Recognized Inventorof Modern Finger PaintingRuth Faison Shaw

Most American children have delighted in fingerpainting some time in their lives. Ruth Faison Shawis the recognized inventor of modern fingerpainting. The idea was not new. In priorcenturies, finger painting was used inmurals on the walls of Etruscan tombsand in ancient Chinese manuscripts.However, it is generally accepted thatMiss Shaw was the first artist to makethe paints safe for children using non-toxic ingredients, while at a school forEnglish-speaking children in Rome inthe late 1920s and early 1930s.

She discovered the technique purely byaccident. While teaching one day, Miss Shaw sent a small

boy who had cut his finger to the bathroom toput some iodine on the cut. The youngster didnot return for some time. When his teacher wentto see what had happened, she found that he hadsmeared iodine all over the tile walls as far as hecould reach. This incident gave her an idea –children loved to smear and what if that natural

inclination could be harnessed insomething constructive. Hence, heradventure in the discovery of fingerpainting began.

She was born in Kenansville, DuplinCounty, NC, on October 15, 1889, thedaughter of the Rev. William MitchellShaw, a Presbyterian minister, andAlberta Columbia Faison Shaw. Inaddition to his pastoral duties, herfather was also principal of the James

Sprunt Institute. She was the only girl in a family of four

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Calendar of Events� �Continued on page 3

Friends of Oakdale Board MeetingsSecond Tuesday of every month, 12:00, noon, Kenneth Sprunt Building,Oakdale Cemetery

Annual Meeting of the Friends of Oakdale CemeteryTuesday, March 12, 2013, 12:00 noon, Kenneth Sprunt Building, Oakdale Cemetery

Easter Lily SaleDeadline for ordering lilies is March 15, 2013. Easter is March 31,2013.Friends of Oakdale is offering for sale full, fresh Easter lilies for thegraves of loved ones. These lilies are beautiful, substantial, two-stemmedplants with foil and a bow. The lilies will be placed on the graves in theweek before Easter and will be removed when they wane. They are$35.00 for non-members and $33.00 for members. (See the Easter Lily order blank on page 4 of this newsletter.

Oakdale Tour – Sunday, March 31, 2013 – 2:00 p.m.Architectural historian, Janet K. Seapker, will lead a tour emphasizingthe evolution of the rural cemetery and the establishment of OakdaleCemetery. She will reveal the meaning of symbols used on Victorianfunerary art. The walking tour allows participants to explore Oakdale’streasures first-hand and to enjoy the spring flowers. Space is limited.Please call the Oakdale Office, (910) 762-5682, to make a reservation.$10.00 for non-members; free for members.

Bird Tour – Saturday, April 27, 2013, 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.Enjoy a morning of birding at Oakdale with Dr. James Parnell, notedornithologist and author of numerous books and articles about birds.Dr. Parnell is a retired professor of biology at UNC-W. $10 for non-members; free for members.

Walking Tour– Saturday, May 18, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to NoonRobin Triplett will be the guide for the tour. Admission is $10.00 fornon-members; free for members

Walking Tour– Saturday, June 15, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to NoonChris Nelson, a battalion chief with the City of Wilmington FireDepartment, will guide the tour of the cemetery.Admission is $10.00 for non-members; free for members.

Walking Tour– Saturday, July 20, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to NoonEric Kozen, Oakdale Cemetery Superintendent, will guide the tour ofthe cemetery. Admission is $10.00 for non-members; free for members.

Walking Tour– Saturday, August 17, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to NoonDavid Rice and Eric Kozen will be the co-leaders for this tour.Admission is $10.00 for non-members; free for members.

Walking Tour– Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to NoonBob Cooke, noted Civil War historian, will lead a tour that will includenot just the Civil War era, but World War I and II. Admission is $10.00for non-members; free for members.

Third Annual Luminary Event – Sunday, October 20, 2013Tours depart the main gate at 6:30, 6:45 and 7:00 p.m. Over 600luminaries mark the route through the historical cemetery. Refreshments are served. $10.00 for everyone. Limited tickets will be available at the cemetery office.

ALL TOURS ARE CANCELLED IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.

