswoman, the Mayor and just a kind human being. I hope when she and Louise look down from Heaven above they will be pleased with what they have left behind.

Sharon Stevens