Mercy remembers Dosstter with music

Tribune photo/Rayma Silvers First Church of the Nazarene pianist Jennie Wood plays while Mercy Auxiliary volunteer Mary Hewitt and Mercy Activities Director Judy Davis sing at a Spring Singsperation on Thursday in the Day Room of the Rehab Centre at Mercy Health Center, 401 Woodland Hills Blvd. The singsperation was conducted to celebrate the addition of a piano donated by the Sisters of Mercy and placed in the Day Room by the Mercy Health Center Auxiliary as a memorial to long time auxiliary volunteer Earl Dosstter.

Mercy Health Center celebrated the arrival of a donated piano on Thursday at the Mercy Day Room in the Mercy Rehab Centre.

According to Mercy Health Center Auxiliary President Nancy Patterson, the piano was placed in the day room in memory of Mercy Auxiliary volunteer Earl Dosstter because of his many years of volunteer service to the hospital. Patterson displayed a memorial plaque on the piano in Dosstter's honor.

The plaque reads, "With grateful appreciation to the Sisters of Mercy, this piano is placed in Mercy Health Center by the Auxiliary in memory of Earl Dosstter -- Feb. 8, 1926 - Aug. 24, 2007. During his years of association with Mercy Auxiliary, Earl accumulated over 11,000 hours of volunteer service."

Mercy Health Center Activities Coordinator Judy Davis organized a Spring Singsperation to welcome the piano to the hospital. Davis contacted several area piano players to perform for those gathered at the event. Some of the performers entertained the crowd in song, while others played musical pieces of various styles. Local pianist Rick Singmaster kicked off the celebration with several musical numbers. Grace Baptist Tabernacle choir director Allen Pruitt sang several numbers for the crowd, while he accompanied himself on the piano. Jennie Wood from the First Church of the Nazarene entertained those gathered with several religious songs in addition to a couple of seasonal songs such as "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." First Assembly of God pianist Linda Russell played several hymns and was asked to play one hymn a second time so that those gathered could sing along. First Church of the Nazarene pianist Caroline Tucker played and sang several religious songs for those present, and Community Christian Church pianist Donna Douglas wrapped up the singsperation with several musical numbers. During the piano dedication event honoring Dosstter, Davis and several other guests periodically assembled around the piano and sang when one of the performers began to play a familiar tune.

Although the piano has a long history with the Sisters of Mercy, it was not housed at the current hospital until Jan. 31, according to Sister Concetta Cardinale.

"This piano came from the music room of the Mercy Convent located at 810 Burke Street, Fort Scott Kansas. When the Sisters relocated and the convent closed in 2004, the piano was moved to 903 Burke, waiting a permanent location within the Mercy Health Center," Cardinale said. "On Jan. 31, 2008, the piano was transported to the Mercy Rehabcenter Dining Room for the potential to provide the healing power of music."

Cardinale said the piano was originally owned by the niece of Sister Mary Xavier Landers, who was instrumental in the planning and building of Mercy Health Center's forerunner, Mercy Hospital, once located at 821 Burke Street. Landers had served as the administrator of the original Burke Street hospital from 1947 to 1953 and also served as the administrator of its replacement, Mercy Hospital, from 1956 until 1960.