Anyone who has ever found themselves in the Roaring River State Park administrative office has very likely met Elise Buchman and very likely remembered the encounter.
In her trademark hat, scarf and boots, Buchman has been a staple of the office for more than a decade as the administrative assistant to the park superintendent or natural resources manager.
A brief and merciful illness took her life unexpectedly on June 4, and the world has been left a bit emptier without her laughter and her joy.
Joy is the best word to describe Elise as I knew her. Working with her for information about the park, or just seeing her while visiting the park myself, Elise was one of those people who always left a smile on your face.
She had an infectious enthusiasm for the park, of course, but even more-so for engaging people and making them happy.
About 25 people gathered on Sunday at the southeast end of the park, one of Elise’s favorite areas to fish with her father, I’m told.
The vigil in her honor included testimonials from nearly half the individuals present, touching on every aspect of her life, the details of which I had no idea.
Elise was incredibly accomplished well before she moved to the Roaring River area in 2010. A Doane College (Neb.) graduate who was an Army brat and graduated in Lincoln, Neb., Elise was involved in numerous extracurriculars and was even elected homecoming queen her senior year.
Her love of theatre led her early life, as she performed in a clown alley before getting the opportunity to study mime at the Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris Marcel Marceau in Paris.
During her time in France, she learned the language; took on fencing, earning a Master’s in theatrical fencing from the Universitat de Barcelona; and became the first American woman to complete the three-year mime program.
I wonder how many conversations she held in French at the park over the years?
Her accomplishments after that included stints in Spain, at Oxford, in New York City and, eventually, Barry County.
I’m not sure the area realized what a gift we got when she arrived at her family’s vacation home to help her father care for her ailing mother. The Holiday Island, Ark., area reaped the theatre experience benefit, as Elise directed and acted in many plays there.
One individual who spoke at the vigil said as big of a deal as Elise was to us here at the park, she was an even bigger deal in the Holiday Island theatre scene.
Most who spoke of Elise noted how genuine and happy she was, and how much she loved others. From giving out Minion-themed Valentines to all her coworkers every year to housing another colleague’s dogs that had got loose and run the river between their houses, Elise’s heart for people and pets was as big as they come.
As more people spoke at the vigil, they all agreed Elise would have thought the gathering was “way cool.” After testimonials, candles were lit, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” was played, a moment of silence was observed, and finally, individuals were given flower heads to toss down into the waters of Roaring River.
A sign of Elise’s presence stood stark about 100 yards down the river — two bald eagles perched on leafless limbs of Mark Twain trees.
The birds’ presence was out of season, and the fact they stayed perched for more than an hour was a comfort to many in attendance.
I’ve been to many vigils in my years as a journalist, most of which were spurred by even more difficult circumstances.
While the loss of Elise was sudden, the impact she has left is everlasting. Coming together to remember her and share in those memories is an essential part of the grieving process. It seems incorrect to say you enjoyed a vigil, but I think most everyone left Sunday with a greater piece in their hearts.
Here’s to Elise Buchman: I hope she’s miming fly fishing in the sky with an Epee — catching happiness.
Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014. In 2017, he was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers, and in 2022, he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.
