Stories from the First Cathedral 31: Carol Greeney & Bucky Roosmalen

I will continue with memories of two lay people from the First Cathedral. Both of these servants of the Cathedral have died, but their work is still remembered.

Much of Carol Greeney's ministry was on the Cathedral grounds. Carol's expertise centered on the outside flower gardens around the three buildings of the Cathedral. The flowers and decorative greens were Carol's children. She cared for them daily with a watchful eye. The day lilies which huddled up along the 1862 Cathedral building flourished under Carol's constant attention. Probably her best accomplishment was the resurrection of Evangeline's rose garden. Bishop Whipple's second wife loved her rose garden. The garden was next to the Whipple home, but was destroyed when the house was torn down in the 1930's. The new rose garden is located in the SW corner of the Cathedral grounds. Carol planted new rose bushes. She watered, trimmed and applied winter covering with much love so we can enjoy the garden today. Carol also headed the altar guild after Eileen Hansen died and tended to that ministry with the same love and devotion as the gardens.

Bucky Roosmalen was a sign painter by trade, but he possessed many talents that he shared during his decades as a member of the Cathedral. He was a repairman, a painter of gold inlay, a carpenter and mechanic. He had no fear when it came to climbing  the bell tower or crawling into high attics. His most beautiful creation is in the crypt of the Cathedral across from Bishop Whipple's grave and the columbarium. Bucky built a wall of beautiful glass cabinets that house the earliest treasures of the First Cathedral. I remember one day when I came to work as Dean of the Cathedral I saw a huge lift on the West end of the Cathedral. I walked over to see Bucky sitting on the facia of the Cathedral forty feet above ground doing a repair job and balancing with one hand while holding a calk gun in the other! By then I had been Dean long enough not to call the fire department or question Bucky. I just stood below the lift and said, "Good Morning, Bucky!". Then I went to my office and started my day.

Both Bucky and Carol contributed in many ways to the Cathedral. A big thanks to both of them and the gifts they shared with the First Cathedral.