Leading up to St. Paul’s 150th anniversary, let’s take a look at some of the former church members. Looking around the church, there are many plaques that name former members of the congregation memorialized by their gifts to the glory of God and in remembrance of loved ones.
The stained glass window on the left side of the church is devoted to two boys, Seth and John Boyd. The memorial is particularly poignant because the boys died when they were only seventeen and sixteen years old. The window depicts a purple Mt. Tamalpais and the San Rafael rose. (There is a San Rafael rose in St. Paul’s garden)
The boys were the sons of John F. And Louise Boyd. The Boyds became members of St. Paul’s Church in 1882. The two boys were confirmed at St. Paul’s and then their funeral was held at the church as well. They are buried at Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery in the Boyd mausoleum.
The Boyds were a prominent family in San Rafael residing on the estate known as Maple Lawn now the Elk’s club. After the death of the two boys, the family was in deep mourning. As a memorial, they donated a portion of their estate including the Gate House to the city of San Rafael in 1905. Their donation is still called Boyd Memorial Park just up the street from St. Paul’s Church.
The two boys died as a result of rheumatic fever, a disease that affects the heart. Rheumatic fever is now cured by antibiotics.
The Boyd’s remaining child, daughter Louise became the only heir to the Boyd fortune. She was very adventurous and ahead of her time. In the 1920s and 30s she became an Arctic explorer, funding seven scientific expeditions to the Greenland area. When Louise died in 1972, her funeral was held at St. Paul’s.
~Joy Moss
Photo Courtesy of Marin History Museum / From left: Louise, Mrs. Boyd, Seth and John