By Joe Winter
Catholic Herald Correspondent

Peace garden honors murdered funeral director

Hudson -- The culmination of the long-going saga of the murder of an active St. Patrick's parishioner occurred on Sept. 14 with the dedication of an extensive peace garden.

About 200 people attended the ceremony, which commemorated the February 2002 murders of Dan O'Connell and also a man who was an intern at the O'Connell Family Funeral Home. A portion of the home's parking lot was donated to create the garden, which will be available around the clock to be walked through by people dealing with various forms of grief.

The garden is about 50 feet long and 30 feet wide, and includes an entryway that consists of a bronze-roofed foyer. People can walk a concrete circular path that allows them to view the entire garden while praying or being alone with their thoughts. A plaque to honor the murdered O'Connell is set into a boulder at the opposite end of the garden, which is also filled with climbing plants and trellises and has a "prayer stone."

Dan's father, Tom O'Connell, was asked what he considers the best part of the garden, which has been under construction for two months and was under a rush to be completed before fall.

"This is in remembrance of Dan and the fact that this hasn't been solved," the elder O'Connell said. "This will help us remember him and live on in the minds of the family and community."

O'Connell said that seeing the garden when he comes to work each morning will be a help. "In one way or another, it will be, yes," he said, adding this will continue as an on-going effort by the peace garden committee, which is separate from the funeral home.

A large group of volunteers did the lion's share of the labor in an entire Saturday of work in early September.

A future addition will likely be glass-enclosed scripture verses beside several benches where people can collect their thoughts.

The effort to create the garden is meant to provide solace for anyone who needs it, Tom O'Connell said. "We sure hope so. People can stop anytime."

At the dedication, Sr. Bernadette Kalscheur, pastoral minister at St. Patrick's Parish in Hudson, addressed the crowd and read the Prayer of St. Francis. She then led those in attendance in extending their hands and blessing the O'Connell family while Jillian Gubash and Michelle Kelly sang the Blessing of St. Francis.

An Irish theme is prominent in the garden, which features a large Celtic cross in the middle, which people process around.

Many of the participants wiped tears from their eyes as speeches were made, telling about the many lives that Dan O'Connell touched. The sentiments included an invocation and blessing of the garden by Fr. John Rasmus of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Later was the presentation and dedication from a design standpoint by Joe Kinney and Starla Enger, who said she used plenty of purple and lilacs since they were Dan O'Connell's favorites.

Mike Miller, Hudson High School Class of 1981, read a poem he was asked to write about his late friend. He prefaced his remarks by

describing the lengthy debate he had with himself about how to describe the man he loved, and how he came to be at peace with sharing the time be spent with Dan O'Connell with others whom he served.

Glen Novack, an associate funeral director at O'Connell's, used a perch on a street light standard to make a compact disc and VHF tape for anyone interested in viewing the event in the future. He obtained a better angle for recording things such as the donation of a picture of the garden by Donna Kidd, and the presentation of a Hudson Lion's Club eternal flame that will glow day and night.

Jon and Evy Nerbonne provided a welcome and told the project's story. Many television news cameras from the Twin Cities were there recording the event.

Following such speeches, and the introduction of royalty from the North Hudson Pepper Festival (Dan O'Connell was a former festival king and also an emergency medical technician), there was the cutting of a purple ribbon wrapped around the outside of the garden and circular procession of people around the garden path.

Editor's note: Donations are still being accepted by check payable to the Dan O'Connell Peace Garden Fund at the St. Croix Valley Community Foundation, P.O. Box 39, Hudson, WI 54016.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2003