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Note: -----Original Message----- From: Ellin Leggett [mailto:erleg@worldnet.att.net]
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 5:21 PM
To: Leggett, David
Cc: Martha L. Robbins
Subject: down memory lane
We worshiped at Church of Our Saviour yesterday. The familiar "Episcopal Church Welcomes You" signs sported modest banners proclaiming "Anglican" and "biblical." Dad is going to try to get some for St. John's. Anyway...
It was fun to be back, even though most of the folks who knew us are either in the hospital or the cemetery. The rector introduced Dad as the "founding pastor" and he received a round of applause--richly deserved.
After the service, I got up enough nerve to ask the rector's wife if we might take a peek at the rectory. So we did, and what a lot of changes are there. The kitchen has been remodeled--white appliances have replaced the old coppertones (so 60's!), and the floor has been replaced. Of course, now there is a built-in dishwasher, plus microwave. The brick patio has given way to concrete--much more practical.
The pink/grey bathroom is the same, but I'm happy to report that the cantaloupe-colored countertop in the master bath has been replaced with off-white, and the taupe tub and toilet are now white. (What was I thinking when I chose those colors?)
David's room is now the guest room. The Martins' children are preschoolers: the little girl has Martha's room, the boy has Jonathan's.
I don't know whether you have strong memories of that house, but it was fun for us to revisit the old place. Those were good times!
Love, Dad & Mom
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Martha and I and all our families (10 persons in all) paid a visit on the Martins over Christmastide, 2003. The children played with the boy's trains in Jonathan's old room...DJL
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Continued from notes on John Milton Leggett
Sale of 897 East Beau Street.
There were a good many lookers, but not one offer was received in the two years it was on the market, even though it was a solid house with high ceilings and other charms of older construction, and on an acre of land. But potential buyers had complaints: it lacked central air conditioning, it was on a busy road, the back yard was not level and/or fenced, and it was on a septic system (until about halfway through the time on market, when it was connected to the new sewer in an effort to boost marketability). Also brand new houses in subdivisions on the nearby former farms were easily available.
In June 2006, Mark Minor, the oldest son of next-door neighbors Bob and Evelyn Minor shot his two young sons (one died, the other was left blind) at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina before killing himself. Younger son Scott had been looking to make a move back to the area from Florida, and took this opportunity to support his parents in this difficult time. He signed a contract to buy 897 East Beau within a week. It was unclear exactly when they would have to vacate, as the contract was contingent upon Scott selling his house, and the closing date was flexible due to his employment and moving considerations, and a suitable apartment opening up for John and Ellin at Strabane Trails, the "independent living facility" they had selected. No such apartment came open, and Scott quickly sold his house and was allowed by his boss in Florida to telework, so he needed the house by the end of the year. After he had cast about desperately for some sort of interim accommodation, generous members of John's congregation, who owned an "assisted care facility" called The Grand Residence, offered space there. It was not a two bedroom apartment, but perfectly fine on an interim basis. On 29 December, the movers came to take all the furniture that would be needed for the two bedroom apartment at Strabane Trails when it became available. They took some of it to the one bedroom at The Grand Residence, and put the remainder in storage. Son David helped to clean out the house, and took a rental truck back to Arlington, Virginia with remaining furniture and other items worth saving.
On the 30th of December 2006, John and Ellin closed on the sale of their home of almost 33 years to Scott Minor. The Minors have lived at 905 East Beau Street since 1964, and so remember the original owners of the house, the Brenners, who had it built in 1936. The Brenners must have moved out in the mid to late 1960s, as the house was occupied by two families by the name of Barger and Anthony in succession, before the Leggetts bought it in the spring of 1974. They had moved in on June 11 of that year, and without checking the land records, it would seem they have owned it the longest, just slightly longer than the original owners.
As of 31 December 2006, their address was at The Grand Residence:
45 McMurray Road
Upper St.Clair, PA 15241
412-308-1263
In February 2007, notice came that a vacancy had opened at Strabane Trails. On 6 March 2007, they moved in, and as it had been such a short time, were able to reclaim their old telephone number, 228-1060.
