Renn Bench & Bath
Location: Area FF/Lot
Date of Placement: 2024
Decedents: Still Living (Note: An infant (Malachi Mil Renn) is buried in the plot)
Monument inducted into the Hall in September 2025 (Class #5)
Location: Area FF/Lot
Date of Placement: 2024
Decedents: Still Living (Note: An infant (Malachi Mil Renn) is buried in the plot)
Monument inducted into the Hall in September 2025 (Class #5)
This modern monument features a granite bench as a central family plot marker with the invitation, "Come sit with with us for a while." To the left of the bench is an adjoining granite bird bath with the pedastal base having the names of the lot holders (John W. and Kathy A. Renn). While there exists other examples in the cemetery of a bench used as a decedent memorial, the addition of a matching birdbath makes this memorial unique.
A family member of the lot holders died as an infant in 2021. The following iformation was obtained from his memorial page on FindaGrave.com:
"Malachi Mil Renn, the son of Josephine Faith Renn and Adrián Mil Martínez, was born on August 3rd, 2021 and passed away on August 5th, 2021. His life was short, but he was surrounded by people who loved him. His mother, father, and maternal grandparents were with him until the very end, and he died in his mother's loving arms. His family knows now that he is an angel watching over them, and his impact will forever change the course of their lives. Malachi is also survived by his maternal grandparents, John and Rebecca Renn, his paternal grandparents, Catalino Mil Azamar and Irene Martinez Fiscal, and his uncles Jacob Renn, Marcelino Mil Martinez, and Luis Fernando Mil Martinez. Malachi also has several great-grandparents and cousins to remember him as well."
A family member of the lot holders died as an infant in 2021. The following iformation was obtained from his memorial page on FindaGrave.com:
"Malachi Mil Renn, the son of Josephine Faith Renn and Adrián Mil Martínez, was born on August 3rd, 2021 and passed away on August 5th, 2021. His life was short, but he was surrounded by people who loved him. His mother, father, and maternal grandparents were with him until the very end, and he died in his mother's loving arms. His family knows now that he is an angel watching over them, and his impact will forever change the course of their lives. Malachi is also survived by his maternal grandparents, John and Rebecca Renn, his paternal grandparents, Catalino Mil Azamar and Irene Martinez Fiscal, and his uncles Jacob Renn, Marcelino Mil Martinez, and Luis Fernando Mil Martinez. Malachi also has several great-grandparents and cousins to remember him as well."
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In a cemetery, a birdbath symbolizes the free flight of the soul into the afterlife and eternal life. The water represents the renewal of life, offering a place of peaceful reflection that actively invites living nature into the memorial space. Beyond the general imagery, the elements of a birdbath carry specific meanings:
Birds: Many birds symbolize the freedom of the spirit and the "winged soul". Doves specifically represent peace and the Holy Spirit, while a hovering or ascending bird signifies the soul's journey heavenward.
Water: Water is an ancient symbol of purification, the cycle of life, and rebirth.
Living Memorial: Unlike static headstones, birdbaths require ongoing small acts of care, such as refreshing the water. This gives loved ones a comforting reason to visit and fosters a space that nurtures life.
One of the most famous instances of a birdbath in a cemetery comes from Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia which gained great notoriety as the "Bird Girl" monument and used for the cover of John Berendt's best selling novel "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."
Birds: Many birds symbolize the freedom of the spirit and the "winged soul". Doves specifically represent peace and the Holy Spirit, while a hovering or ascending bird signifies the soul's journey heavenward.
Water: Water is an ancient symbol of purification, the cycle of life, and rebirth.
Living Memorial: Unlike static headstones, birdbaths require ongoing small acts of care, such as refreshing the water. This gives loved ones a comforting reason to visit and fosters a space that nurtures life.
One of the most famous instances of a birdbath in a cemetery comes from Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia which gained great notoriety as the "Bird Girl" monument and used for the cover of John Berendt's best selling novel "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."
Book cover featuring "The Bird Girl" Monument
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Main Gate of Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah
"The Bird Girl" monument can be seen today in the Telfair Academy in Savannah
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Kat Kiernan in her blog entitled "Don't Take Pictures" gives quite a history lesson of this incredible memorial in her edition of June 29, 2018:
“Looking at these old graves makes me think how generation after generation of the same family are all gathered together. And that makes me think about how life goes on.” John Berendt penned these words in his 1994 non-fiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Although the initial print run was a moderate 25,000 copies, the book became a hit, setting records on the New York Times Bestseller list. Today, over 2.5 million copies are in print, and the book has been published in 24 countries. While the book is a commercial success, so too is the iconic photograph that graces the cover of every edition. Photographed by Jack Leigh, “Bird Girl” depicts a graveyard statue of a young girl holding a bowl in each upturned hand. The statue stands against a backdrop of Spanish moss dripping from live oak trees—creating an eeriness befitting a story about murder and southern gentry.
The Bird Girl statue stood quietly in a Savannah cemetery for decades, largely unnoticed, until Leigh’s photograph catapulted it—and himself to fame. But what of the statue itself? Created in 1936 by Sylvia Shaw Judson in Lake Forest, Illinois, the 50-inch-high bronze piece was commissioned by a Massachusetts family as a bird feeder for their garden. While attending a recital at the neighborhood dance studio, Eli Bates settlement house, Judson noticed 8-year-old Lorraine Greenman and asked her to model for the piece. For many years, no one knew the identity of the bird girl. Greenman left Lake Forrest to attend college, moved to a Chicago suburb, and married a dentist, changing her last name to Ganz. Now 90 years old, she once contacted the publisher to inform them of her connection to the book but they were not interested in her story."
Note: Lorraine Ganz died in January, 2026.
“Looking at these old graves makes me think how generation after generation of the same family are all gathered together. And that makes me think about how life goes on.” John Berendt penned these words in his 1994 non-fiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Although the initial print run was a moderate 25,000 copies, the book became a hit, setting records on the New York Times Bestseller list. Today, over 2.5 million copies are in print, and the book has been published in 24 countries. While the book is a commercial success, so too is the iconic photograph that graces the cover of every edition. Photographed by Jack Leigh, “Bird Girl” depicts a graveyard statue of a young girl holding a bowl in each upturned hand. The statue stands against a backdrop of Spanish moss dripping from live oak trees—creating an eeriness befitting a story about murder and southern gentry.
The Bird Girl statue stood quietly in a Savannah cemetery for decades, largely unnoticed, until Leigh’s photograph catapulted it—and himself to fame. But what of the statue itself? Created in 1936 by Sylvia Shaw Judson in Lake Forest, Illinois, the 50-inch-high bronze piece was commissioned by a Massachusetts family as a bird feeder for their garden. While attending a recital at the neighborhood dance studio, Eli Bates settlement house, Judson noticed 8-year-old Lorraine Greenman and asked her to model for the piece. For many years, no one knew the identity of the bird girl. Greenman left Lake Forrest to attend college, moved to a Chicago suburb, and married a dentist, changing her last name to Ganz. Now 90 years old, she once contacted the publisher to inform them of her connection to the book but they were not interested in her story."
Note: Lorraine Ganz died in January, 2026.
