I found this notice of death on the internet. Sister Agnes Loretta of the order of the Blessed Virgin Mary taught at the School of The Most Holy Reedemer when I was there in the late 1960s. She liked to remind her students that she had taught Bob Hope's children. She loved diagramming sentences and she always emphasized respect and loyalty to one's parents. She took a keen interest in me, more than once chastising me in front of other students regarding my physical appearance and what she saw as my lack of effort to excel in my studies. She played an important role in my youth. I wouldn't say I was fond of her nor did I dislike her. I can only say I will never forget her. She apparently died in 2006.
Sister Agnes Loretta McElligott, BVM, 95, dies in Iowa
Sister Agnes Loretta McElligott, BVM, 95, died June 8 at Caritas Center, Dubuque, Iowa. She was principal at St. Leo School, San Jose, 1961-1967 and she also taught in San Francisco, southern California, and in Illinois and Missouri. Born Sept. 18, 1910 in Milwaukee Wis., she worked at Marquette University before entering the BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1935. Sister Agnes Loretta was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Esther Kenny McElligott; a sister, Mary Riordan; and brothers Joseph, Walter and James McElligott. She is survived by a nephew and the Sisters of Charity, BVM. Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Charity, BVM Retirement Fund, 1100 Carmel Dr., Dubuque, IA 52003
1 comment:
Hi, Jonnie,
With great delight and interest I read your post regarding Sister Mary Agnes Loretta. She was my Fifth-Grade teacher at St. Charles in North Hollywood in the '48/'49 timeframe. It was my first year in Catholic school. I'd come there from Toluca Lake Grammar School due to my dad's deciding that I needed a bit more discipline in my schooling -- I was displaying all the symptoms of what they might diagnose as ADD today. The Toluca Lake teachers I'm sure regarded me as a menace and were glad to see me depart.
My mother later loved to recount how one of those teachers informed her that I had some sort of learning disability, yet when the IQ tests were taken, I had the highest score in my class.
Moving further with this tale, I must explain that my parents didn't have the most halcyon marriage, and just before school was to start in September 1948, my mother left my dad for parts unknown (she returned a few weeks later). It is supposed that he deserved it for his excessive horserace betting, but the household was left in a bit of a fix and I traumatized.
While she was gone, my dad was lobbied by some of our Catholic neighbors to put me in St. Charles School. He was swayed and soon I was wearing the uniform -- those salt-and-pepper corduroy pants and blue cotton shirts -- and thoroughly learning the parts of speech and how to diagram sentences.
Homework was something unknown in those days in public school, and St. Charles demanded it in every grade level. I had a very hard time adjusting to that, and due to my poor performance in that duty, Sister Agnes Loretta sent a note home with me requesting a meeting with my parents the next day after school. Of course, my Dad was the only parent at home, but he certainly rose to the occasion. I recall his arriving sharply at 3:15PM. He'd put down his cigar and Racing Form, and put on his best pin-striped suit -- he was, by the way, an exceptionally handsome man by anyone's measure.
The Sister started the discussion among the three of us, and once the homework problem had been defined and I'd been properly double-teamed in admonishment, I was asked to wait outside in the hallway while they had further discussions. I could not hear what was being uttered, so I wondered back and forth in front of the empty classrooms for quite some time. Finally, I sat down on the tiled floor and leaned back against the wall and waited and waited. At least an hour transpired before I was asked to come back into the classroom.
The first thing I noticed was Sister Mary Agnes Loretta's glowing face. She was a lady who'd been completely charmed, and I don't mean anything risqué here. I imagine that my dad revealed our home situation and gave her other background information, like about how he, too, went to Catholic School, but ran away from home at age fourteen to "make his fortune" (that was in the Year 1913.)
The Sister, given her helpful temperament, was completely enlisted into the cause of my success in school, and as with you, Johnnie, she took a great deal of interest in me. She was a very good and rare woman, and if one is not too out of line in stating such things, she was very pretty, too. I note from the death notice that she joined the BVM order when she was twenty-five. She must have been very devoted to have made such a decision, because, God knows, she could easily have been a wife and mother.
As you mention, she promoted respect for ones parents. She certainly expressed deep respect for hers.
Given her "real" last name, McElligott, one can assume she was of Irish ancestry. I recall that a few times she would demonstrate an Irish brogue. It was beautifully done and made us all laugh.
I clearly remember her telling us about her home state of Wisconsin. She told us about how one could discern the ethnicity of farm owners by the barns they built; particularly the Germans, who built theirs out on stone.
She introduced us to fractions by having us bring in a Hershey bar and break it apart in halves, quarters, etc. We got to eat them immediately after. It was great fun.
I shall never forget the "predicate nominative," and how it is indicated in diagramming by the verb line, usually the verb to be, slanted back toward the subject.
Anyway, thank you for reminding me of Sister Mary Agnes Loretta and those great days.
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