We are all like candles in this world, standing tall & beautiful, giving folks a sense of hope and a place to focus their gaze. Unfortunately, like candles, our time is short and at some point we simply burn out. As with any group, a collective family, we will experience the loss of members, friends, loved ones, but we will remember them just like candles for the warmth they gave and the light they shed on our lives. Here now are the friends who have moved on to the Kingdom of Forever.
Baroness Madeleine Grevais de Bellbois
Award of Arms, Award of the Purple Fret, Order of the Willow, Order of the White Lance, Order of the Dragon’s Heart, Court Baroness. Somewhere in about 1977, when I was a member of Three Rivers when it was a shire, I gave a talk to an English class at SIUE as a part of the shire’s publicity/outreach effort.
I talked to the class about armor, fighting, and of course the SCA, inviting the class to the weekly meetings at Washington University. One of the students, Robin Satterfield, wanted to go but didn’t want to attend by herself, so she asked her friend, Chris Woesthaus, who had worked on her master’s in history, to come along.
Chris showed up at a meeting and was immediately attracted to the beautiful clothes and the dancing. At some point she heard me give an event report on Boarder Raids and got a bit interested in me. One of her first events was the wedding of John of Whytecliffe. After helping in the kitchen (which was to become another of her SCA passions), she was taking leftovers to the car with Brom Blackhand helping. At about the third trip, he says, “Eh! Sorry, I gots ta wee” and proceeds to relieve himself on a nearby bush. This did not scare her off. Chris became Madeleine and was very active in costuming, dance, cooking, autocratting, and general organizing, and was for a while the deputy Seneschal of Three Rivers. She and I were married in October, 1978, with Stephen Block (Ironhand) as my best man. In 1980 when Shattered Crystal formed, Madeleine was one of the nine originals. We moved back to her house in Illinois around 1981 to help take care of the place as her parents were getting on in years. Nick was born in 1984, Andy in 1986, so Madeleine was only lightly active during the ’80’s. During the 90’s she became very active in SCA Equestrian activities, and was one of the first Midlands regional marshals. Her varied and
long-term contributions to the Midrealm were recognized by HRM Bardolph when he created her a baroness of the court. In 2004 H.E. Madeleine was diagnosed with cancer and passed in November. –
Sir William of Bellwood
Annabella MacClure:
Award of Arms, Order of the Willow. Annabella came to the SCA to dance. She was active in Scottish & English Country Dance, and Morris Dancing groups in St. Louis and came across the river to dance with Shattered Crystal in 1989-90. By Crystal Ball 9 she was teaching Scottish Dance at the event and was an active participant in the Crystal Dance Troupe. She also enjoyed Archery, was an expert costumer, and a wonderful musician. As health problems made dancing difficult, she switched to playing the viola or Cello with the pick up band at Crystal Ball, and was a frequent attendee of a period music camp out in Charleston, N.C. Multiple health issues flared up and she passed in 2015
— H.E. Alphia Biraz-Pars
Arthur the Quiet:
Arthur joined the Barony in the late 1990’s with a main interest in rapier combat. He became a member of the Crystal Academy and was appointed a Maestro of the Academy by Baron Maximillian. He served as Rapier Marshal for 8 years teaching fencing to anyone wanting to learn and was a Baronial Champion for several. He was a friend to many, and although quiet, was warm and friendly yet could snark with the best of the other fencers in the back of court as he had a wit and a tongue as sharp as his blade. He enjoyed the camaraderie of the SCA, which served as a great support to him during his final two years of battling cancer. He passed away in 2016 and with a heavy heart he is missed and spoken highly & fondly of on the rapier list field, but always with a smile for our having known him.
— H.E. Alphia Biras-parz & Lady Mwynwen “Strawberry” Ysginidd.
Lord Cinaed Ulric Amhranai tan Briongloid
OW, APF, AOA
Lord Derrick the Tailor
Dragon’s Flower:
Dragon’s Flower was one of the early members of the second founding of Three Rivers in the Midrealm in 1975 and was active and present with Three Rivers during the formation of the Kingdom of Calontir.
Her early SCA life was also spent as a member of the Dark Horde. She retained ties within the Middle Kingdom and when Shattered Crystal was formed she regularly participated in our event as well as Three Rivers’ in Calontir where she was often a regular merchant selling wares.
Sadly she passed away in June of 2006
Lady James Ainsley(Jamicina Ainsley)
ODH, OE, OSO, APF, OW, AOA
Janos Rakoczi the Surly:
Award of Arms, Order of the Silver Oak. Janos came to the Barony around 1993. His developing interests in the Society were brewing, rapier & bardic, although many will remember him for the cheesecakes he made for Crystal Ball dessert revel or Twelfth Night. He had a wonderful way with words and wicked sense of humor, duly noted as he was the original author and protagonist of “Janos the Surly and the French Canadian Voyeurs.” – A story one must hear. He was quick with his blade and able to teach others his skill. He was one of the founding members of the Crystal Academy, and his rapier skill led Baron Colin Campbell to make him a Maestro in the Academy as well. Sadly he lost his battle with cancer and passedaway on April 18, 2000.
-H.E. Alphia Biraz-Pars & Mircea din Iasi
Lord Liam Meyrick
Steffan von Urwelt:
Award of Arms, Award of the Purple Fret, Order of the Silver Oak, Order of the Dragon’s Heart. Joining the SCA in the late 1970’s in the Shire of Wurm Wald, Steffan became active in the sciences of making mail, blades, brewing, cooking, & many other skills. He served as regional Minister of Sciences, eventually serving as Kingdom MoS. He published a news letter called The Workshop and self published two books. He served as both Event Steward and Head Cook in Wurm Wald and was an active
member of the grillers’ Guild. He was a co-eldest brother of House Euphoria (which leads to many other stories about parties at Jubilee College Olde English Faire elsewhere), and was proprietor of Ramshead Armoury selling blades, armor, books, etc. He later moved to Shattered Crystal and worked at Sherwood
Forrest Faire and worked with the boy Scouts to start Southern Illinois Renaissance Faire at SIUE campus.
Steffen passed away on August 13, 2012.
—H.E. Alphia Biraz-pars.
Yzabe’ de Rodez:
Award of Arms. Yzabe’, more often referred to via her real name, Lily, was a wonderful caring soul who sought to keep it simple and drama free. She enjoyed helping others with projects, cooking, and was known, with her son, for making some fabulous outfits especially around the time for Crystal Ball. Indeed she helped to create the two cloaks the Barony gave as a gift to the Barony of Illinton. But the best thing she is known for was the desire and achievement of simply sitting with others and enjoying their camaraderie. She passed in August 2015.—Tiarna Cinaed Ulric.
Ysabet of Skye:
Ysabet joined the SCA around 1980 in Three Rivers when Calontir was forming. She and eight other members decided to stay a part of the Middle Kingdom and founded the incipient Shire of Shattered Crystal in 1981. Ysabet served as the first seneschal, and many of the first meetings were at her mother’s house in Belleville, IL. She remained active for several more years. But time and priorates switched with the birth of two daughters and she no longer actively participated in most SCA planning, although she and her husband occasionally dropped by events, especially Crystal Ball, and stayed in touch with SCA friends. She battled severe health issues and passed away in 2014.—H.E. Alphia