Calera Cemetery Memorial Chapel Almost Complete
1000-year-old Redwood Beams Copied From Solomon's Temple
CALERA - That memorial chapel a retired Oklahoma City professor is building with his own hands for his wife is about completed. When Electa Elizabeth Evans died Oct. 24, 1962, after a long bout with cancer, the world of Christian Marcus Evans collapsed. Out of his grief came a desire to perpetuate the memory of his wife. He Wanted to build a shrine. He purchased enough land in the new part of the old Calera cemetery for the chapel. "I wanted it to be as Christ-like as possible," he said. He went back for perfect specimens of redwood. He wanted two by eight pieces, and to get what he wanted the trees had to be 1,000 or more years old. "This chapel is built out of the same kind of wood that went into Solomon's Temple," he said. "I followed the Anglo Saxon type of exposed bean construction inside, and on the outside I followed the Greek structural support style." There isn't a nail visible in the structure although 70 pounds of nails were hammered into the wood. It has a restful interior. All of the benches are along the wall. On either side the benches are wide enough to be used as emergency stretchers should the occasion arise. A pulpit will be at the east end of the building which has two samll seats for the minister and song leader. With four corner benches plus the side benches there is seathing for 28 persons. A satined glass chandelier, like everything in the chapel, follows a religious design. The 12 red lamps around the outside perimeter stand for the 12 disciples. The six green lamps in the middle circle reflect the Sanhedrin. The large orange lamp in the center represents the divinity. There are 10 crosses in the chapel. The green cross in teh east represents the beginning of life, while the burn amber in the west signifies the end of life. A cross on teh inside of a door stands on a triple platform which represents teh Holy Trinity. High atop the steep pitched roof is an aluminum shaft that fits over a circular wind bell. When the wind gusts up to 40 mph the bell will ring, or on a steady blow in excess of 40 mph. Just west of the chapel are the twin marble monuments for Mrs. Evans and her fusband. In the center, facing west, is a stainless steel sheet that covers photographs of Evans and his wife when they were married. "I put the stell shield over the glass to keep a rock from the mower from striking the glass and breaking it," he said. "Then jsut to prove that there still are honest people in the world, I put two pennies inside the space that is left. Look," he said. "There is 46 cents in pennies and nickles there now. I have taken out several dollars left there by visitors. Why did I take out some of the money? Well, 46 cents isn't likely to temp anyone, but a few dollars might," he reasoned. Eveans has built the chapel with his own hands. Some of the mill work has amazed expert carpenters. "When you have a desire as strong as mine, it provides you with the ability," Evans said simply. HIs chapel roof is so steep he couldn't hire anyone to put on the shingles, so he did it himself. theat has been the story of most of the construction. But now it is nearing an end. In a couple of weeks he'll be finished. "A dedication?" he asked. "I don't know. I have told all of the ministers in Calera that it is available for their use. If they want to formally dedicate it, that is all right with me. I do not plan anthing more than just returning to Oklahoma City when it is finised."
The Denison Herald, Sunday Features, Sunday Morning, June 2, 1968. Sotry by John Clift.
