Saint Margaret’s | St. Margaret's Bronze

St. Margaret's Bronze

St. Margaret by Frances Rich

This bronze of St. Margaret our patron Saint is located in the St. Margaret Chapel donated by the Josephine Gardiner. (Ms. Gardiner had Ms. Rich make two St. Margaret bronze statues, see below.)

To understand its history we must journey back many years to after Irene and Frances Rich bought the Shumway ranch. Frances and her mother Irene were both parishioners here at St. Margaret's Church. As you know the Firestones bought Ms. Rich's St. Francis in 1970.

After Father Brad Hall came in 1984 he became fast friends with Frances and her mother Irene.

As Irene's health started to fail, Father Brad made many trips to Shumway Ranch. He finally gave Irene 'viaticum' or 'Last Rites'.

After Irene was cremated Father Brad accompanied Frances to Shumway Ranch where her ashes were given via the wind to the area on the mountain that she loved.

Fast forward to July of 1990 and we find Frances Rich working on the plasticine of St. Margaret.

This dated picture was taken in the area that is now the Memorial Garden just east of the Columbarium.

The photo just to the right is the plasticine model on display in the Narthex of the church.

The bonze of St. Margaret was dedicated in November 1990.

The story does not end here, as it turned out Ms. Rich made two identical bronze statues of St. Margaret. The second St. Margaret bronze was given to The Rev. Charles Robertson, Chaplain to The Queen in Scotland, who was present at the dedication of St. Margaret's Chapel Sunday November 18, 1990.

Father Brad Hall and a group of St. Margaret parishioners went to Edinburgh Scotland in July 1991 and the St. Margaret bronze that was given to the Cannongate Church was dedicated while Father Brad, Carol Hall, and other St. Margaret parishioners were there. I have now ascertained at the 100% level that Josephine Gardiner commissioned the two statues from Frances Rich.

There were two other statues created and until May 2007 their whereabouts were unknown. One of the two has turned up in Arizona at the studio of Frances Rich. Ms Rich is now 97 (2007) years old and still in general good health.

This photo shows Ms Rich working on the the seated plaster statue above.

This last picture is the base of the bronze statue in the Chapel. It is signed by Frances Rich and dated 1990.

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