Menagerie’s safety more than a pet project
Staff writer
One of the unique yards in Marion lies in the 400 block of N. Roosevelt St., the home of Dawnell Funk and her family.
Hand-painted signs on the stoop bear puns such as “Bee Happy” and “Bee Humble.”
Two “Cat Crossing” signs have been erected at the curb. A wooden produce stand lies at the base of a large pear tree.
The stand is stocked mainly with yellow pears, though at this time of year, more fruit lies on the ground beneath the tree than in the stand.
“It over-produces,” Funk explained.
Pears go for $5 a box. Chicken and duck eggs and baked goods also are sold.
“My little stand, honestly, is my favorite,” Funk said. “I have a lot of people that like to come and get my pears and stuff.”
Funk is an animal lover. Her four cats often can be seen in the yard, pawing at leaves or basking in the sun.
In addition to cats, ducks, and chickens, her family has two dogs and a pet spider that recently died.
Funk put up the “Cat Crossing” signs two weeks ago along Roosevelt St. after two of her cats, Onyx and Simba, were struck and killed by drivers.
“We were doing church, and we looked out the window, and there he was lying,” Funk said of Simba. “I had just petted him not 30 minutes before that. The [drivers] just go very fast, and you could just tell it was intentional.”
She hopes her signs will protect her cats in the future.
“I’ve read in Peabody, there’s been a lady — her cat’s been shot twice,” Funk said. “People just don’t like cats. They think they’re rodents, unfortunately.”
On a happier note, Funk is excited for Christmas time, where she plans to add more decoration to her front yard.
“My mom, it was very important to her,” Funk said of decorating for Christmas. “I like to keep that tradition going.”