Jack Cromie was an enthusiastic supporter of and contributor to OurRumpus. His last contribution (Kate Cromie’s Untitled, Finger Paints on Canvas, The Stamford Collection, 2009) he submitted on September 30th, just a few days before his fatal accident. I know he would have loved this newest addition to our Kinder Kunst series, a work by Joan Frances Maria Halliday (age 8yrs). Joanie is a niece who celebrated her First Holy Communion last year with the creation of this lyrical piece:

Jesus
Crayon alla prima on Canvas, 2008.

There’s a word I’ve always had a problem with because it seems so intrinsically over-the-top – ‘ebullient’. According to worldnetweb.princeton.edu the term means ‘joyously unrestrained’. Joanie’s Jesus, however, is truly ebullient. And so, often, was Jack. Absolutely apt…

LC

After our internet discussion of hunting, there was a consensus about the need to institute safety mechanisms at Moone Athy with regard to the hunting seasons.

With that in mind, we are notifying the family that the various seasons for hunting can always be determined by going to the MDC link at http://www.mdc.mo.gov/seasons.

David Pentland has also left a hunting season calendar at the farm.

Recommendations

Whenever it is a firearms season, it is best to avoid the property lines: Schindler Rd, the Golf Course Ridge behind the barn, up towards the Rehmeiers, the River Ridge logging road (runs west of Schindler through the Quick property as well as Lyman and Osthoff properties) and the trail from Wild Turkey along the creek heading towards the Baraviks. These lines do not necessarily follow the ridge trails and it is easy to cross back and forth into our property or into a neighbor’s. We are in the process of updating the aerial map, but wanted to get the information out now as the hunting season has begun. The most dangerous season to be out and about in the woods is the spring turkey hunting season. It is when most trespassing occurs as the hunters will follow the gobble of the turkey. Also you may want to wear orange for extra protection, if you are walking in the woods during firearms season. David has kindly left a supply or orange vests at the farm house.

If anyone in the family plans to be out and about during hunting season and has concerns about where Neal may be, they should email Neal at npf7974@earthlink.net and let him know where they plan to hike and at what time. He will then not hunt in that area. He avoids the areas of the farm where the family usually goes.

Sarah Dunn

In the summer of 1984, Aunt Grizelda, with the help of Sarah Dunn (and numerous other aunts and uncles – Aunt Anne, Aunt Jennie, Aunt Sarah, and probably others to whom we apologize), organized a boy’s camp at Moone Athy to which all the boy cousins were invited. Photographs taken from this (including several of cousin Jack Cromie) have been placed in the History section of our blog’s Library ( ‘The Camp – Moone Athy, 1984’). Here is a link.

Aunt Grizelda at Moone Athy

The Cromie family is planning a memorial service for Jack at St Vincents Church in Albany New York on Saturday Nov 28th at 10am. The Cromie children will do readings at Mass, and the Pie Jesu will be performed by Dan Cromie as well. Family and friends are welcome.

At Moone Athy, Charlie Judy is organizing a Jack Cromie Trailblazing Day. This will be held on Sunday November 15th, at 10:00AM. Charlie has posted an evite to the family for this event. We are looking forward to this day in the woods in memory of Jack.

Finally, at the suggestion of Helene Tatum, we have included William Cromie’s beautiful memorial for Jack in our Library’s Encomia section (‘My Brother Jack’, in sidebar, on right). You can read it here.

Onboard The France, June 1974. Jack, Clare, Cynthia and Dan
Jack already a source of wonderment for his sister Clare

“Trivial” was not part of Jack Cromie’s vocabulary. Nothing he did could be described as such. Among many other pursuits he read and wrote poetry with passion. Here is an exquisite triolet*, an example of Jack’s poetry that Bill and Cynthia printed out for his memorial gathering:

cycles spinning, starry-eyed – a triolet

Only you remain constant, true
beneath the lowering sky
a spreading Red Maple of refuge
only you still remain constant, true
vital anchor in whirling seasons
broad steady and all encompassing
only you remain constant, true
beneath the lowering sky

We will reminisce about him for awhile. Add recollections and photos if you’d like. Here’s a photo from years ago….

* From Wikipedia: A triolet is a one stanza poem of eight lines. Its rhyme scheme is ABaAabAB and often all lines are in iambic tetrameter: the first, fourth and seventh lines are identical, as are the second and final lines, thereby making the initial and final couplets identical as well.

5 July 1972 – 2 October 2009

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” St. Paul, Letter to the Philippians, 4:8

These words guided Jack during his dark hours. He and they will guide us during ours.