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of Oak
Park, died May 20.
She is survived by her daughter
and son-in-law, Donna and Roy
Buxton of Oak Park; granddaughter,
Hilary Moira Buxton. She was the
beloved wife of the late Harry
Abrams.
Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. Services and
interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.
EVELYN ABRAMS, 96,
IDA BARR of Silver Spring, Md.,
died May 28.
She is survived by her loving hus-
band, Nathan (Narky) Barr; devoted
children, Pamela Goldberg
(Sanford) Danzig, Steven (Liz) Barr,
Bonnie (William) Selley; sisters and
brothers-in-law, Lea Tannenbaum,
Pearl and Gene Shapiro, Goldie
Street, Ethel and Jack Breitbord;
grandchildren, Rebecca Goldberg,
Jacob Barr, Alissa Danzig, Chris
(Nicole) Selley, Joanthan (Amy)
Selley; great-grandchildren,
Katherine Selley, Alexander Selley.
She was the beloved sister of the late
Sam Firemark, the late Gus
Firemark and the late Yetta
Firemark.
Contributions may be made to
Hillel Day School, Congregation
Beth Shalom, Chabad Lubavitch or
a charity of one's choice.
ERNEST BERK, 78, former Detroiter
of Miami Beach,- Fla., died May 26.
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124
Gentile family nurtures Jewish cemetery, fir several generations.
Medical miracles
start with research
over, moving her family into the two-bedroom care-
taker's house. Sharon got involved in the business in
1964, and became her mother's partner in 1975.
Kanuk worked until her death in November 1989.
or more than 53 years, members of one
Through the years, Mac Lean says she's
gentile family have served as
been impressed with how Jews come
caretakers of a Jewish ceme-
back to visit the cemetery. "People come
tery in Clinton Township.
and bring their lunch and talk to their
Sharon Mac Lean, 53, fills the posi-
departed ones," she says.
tion now, overseeing burials and main-
"I think the traditions have more impact
tenance of the grounds at the
on Jews. Some come out to visit their
Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring
loved ones faithfully for 12 or 14 years."
Cemetery. Until she moved into her
In the past, Mac Lean invited a teacher
own home in nearby Macomb
friend from Lakeview High School in St.
Township in May, she lived as several of
Clair Shores to bring his European
her family members had before her —
History class out to the cemetery. Mac
in the four-room caretaker's house at
Lean talked to the students about Jewish
the cemetery.
burial customs and traditions and
"I grew up there," says Mac Lean, 52.
described the emotional impact of meet-
"I've never been afraid to be there. And
ing Holocaust survivors with numbers
I have learned so much about tradition
tattooed
on their arm. It's nothing like
and having a love of life from the peo-
Sharon M ac Lean
reading about it in a book," she says.
ple I've known over the years."
oversees bu rims at
Any group is welcome to make an
Michigan District of the century-old
the Wor kmen's
appointment
to visit the cemetery, Mac
Workmen's Circle organization estab-
Circle/Arbe ter Ring
She
once let the photogra-
Lean
added.
lished this cemetery, run separately from
Cemet ern
phy club at Clintondale High School in
the local group, on Gratiot at Masonic
Clinton Town.ship take pictures of tomb-
Boulevard, in 1919. Many sections bear
stones from the back They weren't
the names of various congregations and
allowed to take pictures of headstone names --
landsmanshaftn (groups of people from the same
"That's not respectful," she says.
hometowns) who purchased burial space. Bob
Daughter Jodie Mac Lean, 23, now lives in the
Schwartz of West Bloomfield, chairman of the
caretaker's house. She's not involved with running the
Workmen's Circle Cemetery Department, says the
cemetery, so Sharon will be the last in her family to
cemetery, a neighbor of Hebrew Memorial Park,
do this job.
offers free plots to Workmen's Circle members but is
A story is told that when Mac Lean was born,
open to all.
Albert Orlow, the cemetery's manager, took the bus to
Recalling her family's association with Workmen's
the cemetery from his home near State Fair Street in
Circle Cemetery, Mac Lean says a husband-and-wife
Detroit.
When he saw Sharon, he expressed disap-
team of caretakers stayed only six months before her
pointment that the baby wasn't a boy — "who will
aunt, Madline Yongue, took over in November 1947.
take over the cemetery?" he lamented. The sturdy
Yongue continued as caretaker until December 1965
Mac Lean still laughs about it.
when Sharon's divorced mom, Delphine Kanuk, took
ill
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