Share this pageEllen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh Stained Glass Window Memorials
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- Published on Thursday, 10 July 2008 15:03
- Written by Stanton O. Berg
My mother Ellen has two stained glass window memorials in the Holy Spirit Chapel at the Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck, New Brighton, MN.
My mother Ellen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh passed away from complications of Alzheimer's disease on October 21st, 2007 while she was a resident at the Barron Nursing Home in Barron, Wisconsin. She is buried in the First Lutheran Cemetery, Barron, Wisconsin next to her father and mother and her late husband Tom. Inasmuch as she was always very fond of her daugher in law June, it is appropriate to have her stained glass window memorials in the same Chapel as those of June.
The Holy Spirit Chapel has a set of three stained glass windows. High up on the east wall of the Chapel just behind the alter there is a large half moon shaped section of three stained glass windows. This large stained glass window is called the “Holy Trinity Window.” It is divided into three sections. (Left, right and center sections.)
(Below right is a photo of the Holy Trinity Window dedicated to my Mother Ellen F. Silbaugh, my Wife June K. Berg and to all of the world wide victims of Alzheimer's disease. The dimensions of this large window are 10.2' by 4.3'.)
The necessary donations have been made to the Innsbruck Foundation to cover the cost of the center section of this Holy trinity Window.” This is the larger of the three sections and contains a white dove to depict the Holy Spirit. The donations confer the privilege of designating the window in honor and memory of a loved one.
This window has been designated be in honor and memory of my wife June K. Berg and to my mother Ellen F. Silbaugh as well as to all of the world wide victims of Alzheimer’s.
A plaque on the wall under the window reads:
“In Honor and Memory of my wife June K. Berg and my mother Ellen F. Silbaugh, both victims of Alzheimer’s. It is also in memory of the millions of world wide victims of Alzheimer’s with the prayer that God will grant them all peace. Stan Berg”
In addition, the two side walls are banks of windows. The right or south wall has 12 windows in a design called the “Tree of Life Window.” The north or left side wall also has a bank of 12 windows called the “Heart of Love Window.” Each individual window is 18 inches wide by 25-1/2 inches tall.
The necessary donations have been made to the Innsbruck Foundation to cover the cost of two of the individual windows in the north wall or the “Heart of Love Window.” The selected window contains the greater portion of a large red heart. This window is dedicated in honor and memory of my wife June K. Berg.
Just immediately above and to the left of this window is the other window that I have dedicated in honor and memory of my mother Ellen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh.
The heart window has a plaque on the frame under the window that reads
“In Honor and Memory of June K. Berg Loving Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend. Stan a grateful husband”
The window above and to the left of this window has a plaque under it that reads:
“In Memory of Ellen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh (14 December 1908 – 21 October 2007) A Loving Mother, Grandmother and Wife. – My Cheerful Moral Compass – Stan, a grateful son.”
(Ellen F. (Nedland) Silbaugh Window is below right.)
The artist who designed the windows is Dietrich Spahn, a well known stained glass artist. Spahn prepared an “Artist’s Impressions” of the windows that he designed and created.
Holy Trinity Window
“The semi-Circular window facing east, where the sun rises anew each day. This window depicts the three Holy Deities of Christianity”
The Father and Creator of all things, God’s Son, the human face of God, and The Holy Spirit, the love of God who dwells in us.
TheTrinity implies the elements of a community, unity and mystery.
In the center of the window is the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove. The seven white and red flames represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. A golden shape surrounds the dove like a halo and water flows from it to earth, like the waters of baptism, which unite is with the risen Christ and all Christians. A rainbow flowing from the golden shape refers to God’s covenant with humankind, through Noah, that a flood will never again destroy the world. The red rose symbolized Jesus and his limitless love for us. But alas, roses have thorns, and his suffering was great.
Heart of Love Window
This window has a meditative feeling and is intended for the viewer to reflect inward; therefore the colors are warm and comforting. The window has in its center a heart out of which flows love, in the form of a tiny branch. The heart shaped form continues to expand in a circular motion symbolizing everlasting love. God’s love for us limitless and begs to be shared.”
On November 26th, 2007, all of the stained glass windows in the Holy Spirit Chapel were Blessed in a special ceremony by Archbishop John C. Nienstedt.