THE marler family legacy fund
We at St. Jax Anglican Church (formerly St-James-the-Apostle Anglican Church) and the Peter-McGill neighbourhood owe an incalculable debt of gratitude to successive generations of the Marler family and its Kirkland branch. From our very founding to the present day, the Marlers’ contribution to St. Jax has been so vital that it’s literally written on our walls.
In recent years, we’ve made good on at least some of that debt by returning St-Jax to its historical role as a focal point of the neighbourhood, as it was in the days of George Leonard Marler. Not only do we have a thriving Anglican congregation, but we have become a genuinely essential service hub for arts, social services, and community space; and we have done so in a financially sustainable manner. Please see our annual reports.
As we gather to mourn the passing of Louise Kirkland (née Marler), we also mourn the loss of knowledge of family history which passes with her. We propose to honour her memory and the Marler legacy by once again asking for your family’s support in salvaging what is still known of your history, and its connection to St. Jax in particular.
St. Jax took some initial steps earlier this year towards preserving its heritage by commissioning a proposal from a member of our congregation, Molly-Claire Gillett, PhD. Molly-Claire is a specialist in material culture studies and community-engaged research, and she proposes to delve into St. Jax’s history, largely by conducting a host of interviews with congregation members, past and present, as well as others connected to the church. These interviews, as well as other forms of research, will be archived and synthesized into a new book on our history. All of this would be presented at a grand event celebrating St. Jax’s history, possibly timed to coincide with our 160th anniversary two years from now. You can view Molly’s original proposal here.
As part of this project, we would like to conduct interviews with the extended Marler family; to document the general family history as well as its relationship to St. Jax; to ensure that future generations know the role that the Marlers played.
But time is short! Our richest sources of knowledge come from our elders, like Louise, and we’re slowly losing them. We’ve talked about doing something like this for years, but it always falls down the list of priorities. No more!
The project would also be expensive, which is why we are seeking to raise $20,000 to pay for it, and which is why we are asking for your help once again.
To donate, please follow the link below and select ‘Marler Family Legacy Fund’. A tax receipt will follow.
