Ila is woman's home, Ireland her homeland

Ann L'Amie Davis has struck a chord not only with the piano at Mount Herman Presbyterian Church in Ila, but with the church's congregation as well.

The Ireland native, who has been the church pianist for the past 10 years, also has taken on the role of coordinating the church choir, giving her a chance to work closely with the pastor, the Rev. Teresa Franklin. For more than three decades, Davis has attended this small, red-brick church.

"My involvement with the church is very much a group effort," Davis said. "I am privileged to work with such a talented group of singers."

Davis finds herself especially connected to the Kirking of the Tartan community service, which she helped to introduce and foster. The Kirking of the Tartan is a celebration of the heritage of the church and its connection to the British Isles. The celebration's history dates to the 17th century during the Reformation, and includes Celtic music with bagpipe and harp, Celtic liturgy and the recognition of civic leaders in the community.

Born in 1941 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Davis moved at age 6 to Strabane - situated on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland - after the death of her father, who was president of the Belfast Banking Co.

"Ireland was originally divided in 1922. I could walk across the bridge and literally walk into another country," Davis recalled. "There was a huge amount of smuggling that went on during World War II. We were rationed in the north of Ireland. They didn't have rationing in the Republic of Ireland, although everything was dutiable. You could walk across the river or ride a bicycle, and they (the soldiers) wouldn't bother you. I was certainly guilty of bringing things back" - stockings, butter and more - "without declaring them."

Throughout her life, the church has been hallowed ground for Davis, as after her father's death, she and her mother lived with her grandmother and grandfather, who was minister of Strobane Presbyterian Church for 44 years and a moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland.

After completing her education in Edinburgh, Paris and London, Davis returned to Ireland to work in the textile industry, a trade brought over by the French Huguenots in the late 17th century and which coincidentally forms the origin of her maiden name, L'Amie, which means "friend" in French.

In 1964, she married Jack Davis, an American businessman involved in textiles in Ireland. They wed at Strobane Presbyterian Church, where her grandparents were married and where her son Jon most recently followed suit in the tradition. Davis then moved to Manhattan, N.Y., with her husband to work at his company.

"We had an office on the 76th floor of the Empire State Building," she said. "At that time, we were talking and doing business with every fashion designer up and down 7th Avenue - Calvin Klein was one of them."

In the late 1960s, Davis and her husband purchased property in Ila with family and business interests in mind. Having pioneered the blending of linen with synthetic yarns, he set up a throwing operation in Ila for twisting and rewinding linen blends.

In a move reminiscent of the TV series "Green Acres," Davis and her family relocated in 1973 from the metropolitan glitz and glamour of New York City to the humble hedges of the rural farming community of Ila to watch over their flourishing company. But instead of a comedy of farming woes, they endeared themselves to the community and its quieter lifestyle.

"The people are certainly my most favorite thing about living in Ila," Davis said. "They have always made me feel welcome."

When asked what she misses most about Ireland these days, she playfully replied, "the craic," an Irish t

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