Saturday morning began with a somber gathering. Journey of Hope co-founder, Marietta Jaeger-Lane began her Journey from Violence to Healing right here in Montana. Her daughter Susie was abducted at the age of seven during a family camping trip here in 1973. We gathered at this very campground Saturday morning. We held a memorial service and planted a tree in Susie's honor. When we first arrived, I was awed by the beauty of the place. The campground sits on the edge of the Gallatin River near the town of Three Forks. It is so named because it is the near where the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers converge to form the Missouri River. My survey of the beauty was interrupted by Marietta pointing out two trees that marked the spot where the tent had stood. Susie's abductor had cut a hole and removed her while the family slept. As the horror of the crime so long ago washed over me and fear crept into my soul for my little boy, I was immediately struck by the juxtaposition of such horror in a place of such beauty. My mother's family is from this area of Montana and I remember family picnics and reunions in places such as this. You see, I was born the year before Susie and she would be almost my age now. I was immediately worried about Marietta seeing Isaac running around and missing the grandchildren that would surely have been hers. Isaac was busy being three. He climbed a hill nearby and enjoyed splashing a branch in the waters of the Gallatin as the service proceeded. When it came time to plant the tree, Isaac, a tool man at heart, rushed forward to help shovel dirt on the tree. I tried to pull him back so others could get a chance and Marietta stopped me, saying that his work was precious to her. You see, that is what is different about Marietta. She has forgiven. While I worried that she would see what she had lost; she saw only the joy of a boy in a place long bereft of joy, and it was precious to her. The forgiveness she offered was, in the long run, most beneficial for her. More to come . . .
Beth
Left to right, Greg Wilhoit & Isaac Bonowitz shoveling dirt on the memorial tree. In the background, Joanna from England, Rev. Walt Everett, Marietta Jaeger-Lane & Bill Pelke.
Terri Steinberg speaking during the service. Photos by Jack Payden-Travers
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