GARY | Florence LaDuke's entire adult life was dedicated to education, a commitment that will continue on in death.
When LaDuke died last year at the age of 93, it was her request that her body be donated to science. Her body has been given to the Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest, in Gary, to be studied by the school's gross anatomy students.
LaDuke and five other donors were honored in a memorial service held for them in the school's gross anatomy lab at noon on Friday.
Students and faculty were joined by members of the donors' families for a service organized by the students and officiated over by the Rev. James Wetzstein, Valparaiso University's associate pastor, and Dr. Ernest Talarico, Jr., IU School of Medicine-Northwest course director for human gross anatomy.
It was the ninth annual Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance of Donors held by the school.
What made Friday's service unique was its military flair.
During the service, first-year medical student Janushi Dalal, of Munster, described the experience of learning anatomy from her donor as being profoundly life-affirming. Her donor was Dr. Philip Countryman, a U.S. Army veteran who was also a physician and an IU School of Medicine graduate and professor.
Because Countryman had no family in attendance at the service, Dalal accepted the folded American flag from IU Northwest ROTC cadets following the military ceremony conducted in Countryman's honor.
"It makes you realize how full the circle life really is," Dalal said following the service. "You really feel a sense of connection with your donor. When you think of all the people that he taught in his life, and now here he is, and he is still teaching."
Prior to the memorial service, student Derrick Holeman, of Hammond, got to know more about LaDuke from her daughter, Helen Miller, and granddaughter, Tina Loudermillk, both from Richmond, Ind.
He learned about LaDuke's long career as a kindergarten teacher in Michigan City before relocating to Richmond. Her family was able to give a glimpse of a life to go along with the body that Holeman and his classmates study.
"This helps us out a lot more then just seeing them as a body," said Holeman, about the ability of the memorial service to humanize the cadavers they work with.
"You are really getting a personal experience here. To give your body is a really personal gift and you want the family to be able to come in and give you background on who this person was that would give such a personal gift," Holeman said.
