Mary Saint
on the hill
R emembering P arishion
A Beloved Example of L
Laura Cameron’s long, beautiful life of service to our parish is an inspiration to all of us.
T
his past December, we said goodbye to Laura Cameron, longtime parishioner and active member of St. Mary on the Hill, at the incredible age of 105 years old. “Mama was an incredible woman,” says Anita Wylds, Laura’s daughter. Laura first moved to Augusta to begin a new job at the Veterans
Administration Hospital in 1946. Delighted to find there was a Catholic Church so close by, she soon became a parishioner at St. Mary on the Hill. Noticing there was no music at Sunday Mass and with Christmas around the corner, Laura approached the parish priest at the time, noting the need for music at Christmas. He told her they had no
organist, to which she replied that although she was not an organist, she could play. Laura became St. Mary’s first organist and organized a double quartet along with a violinist —just in time for Christmas Mass. This event led to the establishment of a choir and her becoming its first director. This choir also sang for Masses offered at Oliver General Hospital and Laura also stepped in as a substitute organist when needed for churches and chapels in town. And so began Laura’s 75 years of dedication to our parish community. She would spend Saturday mornings volunteering in the parish office — all of this while raising her children, working full-time, and volunteering in many areas. “I remember as a little girl going to St. Mary’s, and all three of us would go with Mama,” Anita says. Over the decades, Laura was an active member in our community through music, the Sacristan Ministry, wedding coordination, hospice volunteering, parish administration, and so much more. The common thread for all of her continued on page 5
“My mom was just always a part of church life. She always attended Mass. She led by example. She was just always involved. That to me was the reason why I practice the faith I do today.” — Anita Wylds
44