I n s c r I p t I o n s F r I e n d s o F o a k d a l e c e m e t e r y

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NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS(Recorded between July 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012)

If you joined or renewed your membership during this time and we failed to list your name, please phone the office and

we will correct the listing in the next issue of

Ms. Rebecca MahlerMs. Carita C. Rothing Mr. and Mrs. Ralph M. Smith, IIMr. and Mrs. J.E. Lewis, Jr.Lt. Col. Gene McCarley, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. James T. PeeblesMrs. George F. Tilley Mrs. Lyda T. VentersMr. and Mrs. Ben White, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Emerson WillardMs. Mary Jo BarbarettaMr. and Mrs. William M. BiggsMrs. Imogene C. BiggsMrs. Elma Porter Bowden Miss Valerie BurnieMr. Joseph A. ClendeninMr. Chad FarrissMr. Herbert T. FisherMr. Richard HansonMrs. Gerry HarrisDr. John Humphries Mr. Harry LatimerMr. E.A. ShandsMs. Julia S. Worth

Mrs. Ruby BissetteMr. George T. Clark, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Dunlea Mr. and Mrs. George R. French Mr. and Mrs. Joseph T. George, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Frank GordonMr. John R. HicksMr. and Mrs. William F. LyonMr. and Mrs. P. ThomasMarshburn, Jr.Mr. Wallace C. MurchisonMr. and Mrs. Peyton E. Pitts Mr. Joel Pretlow, IIIMs. Eleanor M. PriceMrs. Fred Rippy, Jr.Mr. James H. TomsMr. Sidney AndrewsMs. Frances B. FramptonMrs. Wanda MooreMr. and Mrs. Jack DunnMr. Jack McCarleyMr. and Mrs. John C. SymmesMrs. Katherine FurrMr. and Mrs. Chester Watts

FAMILY$40–$99

Mr. and Mrs. Carlton W. AllegoodMr. and Mrs. James E. AtwoodMrs. Martha BeeryMr. and Mrs. D. J. Black, Jr.Mrs. Lillian Bellamy BoneyMs. Katherine BooneMr. and Mrs. George W. BoylanMs. Nancy Tinga BraswellMr. Robert S. BridgersMs. Catherine E. BurneyMs. Bonnie O. BurrissMs. Janet CarriveauThe Rev. and Mrs. Robert CookMrs. Haywood EmersonMr. and Mrs. Mark EssigMrs. Alice EvansMr. Donald W. FisherMrs. Ligon B. FlynnMr. Terry FulbrightMrs. Rosalind Napier FullerMr. Robert GodleyMr. Adair GrahamMrs. Carolyn Hall Mr. and Mrs. Eugene B. Hardin, JrMr. and Mrs. Lou HargettMr. E. Wilson HortonMrs. Sara HufhamMrs. Barbara B. JamisonMr. and Mrs. John Paul KeonMr. James E. (Jim) KnightMr. and Mrs. Emsley A. Laney, Jr.LT General James M. Lee Mrs. Doris R. LewisMrs. Mayo Little Mr. Walter LoveMrs. Mary Ann Massey Mr. Michael E. Mauney

Ms. Shirley M. MikulasMr. Joseph & Robert MorrisonMs. Elaine H. Neuwirth Mr. and Mrs. John A. Newton, Jr.Mrs. Lewis T. Nunnelee, IIMr. John E. OrrellMs. Shirley OrrellDr. James F. Parnell, Ph.D.Mr. and Mrs. William E. PerdewMr. Robert N. Post Mr. and Mrs. Ed PowersMrs. Thomas M. RamseurMr. and Mrs. Jessie RobertsonDr. and Mrs. Marvin RozearMr. and Mrs. William SalterMs. Patricia K. SchultzMrs. Adelaide Ann SmithMr. William R. Smith, Jr.Ms. Celia SnowMrs. Kenneth SpruntMr. and Mrs. Ben SteelmanMr. and Mrs. Christopher Stone Mr. Harry W. Stovall, III Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Stovall, Jr.Mrs. Martha K. TaylorMs. Elizabeth TaylorMr. and Mrs. Victor G. Taylor, Jr.Mrs. Louise Thompson Ms. Patricia TilleryMr. and Mrs. Mark R. VinsonMr. and Mrs. Thomas WallaceMrs. Louise W. WellsMr. John C. Wessell, IIIMr. Lonnie B. WilliamsDr. R. Bertram Williams, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Eugene WoodburyMrs. Thomas H. Wright, Jr.

