Margaret Quinn Orloske
Letter of Thanks: December 5, 2002 LizAnne & Ken Jensen West Cost Weather Vanes 377 Westdale Drive Santa Cruz, CA 95060-9446 Dear LizAnne & Ken, I apologize for not writing earlier to thank you for creating the wonderful jackrabbit weathervane that now adorns the top of our barn. I also want to thank you for your assistance and coaching that has made it not only a memorial to my wife, Margaret, but also a healing activity for me, my son, our family and Margaret’s closest friends. Placing our personal mementoes in the weathervane provided each of us and opportunity to express both our grief and our love for her as individuals and as a group. We installed the weathervane the day before Thanksgiving, when our family traditionally gets together. Enclose are photographs of us installing the vane and some of my family as well. My brother-in-law, Bob McGraw, is a contractor and did most of the work on the roof, but we all picked in to support him. I am the one hauling the rabbit up the ladder. Also enclosed are photos of the family we took on Thanksgiving, as well a couple of Margaret doing what she loved to do this time of year, cook on the open hearth. The jackrabbit has become an icon of the neighborhood. It is there each morning as people leave for work, and greets them when they return at night. It stands as a constant reminder of the loss we feel and our gratitude for Margaret’s life and what she meant to each of us. It captures her spirit in a very special way. In addition, it stands as a reminder of the 2900 lives that were lost on September 11th, which we will never forget. Thank you again for your contribution to this project. It has turned out far beyond my expectation. I know Margaret would have loved it as well. Yours truly, Duane A. Orloske
The weathervane was the design of LizAnne & Ken Jensen owners of West Cost Weather Vanes, in Santa Cruz, CA. The Rabbit was a favorite creature of Margaret's and finding a weathervane for the barn was a project Margaret had underway but was left undone. The weathervane sits atop the barn of her home and is inscribed with a dedication to Margaret. Upon a suggestion of LizAnne, friends and family provided mementos of their love for Margaret which included jewelry, photographs, storiesand other objects which were then sealed inside the weathervane as sort of a time capsule. LizAnne said these weathervanes will last at least 100 years and which time someone will discover the items and learn anew of Margaret and the impact she had on others.