BY MARY OF OAKKNOLL
You may recall the article that we published by Calvin of Oakknoll. In
self-defense, he shot and killed a hunter on his property. The
hunter was trespassing and belligerent, and Calvin shot when the
hunter shot at his house and raised his rifle aiming at him. In
this pro-hunting town, Calvin, who disliked hunting, was sentenced
to life imprisonment. Unbelievably, his 33 acres of land named Oakknoll
were confiscated and given to the widow of the hunter. C.A.S.H.
recently discovered that Calvin of Oakknoll passed away when our
newsletter was returned marked "Deceased." Mary said
she thought we'd been notified, but sadly we weren't. Over
the years, Calvin was told repeatedly by the parole board that he
would be released if he would but confess to killing the hunter in
cold blood. Calvin steadfastly refused over the years because,
in truth, he shot him in self-defense and was unfairly imprisoned. Mary
of Oakknoll spent 17 years visiting Cal at the Wallkill Correctional
Center in New York from Ohio. I asked her if we could share
the memorial she wrote which was held at Oakknoll Too (land that
Mary's family owned). We feel honored that she is allowing
us to publish it. (For space purposes, it has been somewhat shortened.)
Because Oakknoll is lost to us, we now plant upon this knoll
an oak, and name this property "OAKKNOLL TOO." Too
with a double meaning also. For, no matter who owns it, the
original homestead will forever be Oakknoll and this land a part
of that land, though many miles away. I will plant an oak upon
this knoll every year on the anniversary of Cal's death until the
last one is planted on the day my ashes mingle with his. At
that time we will both have yielded up our share.
By helping with the scattering of Cal's ashes you initiate the
fulfillment, not only of our vows, but of Cal's most steadfastly
held religious beliefs and his earnest personal desire to return
to the soil of the earth. This is a return to not only the
soil but to sunlight and moonlight; wind and rain; grass and flower;
bird and tree; plant and animal. A return to participation
in the life of the universe of which he wrote so expressively in
his poem, Of Stars." (C.A.S.H. will publish the poem when
it is received).
