w e N ^ Extending the Mission Spring 2012 of Mount Saint Joseph Academy and College into the 21st Century Volume 8, No. 1
www.ursulinesmsj.org alumnae.msj@maplemount.org
MSJ Alumnae Cherish Memorable Teachers
M
ount Saint Joseph Academy classrooms have been empty and silent for many years, but the voices of beloved teachers continue to ring in the hearts of former students. Alumnae speak of wise, strong women with gentle ways who were patient yet straightforward and challenging. Frances Marie Goetz Gaddis A65 remembers Benita Riney who taught English - “that is where I learned to enjoy reading and writing short stories.” Mary Anne Kevil A58 confides, “Although I hated algebra, I loved Sister Charles Emaline. Although I didn’t much care for dissecting frogs, I enjoyed Sister Angeline’s biology classes and her unique sense of humor. I thoroughly enjoyed and learned lots of ‘common sense’ religious theology from Monsignor Gilbert Henninger on those Friday mornings when he taught our senior religion classes.” Rebecca Collins Morris A71 singles out Sister Agnese – “my
LEFT: Sister Charles Emaline Clements (Aug 12,1903 - April 21, 1970) sits in a classroom. CENTER: Sister Theresa Marie Wilkerson (May 16, 1920 - July 27, 2009). RIGHT: Sister Mary Agnese Coomes (Mar 29, 1903 - July 06, 1990).
math teacher all four years. She always challenged me. As a senior she’d tell us she ‘just knew we couldn’t get the answer’ to a certain problem. This made us more determined.” Dawn Gifford Byrne A83 tells us, “Being a non-Catholic in an all-Catholic school I never really felt out of place and I owe it to (former) Sister Mary Danhauer to convince me to go on a Y.E.S. retreat and begin to understand Christ’s love for me. I have such great memories!” Kathleen Welz McNeary A67 describes Sister Charles Asa Williams as a “great principal … who always listened as Mount Saint Joseph lightened up the rules with changing times.” Elizabeth Whitlock Schwan A79 wrote, “I adored Sister Theresa Marie. She took a special interest in me and was always straightforward and patient. And I certainly tested her patience! She was a terrific role model with
INSIDE: Anniversary Classes on Page 3 Alumnae Weekend 2012 Schedule on Page 4 See you May 19-20 at alumnae weekend! New Mount Spring 2012.indd 1
regards to the respect that she gave to her students.” Mary (M.E.) Hunter A71 chose Sisters Mary Jude Cecil and Sister Rosemary Keough. She said, “Both just made sense.” Tina Weber Smith A74 speaks of Sister Agnese with awe. “I was scared to death of that woman until I took geometry. She always looked so mean, but was very kind. She always had a mischievous twinkle in her eyes when smiling.” Carolyn Sue Cecil A73 agrees. “Math was simply not my forte. But Sister Agnese made it doable. She had a fabulous sense of humor – a green thumb with all those ferns – could whip out a batch of fudge that you would die for – and a great teacher.” Ann Jenkins Caspar A62 said, “I think I loved all my sister friends, but I appreciated Sister Charles Emaline for being a patient math teacher as well as a woman who could laugh at herself and with others!” Susan Gray Schwerdtfeger A62 fondly remembers many of her teachers. “Sister Mary Boniface was a welcome port for me ‘in any storm.’ Many an afternoon, I hung out in the student shop just to be near her.” And then there was Continued on page 6
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