It was a beautiful service for the family and friends of Marian Schuster. The service was personal. The participants were mainly Marian’s children and grandchildren. Marla Schuster Nissan, of New York City,  began with a heartfelt tribute to her Mother – thanking her for the training, companionship, and guidance Marian had given to her and to her children. Debra Schuster Tanger, of New York, spoke lovingly of her gratitude to her Mother. Karen Schuster Brace lives in Boston and her daughter played a beautiful piano tribute to her Grandmother who was herself a pianist trained at the College Conservatory of Music and the University of Cincinnati.

Four of Marian’s grandsons spoke of great times with Grandma ranging from roller-coaster rides with Grandma, to ‘pig-outs’ with Grandma at places that couldn’t have been her restaurant of choice!

The service at Temple Israel concluded with the Cantor’s singing of the Twenty Third Psalm. Later at luncheon at Moraine Country Club Stuart McDowell, Chair of the Performing Arts Dept. at Wright State Univ., was remarking about the Cantor’s ‘Twenty Third Psalm’ when Burt Saidel, ever the heckler, said:  “No, that was the Twenty First Psalm!”  “I graduated from Divinity School and I studied Greek and Hebrew…and that was the ‘Twenty Third…” That argument was never solved, but everyone did tell Burt how much they’d appreciated looking at his masterpiece during the service.  (Burt crafted the handsome wooden case for the Ark of the Covenant that stands at the alter of Temple Israel. Several oldsters remembered the day the Arc was removed from the first Temple Israel on Salem Avenue and was ‘walked’ to it’s location on Riverside Drive.

Marian’s friends were invited to luncheon at Moraine Country Club for an opportunity to visit with her family and to reminisce about their many memories of such a wonderful friend. It was a joyful gathering.  Remembering Marian brought smiles – not tears.  

Ronnie Huber laughed about the time she and Marian were stopped by the police as they tried to enter Ronnie’s daughter’s house to deliver something. It was Shirley & John Berry’s home in Washington Township. They were still giggling when they stopped for lunch at Central Perc - following their near-incarceration. “Remember the time Marian and Nicki Thompson were driving Ben’s Rolls Royce to Florida and the car crumped somewhere in Tennessee and they spent days in the ‘boonies’ before the car was fixed…?  There were snippets of news, activities, and all would have been such fun for Marian to hear…

Shelly Goldenberg said she’d become interested in the TRI Riding for the Handicapped program and wanted to be a volunteer.  She was promised that Betty Lou Townley would be in touch. Irv Bieser was congratulated on his part in ‘saving’ the three and a half acres on the west side of Houk Stream that will become part of the Oakwood park system. Dr. Ludolph & Francine van der Hoeven, former owners of this property, said they were delighted with the solution. Dr. Robert Finley was at Moraine – just home from his Mission in China.  (Dr. Ben & Marian Schuster were volunteers at Bob’s Mission several years ago.). Marlene & Dr. Henry Maimon, Dr. Richard & Diane DeWall, Carl & Georgie Woessner,  Phil & Sis Office and Carlo & Pam McGinnis were there.  Pam mentioned the Future Fest was beginning this coming weekend. “I’m in the first play offered – on Friday evening. It’s a satire…it was written by Anne Flanigan  - who’s a Buckeye.  We’re performing at 8 p.m. at Sinclair College.  A critique and ‘judging’ will follow each performance. The  judges are from Hollywood and Broadway. Saturday night’s performance stars Charles Larkowski. He’s now at OSU…formerly the organist at St Paul’s in Oakwood…public is invited…”

Laurence Warwar was seated with her daughter, Dr. Samia Borchers. “Glad to see you’re back from Beirut, Lebanon..”  “Yes it was wonderful to be in my homeland. I’m on my way to Israel soon … Jerusalem …such a beautiful city!” Don & Ronnie Huber were seated with friends. “Glad to see you’ve ditched your cane,” someone said to Ronnie.  “Yep, I’m all recovered…”   

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