DONOR$100–$249

Mrs. Nellie AllenMs. Dorothy BallardMs. Emily W. Barefoot Dr. Heyward BellamyMr. Kirk BinningMr. Randall BroadfootMrs. Bonnie CooperMr. and Mrs. William S. DeRossetMs. Marie V. deRossetMs. Gladys M. DickieMr. Daniel H. Earp, Jr.Mrs. Maurine Elebash Ms. Leslie EmersonMr. and Mrs. Jack FetnerMiss Pauline FormyduvalMrs. Louise C. (Polly) FranklinMrs. Nancy Kennon FrazierMrs. Lucy Ann GloverMs. Sylvia HalesMs. Carlene K. HendrixMs. Margaret HigginsMrs. Sandra L. HighMr. John C. Hines Mrs. Gail KermonMs. Martha P. Kidder Mrs. Elizabeth LeGwinMs. Ann Mebane LevineMrs. Billie LittleMr. and Mrs. Merrill LockfawMs. Jean F. Lynch

Mr. and Mrs. George MahlerMrs. Anna Laura MartinMrs. Kathryn P.W. Minnick Mr. and Mrs. Warren P. Moses Ms. Ellen MundsMrs. Margaret MunschMrs. Loraine Oppenheimer Ms. Mary PalmerMs. Ruth ParkerMs. Charlotte Jones ParkerMs. Margaret PayneMs. Julia PridgenMs. Mary-Louise RhodesMr. Steven RobertsonMrs. Marilyn L. RosenMs. Angeline B. SaffoMs. Shirley ShawMrs. Polly T. SheatsMr. James B. Stokley, Sr. Mrs. Ruby J. StoudenmireMs. Caroline N. SwailsMs. Mary Virginia SwainMr. John T. Talbert, IIIMrs. John D. TaylorMs. Susan M. TruloveMrs. Rachel P. TurnerMs. Helen R. WardMs. Feriba WeltinMr. John WinecoffMrs. Frances D. Woodbury

INDIVIDUAL$30

.

Dr. and Mrs. Joe BroughtonMr. and Mrs. Stephen A. CappsMrs. Mayo DarbyMs. Ann Hewlett Hutteman

Ms. Catherine T. Latham, Orrell& ReinerMr. and Mrs. Bradley WoottenMrs. Ann Wyckoff

PATRON$250–$499

Dr. Ogden O. Allsbrook, Jr.Mr. Scot AndrewsMr. Tom Kenan, III

Mrs. Henry LongleyMr. George Rountree, III

BENEFACTOR$1,000–$2,499

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Dill Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Hutaff, Jr.Dr. & Mrs. Robert M. Morris

Mr. D. C. NorthMr. Rye Page Ms. Pamela Brown Vinson

SPONSOR$500–$999

Master Robert Henry Ziegler

STUDENT$15

To all the Friends of Oakdale, when receiving this periodic publicationnews and events of the Friends, this is not a reminder of your membershipstatus. The Membership Committee sends out a specific letter. These letters

are mailed to you annually when the time arrives according to the month you had renewed last or joined.

A R E M I N D E R

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I n s c r I p t I o n s F r I e n d s o F o a k d a l e c e m e t e r y

Continued from front pageRuth Faison Shaw

boys, with four other male cousins living nearby. She oncetold a friend, “By the time I grew up, I knew enough aboutboys that I didn’t want to marry one.”

In 1906, Miss Shaw graduated from the James SpruntInstitute for Girls. Later, she attended a teachers’ college inBaltimore, MD. She taught in the Appalachian Mountains ofNorth Carolina and for a time was a teacher of piano inWilmington and Southport.

Just after the Armistice was signed ending World War I, shesailed for Europe, where she was a worker for the YMCA,spending about six months shuttling between London,Paris, Verdun, the Argonne and Romagna. After the war,

she was asked to set up the school for English-speakingchildren in Rome, where she made her notable invention.The success offinger paintingestablished heras a celebrityand with her witand soft Carolinaaccent, shebecame apopular speaker.For several years,she lived inParis, lecturing at the Sorbonneand leadingworkshops at the TrocaderoSchool.

In 1932, MissShaw returned to the United States bringing her techniqueswith her. For a year, she taught at New York’s prestigiousDalton School before opening her own institution – theShaw Finger-Painting Studio. She patented her fingerpainting formula and wrote a book, Finger Painting: APerfect Method of Self-Expression (1934).

During World War II, she traveled all over the United Statesfor the USO, entertaining servicemen with herdemonstrations in finger painting and telling stories as shepainted. Eventually, she purchased a home on Cape Codand had a finger painting school there for small children.

Miss Shaw saw her experiment as a way to aidpsychotherapy, since people who were disturbed couldpaint things that they could not express. For several years,she worked at the renowned Menninger Psychiatric Clinicin Topeka, Kansas. By the late 1950s, she was living inChapel Hill, NC, where she worked with mental patients atUNC’s Memorial Hospital and at the Murdoch Center forChildren at Butner, NC. At the same time, she continued toteach and exhibit finger painting in her home.

