I did not graduate in 1961 because my father died a few years before and I had to leave school and help out the family but if I had stayed in school I would have graduated in 1961 biggest regret of my life I loved school
THANKS for stopping by, I do my best to acknowledge when someone leaves a comment,you do not have to be a member here & everyone is welcome. Ps: This site is monitored but not actively posting on a regular basis. Mostly these are stories & some photos saved from a defunct site known as Verdun Connections which was on MSN Groups initially then on a social network called Multiply.
29 comments:
That is very interesting. We have something in common, my father died in June of 1960. I was in Grade 10 at the time, I should have repeated that year because the nun that was teaching had a nervous breakdown. Her name was Sister St. George, I wonder where she is today. I went on to complete Grade 11 and did graduate but I have always felt that 1960 was a turning point in my life, what with my father's death at 39 yrs. of age, and my teacher coming undone.
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Sandy and June, I remember Mother St. George too. Did she teach math? I was a Crusader (red beret and red/white neck scarf) and in the LOM. Used to knit all those squares for the poor in Africa and vaguely remember cleaning the chapel. I was a goodie two shoes too and by 11th grade, I couldn't stand the hypocrisy of it all...I mean in fourth year, we were taught to love thy neighbour but don't date him unless he was Catholic! I was a year short of the Sodality and then it would have been the nunnery! That was close! Haven't been to church since but I do have a spiritual life. Can't remember much about Mother St. George but I don't think I liked her. Dolly
Hi Sandy, June and Dolly: I've been following this latest thread with interest....first...I also had a Sister St.George who taught Geometry and Algebra at Marymount High. As I recall she was a tiny woman and always had a smile on her face. I did have a few very mean and miserable nuns, but since I was not a trouble maker I never got into any trouble with any of them. When you were in grade 11 did you girls go on a closed retreat for 2 days? Talk about being brain washed. My mother was Anglican and hard a hard time dealing with all the religion we had to learn especially the part where we were told that only Catholics go to heaven. So when my sister was born 20 years after me she went to Connaught, and later LaSalle High.....Great stories, eh? Sandy....had dinner with Peter and claire last night along with other neighbours, they are well...Dianne
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Sister St George did have a breakdown becasue there were many occasions where she would breakdown crying, for no apparent reason,and leave the classroom through a door at the front of the classroom that led into the covent. This happened many times during the school year until she was replaced with a subsittute teacher for the balance of the school year. My friend who had a aunt, a sister at the Villa Maria, was transfered out of our school immediately after this happened to Sister St George.This is not the happy smiley nun remembered by HappyDi. Just the opposite. I remember the retreats somewhere out in the country. We would stay for about three days.I always wished I had gone to the public school. They had interesting subjects like Home Ec which was something useful. It was not normal to have separate schools for the boys. We have to deal with them in life so you better get to know them.
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Jeez, I can't remember that crusader song, Sandy, and the Stister St. George I knew didn't smile. I must have been really naive then (oh I was) and missed out on all the flurry of St. George's breakdown. I adored Miss Copeland and can still picture her. She would read my compositions out loud to the class and told me I should be a writer. She was my rock. I remember at the end of the school year, she gave me Wuthering Heights to read. I often wonder why anyone would want to be a nun or priest then (even now)---although there were some good ones that instilled in me a love of learning like Mother St. Mary Ann or was it Marianne? I think that was her name. She was a tiny thing with chipmunk cheeks and a smile. I think she taught history and latin. Oh, God, the things they instilled in us! I remember her writing 1066 on the blackboard in huge letters, taking up the entire board, and her saying, "Girls, you will never forget this date." And to this day, I remember the Battle of Hastings. Plus I can still give you the feminine and masculine declension of latin words...terra terra terrae terrum....you know,,,,,all that useful stuff. I did like latin translation. though..I think because it related to words. Hated Algebra and Geometry....didn't have the patience. Never went to the dance, Sandy, so didn't have to worry about a date. Ah, such memories. I'm kinda glad I'm grown up some days.....
