Missing Marilyn
From Kip Ferguson (our MC and guitar player):
Marilyn was a dear, sweet woman who thoroughly enjoyed playing guitar and singing Scottish music with us for many years. She was very proud of her son, who also is a musician. Her enthusiasm and kind nature was much appreciated by all. I believe she was also a member of the scholarship committee. She will be fondly remembered.
From Trudy Loy (our Bohran player):
Marilyn was the first person to greet me when I first came to SRSNH (now SMC). She invited me to sit next to her, shared her sheet music, and always made me feel welcome, both with encouragement and also with stories of the group's escapades and history. She played a mean guitar in spite of her health issues, and offered chord changes where needed. Marilyn served our group on various committees and found us venues to perform. Thank you, Marilyn!
From Rob Drugan (a fellow plunkie who always shared a stand with Marilyn):
I was always inspired by Marilyn. Despite her health problems, she always kept a positive and "can do" attitude no matter how challenging the guitar part for the songs.
Marilyn joined The Strathspey & Reel Society of NH (now NH Scottish Music Club) in 1999 after listening to the group play at the NH Highland Games for three years, and rarely missed a performance. Even though her drive to Concord from Sudbury, MA, took two hours each way, she rarely missed a monthly gathering either.
Marilyn was passionate about her home town and eager to have us perform at the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury. She never gave up on that dream and In June of 2016 and 2017 we helped her make it happen.
In 2014, I asked Marilyn to write something about herself for Granite Skyes. Who among us remembers S&H Green Stamps? Seven books of those stamps bought her first guitar. You can find the article in the May, 2014, newsletter..
The article Marilyn sent me was way too long for the newsletter so I had to cut some of it. Marilyn was disappointed that I deleted the part about her participation in a Revolutionary War re-enactment. In looking for Marilyn’s obituary - which I couldn’t find - I found an article about her on the website wickedlocal.com (July, 2014). In it, she describes that re-enactment, that took place in 1981. I thought that I would honor her memory by including it here:
Sudbury is a very patriotic town and we live our heritage at every opportunity. In October 1981 the Sudbury Minute & Militia portrayed the St. Onge Regiment which was one of 5 regiments under Colonel Rochembeau, sent to America from France to help George Washington win the Revolutionary War. There was great preparation for this event. All uniforms had to be exact replicas of the French Army. Ladies were in exact dress of the time. We formed a caravan of 75 vehicles that included campers, trucks, RV’s and station wagons. The caravan followed the route taken by the St. Onge Regiment, starting in Providence, RI, all the way to Yorktown, VA. In 1781, the soldiers marched; in 1981 we were in vehicles and stopped at the places they stopped 1n 1781. There were over 90 people in our group, made up of soldiers, camp followers, and children. I was a camp follower. Mostly everyone contributed something important to the trip that was in line with what happened during the original march in 1781. My contribution was music. I learned many original songs that were written by soldiers who were fighting in the war. We made designated stops each night. After the meal our group entertained the people who had prepared our meal. I had fun playing my guitar and singing some of the war songs I had learned.
The arrival in Yorktown of the other re-enactment groups, plus all the dignitaries was a sight to behold. The media coverage was overwhelming. Security was very tight. There were parades, parties, musical events and campground activities. One day at our campground, a French TV crew wanted to tape some of our music. They told us we would be appearing on a French TV program that night. Well, that sounded like fun so I rounded up some of our children and we performed a rousing rendition of “Yankee Doodle”.
President Reagan and the French President were present for the actual surrender ceremony, which was very emotional. The British soldiers marched between two formations of American and French soldiers. At the end of the short march, the British were commanded to surrender their rifles in a pile and then stand at attention. Airplanes were flying overhead, the media was trying to get the best shots of the event. It was an event I shall never forget. It was an honor to be involved in such an important re-enactment of American History.