By A.M. Kelley
Superior Catholic Herald
Plunkett donates his late wife's piano to parish center
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In his farmhouse in Maple, Virgil Plunkett holds a photo of his now-deceased wife, Doris Holm, taken on their wedding day in 1950. The piano behind him belonged to her and he's giving it to St. Anthony Parish in Lake Nebagamon for its new center. (Catholic Herald photo by A.M. Kelley) |
MAPLE -- Virgil Plunkett met Doris Holm at a dance hall in Superior more than 56 years ago.
He married her and brought her home to the family dairy farm off Hwy. 13, far north in Douglas County, nearly touching the red clay banks of Lake Superior.
"It's not the end of the world," he said, "but you can see it from here."
They had nine children and a long life together. And when Doris died last February the family wanted to do something special in her memory.
The Plunketts were married at St. Anthony Church in Superior and attended there until their children were old enough for catechism catechism studies. Another parish, St. Anthony in Nebagamon, arranged transportation for rural children to attend religious education classes.
"There was a bus from Lake Nebagamon that picked them up," he said. "So we started going there."
That's how they came to join St. Anthony in Lake Nebagamon and why the family wanted to pay for its new chasuble and stole in her memory.
But then as Virgil sat in their now still farmhouse his eyes fell on her piano. She was born into a musical family -- many sing, play instruments and even write music -- and she took to it naturally.
"She never took a lesson," he said. "She played by ear. Just picked it up."
And, too, their early courtship took place at dances even though dance steps didn't come easy for Plunkett.
"I hate to say it," he said, "but I had to go to dancing classes."
He learned enough that he and his wife collected a lot of musical memories over the years and he wondered what to do with her piano.
"The kids didn't want it," he said. "When she started playing piano they'd complain or go outdoors."
Then a notice in the church bulletin made the decision easy. St. Anthony in Lake Nebagamon needed a piano for its new church center and he offered the one that his wife enjoyed for so many years. Now parish workers are trying to get a crew together to pick it up at the farm and move it into the center.
And maybe someday at one of St. Anthony's social functions someone will sit down at Doris Plunkett's piano and play a few dance tunes. That would really be music to her husband's ears. He'll be 80 years old this December and already has a request.
"The Blue Skirt Waltz," he said. "I always liked that one."
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2006