Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information for his stories. With Marysville and Union County celebrating Bicentennial anniversaries in 2019 and 2020, respectively, these articles help depict what life was like in those early years.
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It was some time in the summer of 1974 when a pair of catbirds took up residence in a tall tree near the back of our yard on Sherwood Avenue. I didn’t know much about birds, and I don’t think I had ever seen a catbird before. They weren’t much to look at, but I wish you could have heard them. Their birdcalls were really special.
They imitated other birds, or they might put the calls of two other birds together. But it was not just birds they imitated. Let’s say our neighbor had a wheelbarrow with a squeaky wheel. If they heard that squeak, they would imitate it. It was fun just to sit in our backyard and listen to those crazy birds.
I think it was that pair of catbirds that got me interested in birds that summer. I bought a pair of binoculars and a “Birdwatchers Guide Book.” Then I started making trips to birding sites in central Ohio.
I saw quite a few birds, but then I heard that one of the best places in Ohio to see all kinds was Greenlawn Cemetery in south Columbus. So one Saturday my wife and I headed for that place. It was the first of several trips we made there that summer. You wouldn’t believe how many different kinds of birds we saw there.
Then one day in mid August, we realized that we had become so involved with birds, that we had overlooked some of the best things about that cemetery … namely, its beauty and its history.
After that, we spent some time just wandering through that place. We walked among the well-manicured graves of Civil War veterans. We saw all of the beautiful stone and bronze statuaries and family mausoleums.
On one trip, I got quite a surprise when I ran across the grave of James Thurber. I didn’t even know he was buried there. I had been a big fan of his writing and drawings since I was about 15 years old when my sister gave me a wonderful book of his short stories and drawings of dogs. I still have that book today.
Over the years, I made several trips to Greenlawn Cemetery. They were all enjoyable. But I think the last trip I made there, maybe 20 years later, was the most memorable, not because of the birds or the statuary, but because of a Columbus police officer with a good sense of humor.
You see, I went there to take a few photographs. As soon as I got near the place, I started running into a lot of street repair. Almost all of the streets were being resurfaced. No matter where I drove, I ran into “Road Closed” signs. I drove around for maybe 15 minutes, and then I spotted a Columbus police cruiser sitting in a small gravel parking lot. There was a police officer sitting inside. He was filling out some sort of paperwork.
I approached the car and said, “Excuse me, officer, but I am having trouble getting to Greenlawn Cemetery. Could you please tell me how I can get there?”
The officer looked me straight in the eye and replied, “Certainly, sir. I can tell you how to get there.”
Then, with a wry smile on his face, he added, “But first, you’ll have to give me a doughnut.”
I broke out laughing. You just have to love a policeman with a sense of humor like that.
Those wishing to contact Bill Boyd can e-mail him at bill@davidwboyd.com