Marjorie M. Gera

By Marjorie Gera on October 11, 2016

Having found this site let me write a brief synopsis of my years, Jan 1975-Sept 1978 living on the grounds. My mom, Marjorie M. Shiffer and I moved to the WLC on a cold winter day from Philadelphia PA.

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_We had met William and Angela Dye at the Church of Ageless Wisdom conference July 1973. Founders Beth and Ralph Hand were still alive and it was not “International” yet. Angie was pregnant with Richard. I fell in love with Bill at 19 yrs old and followed him all over that weekend.

We went to our first Equinox conference in Franklin PA followed by a Summer Solstice, another Equinox, and then moved there. We lived in a trailer owned by Ruth and Louis McKay.

Arthur and La Verne Davis were the grounds keepers then and had been for many years until they left n in 1976.

Don Anderson heard about my mom and I living there and came to spend the winter in to be known as the Anderson Cabin, last cabin on the grounds before going down the hill to French Creek. Our joke was he kept us alive with popcorn, the food he presented us with when he first visited. In spring Charlene and family came to live.

After the Davis’s left a new family arrived, Ron and Sharon Hall and family from Philadelphia. They stayed in the Davis trailer which was located outside the gate on the Niles- Utica Rd. They also stayed a year helping to build, with the Anderson family, and others, the “Pavilion”. Charlene of course fed every body.

After the Hall”s left, my mentor Jan Hoover and family from Tiffin OH moved into the trailer. They were followed by Dale Young of Tiffin OH. He moved into what we lovingly called the “Purple Cabbage”, a very small place. It was behind the red cabin Mom and I had moved to in the spring of 1975 and lived in till we returned to Philly.  After he left Lloyd “Sonny” Hollis moved to the Purple Cabbage from Tiffin Oh.

We were becoming quite a little community. we held Sunday services in the Pavilion, meditated together in front of our campfires, walked the grounds at nite having unbelievable experiences. Played and fought together.

Alice and Austin Chipps, founders of “Alice”s Book Shop” in Fowler OH and a spiritual center behind their house were frequent visitors. Jerry Joyce joined us in his trailer located by the trailer in the same area as the McKay trailer and the trailer the Anderson’s moved to were.Bill Dye of course joined us upon retirement in his cabin in front of the Anderson’s then cabin.

Ina and John Gallagher had their trailer back there also. As I said quite a community.

Eventually Patricia “Sierra” Whan moved into the blue cabin in front of ours and to my knowledge still rents it.

People came and went in those 3.75 years too many for me to recall now.

My last memory to share or I will never stop is that one morning Don Anderson woke up in his cabin with a dream, it became “The House of APORCEE”, for the 7 Sisters, Aileen, Porsook, Orlyn, Roylon, Cairvoo, Eenay and Effera.

If you look up Greek mythology you will find that Atlas is the father of the 7 sisters. We: Mom, Jan Hoover, Laurie Hoover, her daughter, Charlene, and myself sat at a diner, in Franklin PA, having lunch when we came up with the last spiritual/physical info that Don needed to complete his symbol. We were overjoyed and that night Jan channeled the importance of what we had done that afternoon.

August 11, 2016

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Memory is a funny thing, you bring up one and more come forth.
So let me tell you what I have recalled since my last comment.

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_The name of the spiritual center that Alice and Austin Chips ran was the “Center of Balance” .
Not only did our little group build the pavilion but also the stage that is now connected to the storage building Joseph and Anna Cecil built. We also built the tri- toilet out house on the top of the hill from the pavilion.

I also remembered a married couple, Gina and Tom, who lived in a trailer high up on top of the hill out side of the gate on the Niles -Utica Rd, a short distance from the Davis’s.They came from Franklin PA. Also Carol Henley with her friend Stephen lived in the blue cabin in front of us for several seasons. They where from Philadelphia .

Before Charlene Anderson took over the kitchen Evelina Evans and Thelma Zuslag ran it from the 1950″s thru the early 70″s.

We had a board of directors with mostly the residents and the founders on it. At the time it was $100.00 a year to live there.

I want to tell you two stories re: the Landing Field.

The first one was passed onto us by those who saw it but I met the man involved and he confirmed it. Baird and Marge Wallace were early members of the WLC and one solstice he informed those present that a ship had landed. He proceeded to walk up to it and disappeared. Some time later he walked out and reappeared.

Janice Hoover, her daughter Laurie, my mom and I had a similar experience. We all found ourselves in the landing field by the road in front of “Prayer Rock”.

We decided we must be there for a reason so we formed a circle and waited. It was 10:00 PM on a cold winters night. I had just looked at my watch which is why I knew the time. As we were holding hands waiting for “them” I said ” they”re coming for us”.

What we believed was 15 min later we were looking at each other and we all agreed “they” had taken us but had no memory. We then heard it, a church bell ringing 12 times . I looked at my watch and sure enough it was midnight. excited we ran to the Anderson’s to tell them. Ron Hall and Dale Young were there.

Ron asked us where we had been. Seems he had walked past “us” on the road at 11PM going to the Anderson’s and no, we were not there.

Dale said he was sitting in his place when ‘Spirit” told him to go out and chant. (Dale had a beautiful voice!). Ron heard him, of course we never did. I was 22 then. And I still remember 40 yrs later.

Lastly, for any one who forgot or does not know, this is what “APORCEE” stands for: “Any Person Opon Realizing Consciousness Enters Enlightenment”. Yes it is “opon” not “upon.” Before the actual structure Don created a physical symbol that each of hung in our homes and that he made and freely gave to all who asked.