Miss Shaw died on December 3, 1969 in Fayetteville, NC.Her brother, William M. Shaw, was that city’s postmaster formany years. She is buried in Oakdale Cemetery. ❖

Source: Ruth Faison Shaw folder, North Carolina Room, New Hanover County Public Library

The Cherokee Tribe of Indian Princess Program visited thegrave of Miss Shaw on January 19, 2013. They fingerpainted at her grave as a tribute to her. This organizationpromotes understanding and companionship betweenfathers and daughters between the ages of five and twelve.

Friend’s ProjectsThe Friends of Oakdale Cemetery had a very busy year in 2012,completing several importantprojects. We donated funds for ironfence renovation and for thetrimming, removal and replacement

of trees. We fixed andstraightened the fenceand installed bumpers onthe bridge to the annex.We planted pansies atthe main entrance. ❖

The Board of Directors of the Friends of Oakdale Cemeterywelcomes two new members:

A native of Wilmington, Catherine Freeman Halligan moved backhome about three years ago. She graduated from Cape FearAcademy, attended Salem College and transferred to UNC-ChapelHill where she received her BSN degree. She practiced nursingin Raleigh and in the obstetrics department at New HanoverRegional Medical Center. In 1984, she married and moved to theBoston area for fourteen years and to Rochester, NY for anotherten years. She currently volunteers with the Coastal Land Trust,Second Helpings and Meals on Wheels. She enjoys tennis andbridge in her free time. She eagerly looks forward to serving onthe Friends Board and hopes to advocate for the continuedpreservation and beautification of its history and natural beauty.

Ogden O. (Obby) Allsbrook, Jr. is also a native of Wilmington.He attended local schools and graduated from Wake ForestCollege and from the University of Virginia. After service in theU.S. Army, he moved from Wilmington to Athens, Georgia,where he was an economist on the faculty at the University ofGeorgia for more than a quarter of a century. Upon retirement,he returned to Wilmington, maintaining his family home here aswell as his home in Athens. His parents and maternalgrandparents are interred at Oakdale, while two earliergenerations are buried in Southport, NC.

These two new members take the places of Clint North andSylvia Stoudenmire, who are the last original board member torotate off of the board. We thank them for their devotion,generosity and for the countless hours of dedicated service tothe Friends of Oakdale.

BOARD MEMBERS UPDATE

Ruth Faison Shaw – Wilmington Star-News, Oct. 4, 1983

Friends of Oakdale Cemetery, Inc.520 North 15th StreetWilmington, NC 28401

address servIce requested

is published periodically.Ann Hutteman and Tee Woodbury, Editors

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ann H. Hutteman, PresidentCathy F. Halligan, Vice-PresidentCarlton W. Allegood, SecretaryJerry Woodell, TreasurerOgden O. Allsbrook, Jr.Edward C. GibsonElizabeth Brown KingMark StanleyEllen D. WellsMelanie WilliamsTee Woodbury

Ex-Officio:Clint North, Past PresidentSylvia Stoudenmire,Volunteer CoordinatorRob Bridgers, PresidentOakdale Cemetery Company

Eric Kozen, SuperintendentOakdale Cemetery Company

Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostageP A I D

Wilmington, NCPermit No. 1

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Order Your Easter Lilies NOWorders must be Placed by

tuesday, march 15, 2013

Friends of Oakdale Cemetery are offering for sale full, fresh, Easter Lilies for graves of loved ones.

$35 for non-members$33 for members of Friends of Oakdale Cemetery.

These lilies are beautiful, substantial two-stemmed plants with foil and a bow.

(NOT THE SINGLE-STEMS THE DISCOUNT STORES SELL.)

Please mail this

form with

your check

made Payable to:

Friends ofOakdale

Cemetery, Inc.520 North Fifteenth St.Wilmington, NC 28401

(910) 762-5682

Please provide the name of the person(s) buried on the lot:

Name of deceased: _________________________________ Name of deceased: _________________________________

Name of deceased: _________________________________ Name of deceased: _________________________________

Please provide your name, address, phone number in case we need to contact you for further information.

Name _________________________________________________________________ PhoNe______________________

address ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

cIty___________________________________state ______ ZIP code ___________ e-maIL_________________________

Easteris March 31.

The lilies will be placed on thegraves starting the week of

March 25th and will beremoved when they wane.