Sanders, a retirement community in Gloucester Court House, and Gloucester Rotary Club have teamed up to establish a memorial garden for lifelong Gloucester residents Robert “Bob” Marble and James Ellis Hall, who lived to 95 and 104, respectively.
Barbara Weldon, Sanders Marketing Director, was originally seeking to establish a memorial garden on the Sanders campus. After teaming up with the Gloucester Rotary Club, the two organizations decided to do something a bit bigger.
The memorial is now going to be in front of Edge Hill Shopping Center on Main Street in full public view to celebrate these two founding members of the Rotary club.
“Mr. Hall loved sitting outside,” said Weldon.
Nathan Eichenlaub of Ike’s Landscape and Pest Management designed the garden and donated that design to Sanders and the Rotarians.
Gloucester High School Construction Tech teacher Tim Extine and his students built planters for the memorial garden. The materials were provided by the Rotary Club. Brent & Becky’s Bulbs has donated bulbs for the planners.
“This is truly a community project,” said Rotarian Henry Moncure.
“It literally takes a village,” said Weldon.
The project broke ground on Sept. 7 with 10 volunteers, both Rotarians and non-members, working together to prepare the area. They leveled the ground and put rocks in. The pavers will be next to install.
Three colorful benches are also to come, one of which will have a back.
“Ellis was colorful,” said Weldon.
“It will be finished this fall,”” said Gloucester Rotary president Nancy Dykeman about the garden.
Marble served in World War II as a combat infantryman. In his career, Marble was a journalist with the Daily Press and an assistant editor at the Gazette-Journal. In the Gloucester community, Marble served with the Long Bridge Ordinary Foundation, Gloucester Library Endowment Foundation, the Gloucester County Electoral Board, the Sanders Foundation Fund, Francis N. Sanders Nursing Home, Inc. and Sanders Commons, Ltd.
Hall served in the Army beginning in 1943 and was honorably discharged shortly after the conclusion of World War II. After his military service, he became a part of the General Electric appliance retailing business and managed Broaddus and Hall, Inc. until he sold the business in 2006. He also developed Edgehill Shopping Center. Hall was an active member of Newington Baptist Church and taught Sunday school until the age of 100. He was also active with the prison ministry at Gloucester County Jail.
“I’m so excited that we’re this close,” said Weldon about the project nearing completion.