A Tales of Blawenburg Extra
Enjoy this extra edition of Tales of Blawenburg about Bud Conover and his beloved Spring Beauties that are now in bloom on the Blawenburg Church lawn and all around the village.
Alva Bud Conover was a faithful caretaker of the Blawenburg Church property for many years. He lived next to the parsonage with his wife, Frances, and children Alan and Mary Ellen. Bud kept a very watchful eye on the church property and meticulous records of his activities.
Among Bud’s guardianships were the small Spring Beauties that still cover the western lawn each spring. These small white flowers have pink lines on their petals.
Bud would not let anyone cut the grass until the Spring Beauties had finished blooming. This tradition is carried on today as the landscaping company has been instructed “not to even think about mowing those Spring Beauties until all the flowers are gone.”
In memory of Bud’s faithful service, his family put a granite bench on the lawn so we could all be reminded to enjoy Bud’s Spring Beauties.
Bud puts up a sign for Tentoonstelling in 1984.
Blawenburg Facts
1. Alva Bud Conover, who was born on January 23, put his initials and birthdate on his license plate – ABC123.
2. The small white wildflowers shown in this blog are really called Spring Beauty, and they are of the species Claytonia. They are considered a woodland wildflowers, but they seem to do quite well in yards as well.
Source
Cochran, David W. Blawenburg Reformed Church, 1832-2007, 175 Years of Faith and Hope, Blawenburg, Blawenburg Reformed Church, 2007.
Photos
Photos of the church lawn, Bud Conover bench, and Bud Conover are taken from:
Cochran, David W. Blawenburg Reformed Church, 1832-2007, 175 Years of Faith and Hope, Blawenburg, Blawenburg Reformed Church, 2007.
Spring Beauty photo - https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4658
Note that the Dave of davesgarden.com is not related to the author of this blog.