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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. I - Page 167« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Mrs. Marguerite Oswald Resumed)

Mrs. Oswald.
They did not consult me about anything, never have. I want that made clear--because that is the part I cannot understand.
Mr. Rankin.
You don't know whether the laws of Texas give the widow the right to say what shall be done?
Mrs. Oswald.
Well, naturally, she is his wife, and I am just the mother. But from a moral standpoint, what are they doing to me? Law and right--but from a moral standpoint, I should go out to the graveyard and see a marker? I should find out from strangers that my son is now in a concrete vault?
Mr. Rankin.
Well, then, did you go to the funeral?
Mrs. Oswald.
Well, let me get--we will get to the story of the ministers.
Mr. Rankin.
All right.
Mrs. Oswald.
Now, I was not consulted. Had Robert asked me--they are Lutheran, we are raised Lutherans. I have no church affiliation. I have learned since my trouble that my heart is my church. I am not talking against the church. But I go to church all day long, I meditate. And my work requires that I don't go to church. I am working on Sunday most of the time, taking care of the sick, and the people that go to church, that I work for, the families, have never once said, "Well, I will stay home and take care of my mother and let you go to church, Mrs. Oswald, today."
You see, I am expected to work on Sunday.
So that is why--I have my own church. And sometimes I think it is better than a wooden structure. Because these same people that expect me to work on Sunday, while they go to church, and go to church on Wednesday night--I don't consider them as good a Christian as I am--I am sorry.
Well--I would not have let Robert be so upset trying to wet a Lutheran minister. If he could not get a Lutheran minister, I would have called upon another minister, because there would have been many, many ministers of many denominations that would have been happy to come and help the sorrowing family.
Well, a Reverend French from Dallas came out to Six Flags and we sat on the sofa.
Reverend French was in the center, I and Robert on the side. And Robert was crying bitterly and talking to Reverend French and trying to get him to let Lee's body go to church. And he was quoting why he could not.
So then I intervened and said, "Well, if Lee is a lost sheep, and that is why you don't want him to go to church, he is the one that should go into church. The good people do not need to go to church. Let's say he is called a murderer. It is the murderers and all we should be concerned about".
And that agent--I am going ahead of my story a little bit--that man right here--
Mr. Rankin.
You are pointing to----
Mrs. Oswald.
This agent right here. You may pass the picture around.
Mr. Rankin.
The figure on the left hand of the picture you have just produced?
Mrs. Oswald.
Yes, sir. I do not know his name. The man had the decency to stay at the far end of the room, near the entrance door, while the minister and myself and Robert were sitting on the sofa. And when I said to the minister about the lost sheep, this agent, who I will have a much longer story to talk about, left the group and came and sat on the other sofa--there were two sofas and a cocktail table and he said, "Mrs. Oswald, be quiet. You are making matters worse."
Now, the nerve of him--to leave the group and to come there and scold me.
This Mr. French, Reverend French, agreed that we would have chapel services, that he could not take the body into the church. And we compromised for chapel services.
However, when we arrived at the graveyard, we went to the chapel. There is the body being brought into the chapel. There is another picture. Here is another picture of the chapel.
Mr. Rankin.
Before we go on----
Mrs. Oswald.
And the chapel was empty. My son's body had been brought into the chapel, but Reverend French did not show up. And because there was a time for the funeral, the Star Telegram reporters and the police,
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