PARKERSBURG - Dr. Douglas L. Conrath left a donation to the Nemesis Shrine of Parkersburg.
On Nov. 3, the result of Conrath's contribution was dedicated at the Nemesis Shrine center at 244 Watson Road in Parkersburg.
The Conrath donation was used to purchase the 9.5-foot-tall statue, "Editorial Without Words," which stands near the entrance to the Shriners headquarters off U.S. 50.
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Photo by Paul LaPann
The “Editorial Without Words” statue was dedicated Nov. 3 at the Nemesis Shrine at 244 Watson Road in Parkersburg.
Conrath of Mineral Wells died on Feb. 9. He was a member of the Nemesis Shrine.
A plaque next to the statue reads: "Editorial Without Words placed in memory of Noble Dr. Douglas L. Conrath, OD."
The statue is based on a photograph taken by Randy Dieter in 1970 at Hadi Temple's annual outing for handicapped children at the Mesker Amusement Park in Evansville, Ind. Dieter saw Shriner Al Hortman carrying a little girl in one hand and her crutches in the other.
Bobbi Jo Wright, the little girl in the photograph, said she has wonderful memories of the years as a patient at the St. Louis Shriners Hospital, according to a Shriners article. Wright, who was born with cerebral palsy, said she remembers the fun activities at the Shriners Hospital.
"They greatly improved my ability to walk," she was quoted as saying.
Today, the photo is an integral part of the Shriners Hospitals' logo and has been reproduced on stained-glass windows, mosaics, tie tacs, pins and in statues.
A replica of the "Editorial Without Words" stands outside the International Shrine Headquarters building in Tampa.
The statue is a beautiful addition to the local Shrine property, said Nemesis Shrine recorder Mike Thomas.
The fiberglass statue was made in Evansville, Ind.
