Memories of May Frances Heath- final in a series

The Passing of May Francis Heath

May Francis Heath passed away 50 years ago this month as she was getting ready to go the Congregational Church. She was found sitting at her writing desk, still in the family home of "Heathcote".

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May's Final Picture-----------May's Writing Desk

From the touching obituary written by her granddaughter Bette Barron Diaz

"It was early Sunday morning-- Sept. 10, 1961. The village of Saugatuck was going about its Sunday business -- women rinsing breakfast dishes, men reading Sunday newspapers, dogs ambling lazily up the street, stretching in the early sun, church bells singing up on the hill. There was nothing unusual about it. Life had gone on like this for years in the village. Peaceful. Quiet. But one thing happened on that early morning to cast a shadow on the village, the county, the community. A long shadow whose fingers reached out to touch every thinking, feeling person-- May Francis Heath passed away.

"May Francis Heath. Born May 13, 1873, daughter of John Francis and Julia Morrison, Saugatuck pioneers. Village historian, writer, artist, clubwoman, churchwoman, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, counselor and friend to all, business partner, devoted wife of the late Doc Anderson Heath. But does this compilation of facts tell the true story. The real story of this wonderful woman who worked for all of her 88 years toward the goal of human love and kindness?

"She was a fair-complexioned, blue-eyed sparkling lady with a soft firm voive, a laugh as contagious as measles, a charming smile and chin that quivered when she made up her mind to do something. She never talked about things-- she did things. Up to the very last hour, when she was dressing for church on Sunday morning and kept another appointment instead."

(for the complete obituary see:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22712861)

As the May Heath Memorial Committee winds up its almost two years of effort, I'd like to thank the members (Marsha Kontio, Peg Sanford, Jack Sheridan, Mary Lyons, Sally Winthers, and Jim Schmeichen) as well as the many who contributed to the memorial fund.

I'd also like to thank the great-grandchildren of Mrs. Heath (Bill Bleeker, Lisa Nash, and Jim Diaz) for sharing a wealth of family photos and original documents. Copies of this material will be placed as the "Heath-Morrison Collection" in the SDHS digital archives (over 3 GB, 65 folders, 6,000 files, with an added 1,300 newspaper clippings). For project overview see the summary page at: http://sdhistoricalsociety.org/SDHSWeb/MFH/MemoriesOfMayFrancesHeath.htm

Mrs. Heath was one of those selected to be included in the 1998 SDHS Museum Exhibit "Heroes, Rogues and Just Plain Folks ". Our own present day premier historian Kit Lane wrote about her at that time:

" I never met May Francis Heath but the more I hear and write about her, and find things she has written, I am convinced that Saugatuck would have been a much poorer place without her. She helped mold the community's sense of identity."

We agree whole-heartedly.