After posting the Fishermen’s Memorial with snow flurries video, Facebook friend Susan Rittgers shared that her Grampa, Daniel Edward Cleary, was one of the engravers who carved the lettering at the base of the Leonard Craske statue. From the Bible’s Psalm 107:23, which reads: “They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships 1623-1923.” Daniel Edward’s brother, Timothy, worked in the quarry from where the granite was mined.
Thanks so much to Susan for letting us know that!
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Published by Kimsmithdesigns
Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."
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Good Morning Gloucester 
Psalm 107 is actually a Psalm of praise, and says, in part: 23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men, and were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; 29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
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I remember a Mr. Cleary who carved gravestones. We used to watch him work on Mansfield Street. I didn’t realize he also carved the base of the statue.
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Thanks for sharing that powerparsons!
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Thanks for the information (I always like the why behind the now on this) a wee bit before my time by not Bay view Grandmother’s she was born 1896 and live to almost 107 (106 1/2 got called up to join mom and dad…see what a smile and song will do for you plus the community “The way to a friends house is never far.” 🙂 Dave & Kim 🙂
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Does anyone know who posed for the statue?
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I would love to know as well. In one account I read that for months prior to casting the sculpture, Lenard Craske went out on many boats and sketched many fishermen, in another account, that the statue is modeled after Captain Clayton Morrissey, fisherman and Captain of the Schooner Effie M. Morrissey.
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Thanks, Kim! My grandfather, Fred J. Thompson was a fisherman in the “good old days” – the statue means a great deal to me……The statue looks like a copy of a painting I have ….I understand that my painting is of George Roberts – He looks like he was the model for Gordon’s of Gloucester..
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