Friends and family of Marie Lailer gathered on the front lawn of the Town Hall recently for the dedication of a newly planted tree (donated by the Historical Commission and Friends of the Park) and memorial bench (donated by the Lailer family) in honor of longtime Historical Commission Chair Marie Lailer who passed away suddenly in December 2022. The event was hosted by the Whitman Historical Commission.
Marie began her service on the Historical Commission as an Associate Member in 2010. She became a fulltime member the following year and Chair in 2013. She served in that capacity until her untimely death in 2022. Among Marie’s many achievements was shepherding the 2015 Local Inventories and Surveys of Historic Properties for the town of Whitman which was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Her other major pursuit was assisting the Whitman Historical Society to find a permanent home for the Whitman Museum so all could enjoy the rich history that Whitman has to offer.
The Historical Commission hopes that the bench and tree serve to remind people as they pass by of Marie’s dedication to Whitman and her passion for the abundant history which it holds.