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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Thompson Art Glass

City: Trenton

Window Shape: 6 (gothic arched, more than 2 vertical sections)

Date of Window: 1992

Subject/Title of Window: Mans Memorial Window

Brief Description of Subject: The windows were given as a memorial to Nicholas F. Mans and Adeline O’Brien Mans by the Mans family and through memorial gifts of their friends.

Nicholas F. Mans was born April 25, 1904, and died October 31, 1991. He was the first of four sons of Nicholas A. Mans and Ella Mans. He was a graduate of Trenton High School and was an officer in the family business, N. A. Mans & Sons Lumber Company for fifty years a life long resident of Trenton. A member of St. Thomas all his life, he served on the vestry for a number of years. He was a charter member of the Trenton Exchange Club and other civic organizations in Trenton.

The windows compliment the center glass window and use the same colors which give the area a very beautiful and colorful radiance. The glass is handblown and for that reason you will notice the variations of shade in each window.

The several symbols in the windows are:
The Alpha, and the Omega, are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (the beginning and the end) and are used in the Christian Church to symbolize God’s eternity and divine infinitude. The Alpha is pictured in the upper part of the left hand window and the Omega in the upper part of the right hand window.

The Tree depicts the “Tree of Life” and its foliage represents the grandchildren of Nick and Addy. The logging scene is symbolic of the lumber industry, a business with which Nick was associated all his life.

The lantern symbolizes light, the light of the world, a light unto your feet as we make our way through life. The window with the road in it represents our earthly pilgrimage, the road of life. The book represents the Bible, the book of life, and also symbolizes Addy’s profession as a teacher.

The Shelf symbolizing baptism is seen in the lower right hand side. Baptism is the sacrament enabling us to become members of Christ’s Body (the church) and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Wheat and Grapes (Bread and Wine) are seen in the lower left hand side and they symbolize the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus in the Sacrament of Communion: “Do this in remembrance of me.”

The Blue Flowing Line sweeping down from the top across the lower middle symbolizes the river. It represents (1) the Detroit river on which Trenton is located, and (2) it represents the River of Life; our spiritual pilgrimage from birth to death begun with Baptism and nourished by the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

The Duck, in the upper left, is a natural inhabitant of our river - a part of nature’s scene in our area. John Mans was an avid sportsman and the duck represents John’s love of hunting, nature and the outdoors.

The Fish, in the upper right, is a natural inhabitant of our river, too - a part of nature in our area. The fish and the duck depicts nature’s scene around Trenton. The fish also represents an early symbol of Christianity.

The Cross, which is the main symbol of Christianity, is place in the center of the window. The four ends of the Cross terminate in trefoils, symbolic of the Trinity and the four Gospels.

Predominant colors of blue and red were used in the window which give the area a very beautiful and colorful radianc.e

Adeline O’Brien Mans was born in Wyandotte on June 2, 1907 and died September 23, 1985. She was a graduate of Wyandotte High School where she was the valedictorian of her class. She graduated from the University of Michigan and taught high school English at Wyandotte’s Roosevelt High School for a number of years before marrying Nicholas Mans n 1933.

We are grateful for the generous gift of these beautiful windows made possible by the Mans family and the many friends of John Mans, Nicholas F. Mans and Addie Mans.

“Even on a dark day, the light that flows through these beautiful windows will radiate the warmth and love that will always be John Mans, Nick Mans and Addie Mans.” -- a friend

Inscriptions: Nicholas Frederick Mans 1904-1991
A memorial window given by his family and his many friends to the glory of God.


Condition of Window: Good

Height: 132"

Width: 37"

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

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