1000-year-old Redwood Beams Copied From Solomon's Temple
CALERA - That memorial chapel a retired Oklahoma City professor is building with his own hands for his wife is about completed. When Electa Elizabeth Evans died Oct. 24, 1962, after a long bout with cancer, the world of Christian Marcus Evans collapsed. Out of his grief came a desire to perpetuate the memory of his wife. He Wanted to build a shrine. He purchased enough land in the new part of the old Calera cemetery for the chapel. "I wanted it to be as Christ-like as possible," he said. He went back for perfect specimens of redwood. He wanted two by eight pieces, and to get what he wanted the trees had to be 1,000 or more years old. "This chapel is built out of the same kind of wood that went into Solomon's Temple," he said. "I followed the Anglo Saxon type of exposed bean construction inside, and on the outside I followed the Greek structural support style." There isn't a nail visible in the structure although 70 pounds of nails were hammered into the wood. It has a restful interior. All of the benches are along the wall. On either side the benches are wide enough to be used as emergency stretchers should the occasion arise. A pulpit will be at the east end of the building which has two samll seats for the minister and song leader. With four corner benches plus the side benches there is seathing for 28 persons. A satined glass chandelier, like everything in the chapel, follows a religious design. The 12 red lamps around the outside perimeter stand for the 12 disciples. The six green lamps in the middle circle reflect the Sanhedrin. The large orange lamp in the center represents the divinity. There are 10 crosses in the chapel. The green cross in teh east represents the beginning of life, while the burn amber in the west signifies the end of life. A cross on teh inside of a door stands on a triple platform which represents teh Holy Trinity. High atop the steep pitched roof is an aluminum shaft that fits over a circular wind bell. When the wind gusts up to 40 mph the bell will ring, or on a steady blow in excess of 40 mph. Just west of the chapel are the twin marble monuments for Mrs. Evans and her fusband. In the center, facing west, is a stainless steel sheet that covers photographs of Evans and his wife when they were married. "I put the stell shield over the glass to keep a rock from the mower from striking the glass and breaking it," he said. "Then jsut to prove that there still are honest people in the world, I put two pennies inside the space that is left. Look," he said. "There is 46 cents in pennies and nickles there now. I have taken out several dollars left there by visitors. Why did I take out some of the money? Well, 46 cents isn't likely to temp anyone, but a few dollars might," he reasoned. Eveans has built the chapel with his own hands. Some of the mill work has amazed expert carpenters. "When you have a desire as strong as mine, it provides you with the ability," Evans said simply. HIs chapel roof is so steep he couldn't hire anyone to put on the shingles, so he did it himself. theat has been the story of most of the construction. But now it is nearing an end. In a couple of weeks he'll be finished. "A dedication?" he asked. "I don't know. I have told all of the ministers in Calera that it is available for their use. If they want to formally dedicate it, that is all right with me. I do not plan anthing more than just returning to Oklahoma City when it is finised."
The Denison Herald, Sunday Features, Sunday Morning, June 2, 1968. Sotry by John Clift.
Calera Cemetery Memorial Chapel Almost Complete
1000-year-old Redwood Beams Copied From Solomon's Temple
CALERA - That memorial chapel a retired Oklahoma City professor is building with his own hands for his wife is about completed. When Electa Elizabeth Evans died Oct. 24, 1962, after a long bout with cancer, the world of Christian Marcus Evans collapsed. Out of his grief came a desire to perpetuate the memory of his wife. He Wanted to build a shrine. He purchased enough land in the new part of the old Calera cemetery for the chapel. "I wanted it to be as Christ-like as possible," he said. He went back for perfect specimens of redwood. He wanted two by eight pieces, and to get what he wanted the trees had to be 1,000 or more years old. "This chapel is built out of the same kind of wood that went into Solomon's Temple," he said. "I followed the Anglo Saxon type of exposed bean construction inside, and on the outside I followed the Greek structural support style." There isn't a nail visible in the structure although 70 pounds of nails were hammered into the wood. It has a restful interior. All of the benches are along the wall. On either side the benches are wide enough to be used as emergency stretchers should the occasion arise. A pulpit will be at the east end of the building which has two samll seats for the minister and song leader. With four corner benches plus the side benches there is seathing for 28 persons. A satined glass chandelier, like everything in the chapel, follows a religious design. The 12 red lamps around the outside perimeter stand for the 12 disciples. The six green lamps in the middle circle reflect the Sanhedrin. The large orange lamp in the center represents the divinity. There are 10 crosses in the chapel. The green cross in teh east represents the beginning of life, while the burn amber in the west signifies the end of life. A cross on teh inside of a door stands on a triple platform which represents teh Holy Trinity. High atop the steep pitched roof is an aluminum shaft that fits over a circular wind bell. When the wind gusts up to 40 mph the bell will ring, or on a steady blow in excess of 40 mph. Just west of the chapel are the twin marble monuments for Mrs. Evans and her fusband. In the center, facing west, is a stainless steel sheet that covers photographs of Evans and his wife when they were married. "I put the stell shield over the glass to keep a rock from the mower from striking the glass and breaking it," he said. "Then jsut to prove that there still are honest people in the world, I put two pennies inside the space that is left. Look," he said. "There is 46 cents in pennies and nickles there now. I have taken out several dollars left there by visitors. Why did I take out some of the money? Well, 46 cents isn't likely to temp anyone, but a few dollars might," he reasoned. Eveans has built the chapel with his own hands. Some of the mill work has amazed expert carpenters. "When you have a desire as strong as mine, it provides you with the ability," Evans said simply. HIs chapel roof is so steep he couldn't hire anyone to put on the shingles, so he did it himself. theat has been the story of most of the construction. But now it is nearing an end. In a couple of weeks he'll be finished. "A dedication?" he asked. "I don't know. I have told all of the ministers in Calera that it is available for their use. If they want to formally dedicate it, that is all right with me. I do not plan anthing more than just returning to Oklahoma City when it is finised."
