My Visit With Dana

Chapter V

My Visit With Dana

(left to right)
Andru Maynard (Dana's nephew), Terry Maynard (Dana's brother), 
Alyssa Maynard (Dana's niece), Austin Maynard (Dana's nephew) 

Photo of Dana's tombstone courtesy of Alyssa Maynard

By this time in July 2000, I really hadn't been in contact with the gang from Andy's Bash.  The Fall of 1997 was the last time I had seen or talked to anyone, until 2006 when I saw Scott, Andy, and Ryan at a gathering for Father Jim Meyer's (counselor from CF camp) birthday in Elk Rapids, MI.

I had been invited to a CF family retreat camp that was taking place in Hillsdale, MI on July 7th - July 13th 2000.  Little did I know at the time, it would be the final CF family retreat.  In 1998, 1999, and 2000 the retreat was held at the Michindoh Conference Center (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio).

Back in 2000 Mapquest was still a young tool for people to get directions for certain locations.  The website was launched in 1996.  So as I was mapping out how to get to Hillsdale, I saw that Concord (Dana's hometown) and Pulaski, MI (where Dana is buried) were actually near Hillsdale, or at least not too far way.  A thought popped into my head.

"What if I visited Dana?"

The quest was on!  It had been 3 years since her funeral.  There I was, excited, and doing some research on how to get to her cemetery, which I could not find on Mapquest (cemetery is off Pulaski Road), but by gosh I was going to find out how to get there once I got into town.

Getting to the conference center in Hillsdale was a breeze.  Finding Pulaski cemetery was a bit harder, since I had nothing to go by (images), plus there's no address to the cemetery.  Where was Google Maps when you needed them?  On my way I stopped off and bought some flowers for Dana to place on her grave.

I remember stopping and asking for directions to the cemetery, not once, but twice.  Once I got home (after the retreat), I figured out what the problem was.  M-60 (at least back in 2000 on MapQuest) had two different names.  M-60 and Homer Road (if I recall correctly).  In 2000 Mapquest only had one name for the road, but that has changed.  Thank goodness.

I actually had no problems getting there once I asked the second person. The first person had just moved into town not too long ago, so they weren't familiar with the area.  They told me to ask a lady down the street, who had lived in the area for 40 years.  So that's what I did.

I remember driving down Pulaski Road and the trees just hovered over the road and it was a bright, sunny, and tad windy day.  I remember it getting dark as the trees felt like they were hovering over me, but then all of a sudden there were no trees on the sides of the road, but farmland.  I knew I was on the right path, because Pulaski cemetery is surrounded (at least the back) by farmland.  A few minutes later, I knew I had reached the cemetery. In the photo below you see a sign that reads Pulaski cemetery, but back in 2000 there was no sign, nor back in 1997.  From my research, this sign was placed here in or around 2005.  I'm not sure.

So I remember getting out of the car and just looking around for a split second. I stopped in my tracks to hear the birds chirping, and they were coming from a certain area of the cemetery.  So I started walking toward the sound, and 2 minutes later, I turned my head and saw Dana's tombstone. I remember saying to Dana.

"See, I remembered exactly where you were from when we were out here back in '97."

I softly laid down the flowers that I had gotten for Dana.  I noticed quite a few more graves had popped up since 1997.  I visited with Dana for 45 minutes.  I told her how I was doing, and how everyone from Camp was doing.  I told her (the story) of how we met and I still remembered our dance together.  I told her it was a part of my life that I'd never forget.  I continued to tell her that she needed to watch over Jason, and the fact it had been 3 years since I had seen anyone.

Honestly, I thought I was doing pretty good (not crying), but then I looked away from her tombstone, almost like I didn't want to look at it.  I remember shaking my head and telling her I was so sorry to have to do this, and told her (as I mentioned at the beginning of this memorial) that I would never be visiting her again, because it was a long distance.  I told her I would never, and I mean ever, forget about her.  I don't think I had cried that hard in a very long time.  Saying goodbye to her was hard, yet again, just like it was in June 1997.  By the time I got to my car, I felt so tired.  Emotionally drained after those 45 minutes.  Before I left, I kissed my palm and placed it on Dana's tombstone.

I continued on down the road and headed to Hillsdale.  I don't think I told anyone I visited Dana's grave.  I would have stayed longer, but my time to be at the retreat was at 4:00 PM.  I actually remember getting there about 15 minutes early, which I thought was good timing.

Here we are 13 years later, and by the pictures, it looks like Dana has some more company.  I'm sure 'Dear Abby' will be there for her surrounding friends. Dana's Mom informed me that her friends would call her 'Dear Abby' because she was always there to give them advice and to help them out. Dana HATED to be called that.  I'm really in trouble now :)

Continue. . . 

"Angel"
By: Sarah McLachlan
Year: 1998