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Precious Pearls
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Who are they?
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Van Lierop Woods in Spring
(also known as the woods by the Thomas
Mansion) |
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Through the years,
the woods surrounding the Thomas Mansion turned our childhood into
beautiful fantasy during a few very special days in the springtime.
Remember back in 1953 when Mrs. Grace Witt took our Kindergarten class out to
the woods to see the spectacular carpet of daffodils that lined the floor of
the woods? That trip became a wonderful memory year-after-year as other
teachers took their students out to this magnificent display of God's grace
and beauty. Many students came to know this sacred place as
Thomas Woods, Van Lierop's Woods, yet others may have known it by a different
name. The owners of the mansion and surrounding woods changed through
the years, but the daffodils remain conspicuously beautiful.
I took a trip back to the woods last spring and was
once again mesmerized by the beauty of the forest floor. As I pulled my
car off the roadside that runs parallel to the woods, my eyes focused upon a mother and
daughter emerging from a narrow wood side path. Both had 2 huge bouquets of
daffodils in each hand and their faces beamed as they chatted with contentment at the find of
"gold" on the way back to their car. It brought a smile to my
face, as I had savored the same special moments many times throughout the
years. The joy of Van Lierop's woods once again became a precious childhood fantasy
as the enchantment of the daffodils magically passed on to a new generation.
Van Lierop's Woods is almost hallowed ground to the folks in Hartford and is
a sacred place in the hearts and minds of our children.
Since many former Hartfordites are unable to return
to the daffodils each spring, below are a few timeless photos that are sure to bring
back some memories.
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Click on photo to
zoom in
for a close up visit
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Click on photo to
zoom in
close enough to touch!
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6th grade fun in Van Lierop's Woods for
the Class of 1966 students - Mrs. Lois Righter's class.
L-R Cathy Edmonds, Harry Fuller, Dwayne Jackson,
Alan Strasser, Rick Simpson, Butch Clemens,
?, Ray Birmele, Vere Shindeldecker. - June, 1960
Click on picture to zoom in for a closer
look at what these students are doing.
Click here for additional daffodil
photos.
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