The Denison Herald, Sunday Features, Sunday Morning, June 2, 1968. Sotry by John Clift.
1000-year-old Redwood Beams Copied From Solomon's Temple
CALERA - That memorial chapel a retired Oklahoma City professor is building with his own hands for his wife is about completed. When Electa Elizabeth Evans died Oct. 24, 1962, after a long bout with cancer, the world of Christian Marcus Evans collapsed. Out of his grief came a desire to perpetuate the memory of his wife. He Wanted to build a shrine. He purchased enough land in the new part of the old Calera cemetery for the chapel. "I wanted it to be as Christ-like as possible," he said. He went back for perfect specimens of redwood. He wanted two by eight pieces, and to get what he wanted the trees had to be 1,000 or more years old. "This chapel is built out of the same kind of wood that went into Solomon's Temple," he said. "I followed the Anglo Saxon type of exposed bean construction inside, and on the outside I followed the Greek structural support style." There isn't a nail visible in the structure although 70 pounds of nails were hammered into the wood. It has a restful interior. All of the benches are along the wall. On either side the benches are wide enough to be used as emergency stretchers should the occasion arise. A pulpit will be at the east end of the building which has two samll seats for the minister and song leader. With four corner benches plus the side benches there is seathing for 28 persons. A satined glass chandelier, like everything in the chapel, follows a religious design. The 12 red lamps around the outside perimeter stand for the 12 disciples. The six green lamps in the middle circle reflect the Sanhedrin. The large orange lamp in the center represents the divinity. There are 10 crosses in the chapel. The green cross in teh east represents the beginning of life, while the burn amber in the west signifies the end of life. A cross on teh inside of a door stands on a triple platform which represents teh Holy Trinity. High atop the steep pitched roof is an aluminum shaft that fits over a circular wind bell. When the wind gusts up to 40 mph the bell will ring, or on a steady blow in excess of 40 mph. Just west of the chapel are the twin marble monuments for Mrs. Evans and her fusband. In the center, facing west, is a stainless steel sheet that covers photographs of Evans and his wife when they were married. "I put the stell shield over the glass to keep a rock from the mower from striking the glass and breaking it," he said. "Then jsut to prove that there still are honest people in the world, I put two pennies inside the space that is left. Look," he said. "There is 46 cents in pennies and nickles there now. I have taken out several dollars left there by visitors. Why did I take out some of the money? Well, 46 cents isn't likely to temp anyone, but a few dollars might," he reasoned. Eveans has built the chapel with his own hands. Some of the mill work has amazed expert carpenters. "When you have a desire as strong as mine, it provides you with the ability," Evans said simply. HIs chapel roof is so steep he couldn't hire anyone to put on the shingles, so he did it himself. theat has been the story of most of the construction. But now it is nearing an end. In a couple of weeks he'll be finished. "A dedication?" he asked. "I don't know. I have told all of the ministers in Calera that it is available for their use. If they want to formally dedicate it, that is all right with me. I do not plan anthing more than just returning to Oklahoma City when it is finised."
The Denison Herald, Sunday Features, Sunday Morning, June 2, 1968. Sotry by John Clift.
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