Sr Gregory Mannheim

Today I'm going to feature some photos of my Grandma Hon's sister, Mary Gertrude Mannheim, who became Sr. Gregory.

Mary Gertrude was born in Duluth, MN on Dec. 13, 1894.

Mary Gertrude on rt w her sister Rosalia Jane Mannheim about 1900?

Here's another photo a little later of Mary Gertrude

This is a frame with two photos of Sr. Gregory my grandma kept on her dresser. The smaller one is of Mary Gertrude as a girl, maybe a teen. I love her hat and smart coat! The larger one is of Sr. Gregory late in life in full habit.

Both Rosalia and Mary Gertrude attended the Girls Cathedral High School (St. Scholastica) in Duluth. Rosalia attended through her junior year. Mary Gertrude graduated from the high school. (this information is from a letter to me from Sr. Aelred Roehl, the Archives of St. Scholastica Monastery Duluth Nov. 28, 2000.)

According to her obituary, on Aug. 15, 1913 at the age of 19 Mary Gertrude entered the Benedictine community in Duluth. She received the Benedictine habit on July 10, 1914, pronounced triennial vows July 11, 1915 and final vows on July 11, 1918. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (Aug. 1940) Golden Jubilee (1965) and was in the Consecration of Virgins Ceremony July 22, 1956.

 Here's Sr. Gregory with a wreath (crown) on her head after taking her vows

Here she is at the same time with another sister, probably her mentor or the Mother Superior ,and two women and a man, all unidentified, but I'm thinking older siblings and their spouses. I think it is likely my grandma was the one who took the photos because she is not in any of them.

(this information is from her obituary) Sr. Gregory taught elementary grades at Our Lay of the Sacred Heart School, Cloquet, MN for 3 years. She taught at Marquette School in Virginia and at McGolrick Institute in Hibbing, MN. She taught intermediate grades at St. Bridget's Minneapolis for 5 yeas and 4 years at St. Timothy's  in Chicago.

She earned a B.A. from the College of St. Scholastica with majors in education and psychology and a minor in sociology. (She was a smart well educated lady!) She was appointed principal of St. Rose School, Proctor MN in 1932. She was also superior at the convent and taught in the junior high grades. From 1936-1937 she was postulant mistress of her Benedictine community. In 1937 she was appointed superior and principal at St. James School Duluth and also taught junior high. In 1944 she returned to St. Bridget's to serve as principal for 13 years. Her last appointment was to Our Lady of Sorrows School, Cincinnati, where she taught junior high. Sister had hoped to resume teaching in fall 1966.

She spent some summers working at the information desk at St. Mary's Hospital. She was hospitalized July 14, 1966 and had her bunions removed (Clearly this is a genetic thing because Grandma Hon had bunions and I have one)  On July 26 while preparing to leave the hospital she collapsed. She died about 11 a.m. of arrhythmia with severe coronary arteriosclerosis.

Requiem high mass was offered for her on July 30 in Our lady Queen of Peace Chapel. Bishop Francis J. Schenk and 12 priests (that's right 12!) participated in her mass. My mom and Aunty Phyllis, Rosalia Jane Hon Matyn and Sr. Rosalia Marie Hon O.P., with many friends and parishioners from St. James West Duluth attended.

What an amazing lady. I was not old enough to remember her. We have some photos of her visiting with Grandma and my mom in the 1950s. We have a film of me as a baby with her holding me, then Grandma, with mom and dad in the backyard in East Detroit in spring 1964. She was tiny. The top of her head (in full habit of course) did not come up to my dad's shoulder (he is 6 foot tall).

Here is a photo of her from 1946 or 1947.