So, as of 6 March 2007, they moved into Strabane Trails Village, their address being:
317 Wellness Way
Apartment #334
Washington, PA 15301.
None of us had anything to do with that tacky street name...
Fast Forward Eight Years: Another January/February Interim Residence in Allegheny County and Another March Move.
After some years at Strabane Trails, John and Ellin felt a need to be closer to family, as family just could not make it to visit them very often, and had David research some independent/assisted living places around Arlington, Virginia in the fall of 2013, but their interest was not strong enough to take the process beyond a casual thought.
By the fall of 2014, they were feeling that their health was requiring at a move to "assisted living" either in Strabane Woods, just across the parking lot from the Trails, or better yet, a place around Arlington. To this end, David gathered information from half a dozen or so places, and presented it to them on a family visit over Columbus Day weekend. Shortly after that, John's health took a turn for the worse, and they put off plans yet again. They hired home health aides during November and December, but it was not enough. John was hospitalized on 8 January 2015, and discharged on 15 January 2015 to Country Meadows Skilled Nursing in Bridgeville, PA. David and Martha arrived on 18 January, and the next day, got Ellin moved into assisted living at Country Meadows, Bridgeville. There was no place for them to be together at Country Meadows, but this was always considered an interim arrangement, just like their stay at the Grand Residence eight years earlier. Ellin's address:
3564 Washington Pike
Apartment 435A
Bridgeville, PA 15017-1092
On 9 March 2015, they moved into Sunrise at Bluemont Park, their address being:
5900 Wilson Boulevard
Apartment #460
Arlington, VA 22205
Together again after two months apart, now they should be able to get all the care each needs without exhausting one or the other. It is interesting that the main number of the place is 703-536-1060, so the 1060 telephone number continues to follow them. Caller ID will show them calling from this number, though to ring them directly, one dials 703-533-4182.
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http://www.pgh.anglican.org/news/local/glenshawrectors062607
A New Way to Celebrate Fathers Day in Glenshaw
Document Actions Church of Our Saviour held first-ever "Rector Reunion" this June.
Former rectors return to Our Saviour`s for the weekend
[PHOTO]
Rectors and interim rectors present were (left)The Rev. Aaron Zull, the Rev. John Leggett, the Rev. Don Goss, The Rev. Joseph Martin, the Rev. John MacDonald, the Rev. Dr. Jack Gabig and the Rev. Ted Wood.
It is not uncommon to invite a former rector back to visit his or her old parish once in a while. The people of Church of Our Saviour in Glenshaw took that notion a significant step further on the weekend of June 15-16 this year when they held their first-ever Rector Reunion. Almost every one of their past leaders, beginning with the Rev. John Leggett, who helped found the congregation in 1960, were able to attend.
The Rev. Don Gross (rector 1975-80), was there. So was the Rev. Aaron Zull (rector 1981-1989). Interim rectors present included the Rev. Canon John MacDonald, the Rev. Dr. Jack Gabig and the Rev. Ted Wood.
Zull now ministers at Trinity church in Farmington Hills, Michigan. MacDonald served as a missionary in Honduras before returning to the Pittsburgh area to take up a teaching post at Trinity seminary in Ambridge. Leggitt, who is retired, still serves at St. John`s in Denora. All were happy to return to Our Saviour`s for the weekend when current rector, the Rev. Joseph Martin started making calls in May.
I thought, Well, now that sounds like fun!` said Zull.
While swapping stories and sharing memories certainly happened during an all-parish cookout on June 15 and on Sunday morning June 16, Martin`s purpose for rounding up past rectors was a bit deeper. As he tells it, he was leading worship one Sunday morning in early May and as he began the Prayer of Humble Access, We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord
when it suddenly became very clear to him that he was just the latest in a long line of faithful ministers. I saw backwards to all other priests that have served here before me and I was totally humbled to be one of them, said Martin.
Martin was also aware that sometimes retired rectors don`t hear thank-you enough for the work they have done. I wanted them to have a day where they were thanked for their service here, he said.
It worked.
- Posted June 25, 2007 -
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