Lu Ann - a true one-of-a kind

 

Last week I got word that friend of many years, LuAnn Jamison had passed away.  Though I hadn’t seen her in many years we had kept up on Facebook.

My earliest memory of LuAnn was from seeing her in plays in high school.  She had a good sense of timing for comedy and the ability to look innocent and mischievous at the same time.

She really stood out as Lucy in the high school production on You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

During my senior year of high school, I started singing with the choir at First United Methodist Church in Berkeley Springs, WV.  First there was a wonderful Christmas cantata and the following spring we started working on a program for the United States Bicentennial – Ring All the Bells. 

A side note to all our work on Ring All the Bells, we were also part of massed choir for a July 4^th program in the Berkeley Springs Park.  On July 4^th Eve, a few of us had the brilliant idea to go “4^th of July Caroling”.  We started driving around to homes of various friends and stood outside singing patriotic songs.  It was insane.  Bonnie Close told us to go home and go to bed.  Les and Louise Guile applauded from their bedroom window and called out, “Thank you young people!”

There was also another production titled Cool in the Furnace.  Keith Butler played King Nebuchadnezzar and I narrated as the Prophet Daniel.  LuAnn was working on production and spent half a day driving around looking for dry ice to use in the production.  She didn’t find any dry ice, but she did have some interesting exchanges with a few truck drivers on the CB radio that day.

A group of us from that choir formed an ensemble called the Family of God Singers and we toured the county and surrounding area singing the praises of God.  We had a lot of fun and I hope we helped some people along their spiritual journey.

Scattered throughout there were lots of picnics and parties and so much music.  I often joined LuAnn and our friend Keith Butler in their escapades.  We drove to a friend’s cabin at Keyser Kountry Klub to picnic.  We played on the swing set.  In a thoughtful moment LuAnn was sitting on one of the swings looking at the other swing and made the profound statement, “This swing is lower than that swing.” 

Later we were sitting on the porch when Keith decided we should sing folk tunes.  Keith started singing “Hang down your head Tom Dooley…”, at which point the chair he was sitting in collapsed under him.  LuAnn jumped up to say, “Ok Keith! Are you alright?” But she had to sit back down immediately because she was laughing too hard.  (Keith was ok.)

One summer day I was hanging out with my friend Kevin Hurley when we got a phone call from Lu Ann to help her.  A former choir director, Faye Findley Shaw was returning to Berkeley Springs with her husband Daddy Shaw and some friends to stay in the Shaw’s long-neglected home.  Lu Ann, her sister Kathy, another friend Craig Barker, Kevin, and I went up to the Shaw home overlooking Berkeley Springs where Mr. & Mrs. Shaw were already cleaning.  We pitched in did our best. 

The home had a lovely view looking out over the town.  Mrs. Shaw said that when they first moved there, she brought her mother, whom she called Dearest.  She was taking Dearest up some stairs to see a more dramatic view of the town and was quoting the psalm, “Yea, I shall lift up mine eyes unto the hills whence cometh my help.”  Then, as Mrs. Shaw told the story, Dearest slipped on the stairs and ended up in the hospital and died.

Following my freshman year of college, I worked for the Town of Bath, or maybe it was the Chamber of Commerce, to follow up on a project from the Bicentennial year of 1976.  I worked out of the Chamber office.  Lu Ann and Annette Shives worked for Chamber of Commerce at that time.  In the midst of doing our work, I remember a lot of running around.  Lunches at Warm Springs, or Perry’s Pizza, or little place in Great Cacapon run by Lil and Don Maggio.

I would often see Lu Ann on my return visits to Berkeley Springs, but over time my visits were briefer and focused on my family. 

Music was always so much a part of what I remember of Lu Ann.  That and her love for her family and friends.  Her love of God and Our Savior.

One last story. 

Lu Ann had many different jobs over the years.  Once summer she was working at Jellystone Park which was a site for campers and travel trailers.  It was along the Potomac River.  As part of her job, she occasionally had to dress in the big Yogi Bear costume to greet the campers.

One Saturday night she was driving home through Hedgesville.  There’s a very sharp turn in the road and Lu Ann was maybe driving a little too fast, or maybe she just hit some gravel, but she spun out and hit a utility pole with a phone booth next to it.  She looked at the phone and said, “Hello.  I’ll just use this phone to call Mom and Dad.” 

The curve and the phone were directly in front of the Hedgesville Fire Department.  Folks came out to assist and Deputy Sheriff showed up.  They got Lu Ann out of the car, and she was still wearing the Yogi Bear costume – well, not the headpiece.  The Sheriff was asking her about her costume and Lu Ann was explaining that.

Shortly after, Wendell and Nita Mae, Lu Ann’s parents showed up.  They had been in bed watching television when Lu Ann called, so Wendell threw on some pants and Nita Mae just grabbed her robe and slippers and the got in the car. 

When they got to Hedgesville, Nita Mae jumped out of the car and ran up to see if Lu Ann was alright.  She was wearing a fuzzy pink bathrobe and matching fuzzy pink slippers.  The deputy looked at Nita Mae, then looked at Lu Ann in her furry brown costume and said, “This must be your mother!”

Rest in peace Lu Ann.  Thank you for the friendship, the love, the music and the laughs.  Say hi to our many friends as they welcome you to Heaven.  I look forward to seeing you again.