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Morrissey Law Office donates to Mark Shafer Memorial Event
FAIRFIELD – John Morrissey and Mark Shafer were long-time friends who occasionally bonded over a glass of Templeton Rye.
After Shafer passed away in December at age 73, Fairfield was left without one of its most beloved and respected artists, art teachers and history buffs. A memorial event and scholarship fundraiser to honor Shafer is being planned for Nov. 10 at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Morrissey, as did scores of others that knew Mark, chose to make a donation. He began with art to sell on the silent auction tables for the event (i.e. Maynard Reese wildlife print; Currier and Ives lithograph; a Mark Shafer pen and ink sketch of Bill LaRue, a local favorite). But John also wanted it to be something that spoke to his friendship with Shafer and all the good times they had at St. Patty's events and as members of a decades-old informal social club they dubbed the “Templeton Templars.”
Morrissey Law Office is donating two decorator chests containing three bottles of a top-shelf whiskey brand called "Whistlers Honey," "Whistlers Cream," and "Whistlers Triple Distilled" Whiskey along with a set of Irish coffee mugs and a set of shot glasses. The chests also contains a genuine tin whistle with an instructional booklet, four CDs of traditional Celtic music, a good sized figurine of a man playing a tin whistle flute, and an assortment of Irish-themed trinkets and hats. Morrissey added that whoever places the winning bid on the chests will get to select a few additional beverages from the sampler tables in the St. Patty's room downstairs at the law office. To compliment that part of the winning bid, the patty's group and templars will serve the winning bidder and guests sampler beverages and entertain, i.e. sing to and toast the winning bidder.
Morrissey and Shafer knew each other a long time, with Morrissey having practiced law in Fairfield for more than 50 years, and Shafer having served as art teacher in the Fairfield Community School District for 34 years. Through their many discussions, Morrissey noticed that Shafer had a keen sense for seeing the minute details in a piece of art or historical artifact. Morrissey said that ability was on display in Shafer’s book of drawings called “Fairfield at the Turn of the Century,” which included original drawings of the town’s most well-known homes, businesses and public structures.
“Mark knew a lot of things that other people didn’t know, and might never have had a chance to know except for Mark” Morrissey said.
Morrissey said that Shafer’s ability to store vast amounts of Fairfield history in his head was reminiscent of earlier history buffs like Dr. George Sells and former Fairfield Ledger Editor Ben Taylor. He said Shafer was the “right guy at the right time” to carry on the history of the Carnegie Historical Museum, serving as its curator, then executive director. Shafer played a crucial role in renovating and updating its exhibits while it was closed for the pandemic.
“In previous years, we’d have 500 people go through the museum all year, and now we’ve had a few months where a couple thousand people go through,” Morrissey said.
A little over a decade ago, Morrissey and Shafer were among those to start an informal group called the Templeton Templars, which was six to eight guys who got together for Templeton Rye and conversations.
“Half of the guys in the group have been to Templeton, Iowa, to see the distillery and the history, which goes all the way back to Al Capone days,” Morrissey said.
Morrissey said the initial group of Templars were men who knew each other through the Carnegie Historical Museum Foundation, Greater Jefferson County Foundation or the Fairfield Park and Rec Foundation. Members of the group have included, apart from Morrissey and Shafer, Dick Reed, Joe Hunt, Dave Neff, Gene Luedtke, Ray Ham, and their occasional guests.
The Templeton Templars will offer a champagne toast to Shafer during the Nov. 10 fundraiser, supplying a bottle of champagne to each table. Morrissey said the value of the donated champagne is between $700 and $1,000.
Morrissey said he hopes the community comes out to show their support for Shafer on Nov. 10, and to share their favorite memories of the man. He said that one of his favorite memories was from decades ago when Shafer dressed up as St. Patrick with a bishop’s headdress and green vestments for one of Morrissey Law Office’s St. Patty’s Day parties.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
