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ART AND LIGHT Family finds glimpses of the past in Medford mausoleum glass Ancestors to noted Povey stained glass studio take a Rogue Valley tour Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News As the final resting place of Harry and David Holmes and its extensive use of Alaskan marble from a quarry no longer in operation, the 1925-built mausoleum at Medford's Eastwood Cemetery has notable reasons for its historical significance. What drew 86-year-old Jacqueline Lung of Portland to the building bright and early on a Monday morning, however, was an image of Christ appearing before Mary Magdelene glowing in the morning sun — an opalescent image composed by her grandfather and great uncle a century ago. Where some see mere colors and craftsmanship in the panes, Lung, as the granddaughter of artist David Povey of Portland's Povey Brothers glass studio, sees more. "To get that dark red, you had to mix it with gold," Lung said, pointing at the roses in the bushes on the image and also to portions of Christ's face that had been hand-painted and etched onto the glass by her grandfather. Joined by her daughters Mary Rardin, Julie Sorenson and son-in-law David Sorenson, all of Portland, the visit is part of a summer-long series of trips across the Northwest to admire her ancestors' handiwork. The Lung family lived in Medford from 1966 to 1976, and Julie and Mary attended Medford High School. The mausoleum tour in the historical cemetery, accommodated by Bev Power with the city of Medford parks department, was the last stop on a stained glass tour throughout the Rogue Valley. "Mom is 86, and it's been on her wish list to see these places for some time," Julie Sorenson said. Julie Sorenson pointed to photos on her iPhone with recently snapped stained glass pictures captured at the First United Methodist Church in Medford, First Presbyterian Church of Medford, the mausoleum at Mountain View Cemetery in Ashland and the First United Methodist Church in Ashland. Researching ahead of the visit can be a somewhat of a challenge. Links and Web pages online list places with Povey stained glass, and the firm has a Wikipedia entry listing numerous locations of the firm's work, but no one place has a comprehensive list. As an example, Julie Sorenson noted that the Medford First United Methodist Church wasn't listed. "We'll have to add that one to the list," she said. "The Internet's great." During the Medford tour, the family was particularly struck to see different colors from a similar pattern between the mausoleums in Ashland and Medford. The Ashland mausoleum was built in 1924, and the International Order of the Odd Fellows built the Medford mausoleum a year later, and worked from a similar template. "It's the exact same image," Julie Sorenson said. "They're the same, but different." The studio, active from 1888 to 1928, was founded by Povey, glass cutter John Povey and George Povey, who handled the studio's business affairs. "Their glass came from Europe — they were called the 'Tiffany of the West Coast,' " Julie Sorenson said. Notable places featuring Povey Brothers works include the state seal in a skylight at the Oregon State Supreme Court building in Salem, windows that have since been dispersed to various University of Oregon buildings, dozens of churches primarily in Oregon and Washington, and large homes in the Portland area. As much interest as the family takes in exploring this tangible piece of their roots, both Lung and Julie Sorenson lamented that they didn't share their elders' enthusiasm for stained glass and historic properties in their youth. "When you're young, you don't think about it that much," Lung said. For Lung, the daughter of David Povey's daughter Elizabeth Kurtz, her enthusiasm came later as she spent more time with her aunt, Portland architect Polly Povey Thompson. "She was always going to write the book," Lung said. After Thompson's death in 1994, the family lamented that some of her notes and research was never recovered. With the completion of their Southern Oregon tour, the family is making arrangements with Eugene-area churches and University of Oregon staff for a trip in Eugene planned in a couple weeks. "We can continue doing this all winter," Julie Sorenson said. Reach newsroom assistant Nick Morgan at 541-776-4477 or [email protected]. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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