Good Evening Everybody!! I feel like I just revisited my past in reading all the posts....One thing I am sure we can agree on is that we did get an excellent education back then. I can still conjugate Latin verbs....amo amas amat ....useless information by todays standards perhaps...but I wouldn't change a thing if I had the chance to relive it, the education part, that is.... The closed retreat that I went on was supposed to prepare us for leaving the protective environment of a Catholic school for the big wide world on the outside. I remember we were not allowed to speak during meals, but it was so hard not to break out laughing if we happened to catch the eye of the gal sitting opposite you at the table!!! I remember being told that if we weren't getting married then the only option was to enter a convent....also once we left school and went out into the big wide world we would probably be in contact with people of other faiths....and it would be okay to be polite but we shouldn't become friends...after all, just think of the influence....WELL!!!! My own mother was of another faith...heaven forbid...I asked the kind Sister what was I to do when I returned home...she looked at me with a puzzled look on her face and asked me what I meant....well, I said, when I go home do you want me not to associate with my mother, after all she is an Anglican......She said to the girls...lets all kneal down and say the Rosary for Dianne's mother that she might convert.......After I graduated from Marymount I decided I wasn't going to Church anymore. However my husband is Catholic and my girls were raised in the Church, but I go when I feel like going and I do not suffer from Catholic guilt. LOL....If it wasn't for my Anglican mother, my brothers and I would never have gone to Church as my dad, who was Catholic, would not have taken us to Church nor done the Catechism that we had to learn. But by the time my sister arrived, she didn't go through the Catholic School system. Guess what I did when I left the Retreat House? My boyfriend and I went to see the movie Tom Jones...I guess we can say the retreat didn't do me much good...Dianne
This has been fun. I am curious as to where everbody is living now. I know that Feenoose lives in Kirkland. Where does HappyDi, Sandy 19465 and Sabby(Dolly) live?
Hi Junebug: I married in 1970 in Montreal, at Holy Cross Church, and lived on 723 - 43rd Ave , LaSalle until May 1972. Then moved to Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, which is about 25 miles outside of Halifax and have lived here ever since. Talk about culture shock! There was a farm across the road from us and I'd take my daughter to look at the cows everyday...the height of excitement! However, I wouldn't live any where else. It took awhile for the local people to accept us. The area has grown by leaps and bounds...too bad in some ways. My husband grew up in Verdun, born on Ethel street and later lived on Foch in Crawford Park. .....Dianne
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HappyDi, I was born in Moncton, N.B., and immigrated to Verdun. So the Maritimes have always held a special place for me. I have lived in London, Ont. for 25 yrs. and am very happy here.
Sandy, You have had an interesting life! My daughter lives and works in New York. She moved from Milan, Italy to N.Y. just prior to 911 (like 2 wks.) and on that day had to walk all the way home to her apartment on 77th St. East from her office on Park Ave..She loves New York..
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JOAN COUPLAND IS ON CLASSMATES .COM
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june, dolly ,diane, carol, i share your photographic memories of mother st. george, and others, what a shame, it ruined a lot of us. thank GOD for our exposure to normal society, carolyn bennett
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Hmmmm, Must have gremlins in my computer. I thought I had replied to junebug's question where everyone is from but don't see it posted. I could have sworn it was there last night. And hey, I wasn't even drinking any wine! :) I'm in Edmonton. Another late night. Never enough time in the day to do everything. Sigh! So good night again. I'm off to bed and sleep tight everyone. And yes, to all the mother's out there, have a happy tomorrow. Dolly.
Hi Junebug, What area of London are you in? We moved from Montreal to London in '79 and then to Boston in '89. We used to live on Brunswick Ave off of Aldersbrook in Gainsborough Meadows. Regards, Alan
hey junebug, where are you? bahamas 865
Just got back from Montreal today. Connected with some of my old Verdun Buds and had a great time.
AlanArchie, I live in Westmount,. I moved here in 1980 so I just missed you. I knew your sister-in-law Carol Daoust and you mentioned that she lives in Marlborough Mass and I just returned from Gardner Mass today. What did you do here in London?
what part of westmount are you in? did you know the phelans? charles and bob.
carol daoust ,who lived on moffat? i graduated with her, carolyn bennett
hey joan, tell us about your verdun buds you visited with. carolyn
Bahama865, I will have to try and check that out and see if I can contact Joan. Ruth
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