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“You are my Twelfth Rose”

By Nichole Meloche

In the summer of 1970, Dave Weaver’s sister-in-law convinced him to go on a blind date. On this date, he was introduced to his future wife Cindy Weaver.

23-year-old Cindy Weaver was working as a Spanish teacher at a high school in Southern Indiana when she met Dave. When Dave accepted a job offer at the Plainfield Correctional Facility, Cindy took a job at Plainfield High School. She served as the Spanish department head for almost 20 years until her retirement.

Five years into their marriage, Dave wanted to surprise Cindy with a bouquet of roses. Cindy was so delighted with the bouquet that she didn’t even notice there were only 11 roses. After it was pointed out, Cindy asked why there were only 11? Dave told her to hold them up next to her face in the mirror.

Cindy and Dave Weaver. (Photo provided by Dave Weaver)

“The 12th rose is looking back at you,” Dave told his wife. “You completed my life when you agreed to marry me. You are my 12th rose.”

They spent 31 years and 3 months together before Dave had to say goodbye to his beloved wife. In September of 2004, Cindy Weaver passed away.

Determined to keep Cindy’s memory alive, Dave set out to memorialize her dedication to the Spanish language. In 2005, he set up a scholarship fund in honor of Cindy’s name.  He decided that he wanted to award the scholarships at a golf outing. Dave named it the Rose Golf Outing in honor of his Rose.

A stone outside Dave Weaver’s memorial garden.

In the first few years of the golf outing, most of the participants were Plainfield teachers that worked with Cindy. Over time, more of the Weaver’s family and friends joined in. Many members of the Plainfield United Methodist Church, where Dave has been a member for 50 years, have joined in.

In the first year, the scholarship committee chose a $1,000 winner. After 2006, they chose two scholarship winners. This year is the first year that the scholarship fund will award three scholarships of $2,500.

To be eligible for the scholarship, each student must have taken Spanish courses while in school and plan to study Spanish while in college. Currently, the scholarship is only open to students of Plainfield High School.  This year’s winners include Plainfield students Kate Partlow, Ashley Coffey and Natalie Restivo.

Dave’s twelfth rose, Cindy.

Kate Partlow will be attending the University of Indianapolis to study Exercise Science with a minor in Spanish.  Ashley Coffey will be attending Indiana Wesleyan University to major in Nursing and minor in Spanish. Natalie Restivo will be attending University of Southern Indiana and she will major in Nursing and minor in Spanish.

Each year, Dave presents each scholarship winner with a bouquet of 11 roses.

“My message to the recipients each year is that at some point in their lives, they will be someone’s 12th rose,” says Dave. “They will complete someone. They will be the person that completes someone else’s life.”

Dave Weaver stands in front of his 1/3 acre memorial garden.

Corporate sponsorships of $250 are available for local businesses that would like to support the scholarship fund. Pittsburgh Paint and Glass will be providing lunch at this year’s outing. Stoops Buick GMC and Dreyer and Reinbold BMW dealerships are also corporate sponsors.

This year’s golf outing will take place on Monday, June 5 at 1 p.m. The event will be hosted at the Twin Bridges Golf Course at 1001 Cartersburg Road in Danville.

Registration for players starts at 11:30 a.m. Registration is $60 per player in groups of four. Each group will receive a golf cart for the day and a boxed lunch.

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