Pro-Life Mississippi

Note: A letter Dr. Ed Habert (Class of 1959) sent to Pro-Life Mississippi on June 22, 2009. He requested that I post this and to be as generous as you can for a worthy cause. (Click on letter to enlarge)

Mini-Re-Reunion

I received two pictures from Walter Little today that Deb Matherne took of Dickie Matherne, Phillip Doiron, and Walter (on right top photo) at Lake Logan Martin after their mini-re-reunion dinner last Saturday evening. They were there to reconnect with an old friend, Barry Brasher (on left bottom photo), a friend of Dickie and Debra’s from a long time ago, and more recently a neighbor and fishing buddy of Walters. They were able to come and meet up with the Mathernes again outside Birmingham, Alabama.

(Barry had once mentioned a really nice guy he had worked with who was named Dickie Matherne and whom Barry thought was from somewhere in Mississippi. I replied that there could only be one Dickie Matherne, and although I couldn't’t prove it until Dickie furnished his E-address through our Class of 1959 blog and I was right.)

Walter said that none of this would have happened if our 50th class reunion had not brought all of us back together so closely, and the reunion would not have furnished such an occasion if it had not been for our blog.

This was also the view (minus the three/four of us :0) from the living room in the Matherne's very nice travel trailer that they drove down for the weekend. (Courtesy of Dickie & Debra Matherne)

In Memory of Sister Mary Rita, R.S.M.

Died: August 10, 1968 ~ Funeral services for Sister Mary Rita Davidson of St. Francis Xavier Academy will be held today at 3 p.m. from St. Paul's Catholic Church with Bishop Joseph B. Brunini conducting the service. Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery with Fisher Funeral Home in charge. Sister Rita died Saturday after a brief illness. She was 70.

She was born in Biloxi, the former Teresa Davidson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Davidson, Sr. She entered the order of the Sisters of Mercy at the age of 17 and pronounced her vows three years later.

Sister Mary Rita taught in a number of schools in Mississippi, spending the major part of her life in Vicksburg. She was noted for her work in the field of English, Social Studies and Theology and her contributions to the SFXA Library.

Survivors include two sisters, Mrs. Olga Staehling of New Orleans and Mrs. John Pisarich of Biloxi.

Active pallbearers will be Cyril O'Neill, Vincent Schaff, C. Home Smith, Lawrence Hennessey, J. W. Evans, Joseph A. Gerache, and Harry Hardin.

Honorary pallbearers will be Sister Mary Ignatius, RSM, Sister Mary Francis, RSM, Sister Mary Isabel, RSM, Sister Mary Claudia, RSM, Sister Mary Adelaide, RMS, Sister Mary Joseph, RSM, Sister Mary Hildergarde, RSM, Sister Mary Angela, RSM, Sister Mary Placide, RSM and Sister Mary Henrietta.

She was a very kind and gentle person. When sister died, for the first time in history, there were Sisters of Mercy as honorary pallbearers because of their love for Sister Mary Rita.

~May They All Rest In Peace~

Picture taken at Cedar Hill Cemetary ~ June 14, 2009

Banquet at St. Michael Parish Hall

Left to right, Phillip Doiron, '59, Dickie Matherne, Mickey Sullivan, '59, Larry Miller, '59, Walter Little, '59 and Ivan Cunningham, '59. Thanks to classmate Larry Miller for sending me this photo to share with everyone on our blog. Would love to get some more pictures to post from our reunion and will give you credit. Thanks, Marian :)

Our 50th Anniversary Graduation

I received this bit of news from Larry Miller who wanted me to pass along to our classmates who enjoy a little history, that today, Sunday, May 31, is precisely 50 years since our graduation ceremony at St. Paul's Catholic Church. Quite coincidental that our 50th anniversary would fall on exactly the same date, he said.

Sister Mary Cabrini Fagan

Published:
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 1:13 PM CDT

BARLING, Ark. — Sister Mary Cabrini Fagan, Sisters of Mercy, died Sunday, May 24, 2009, at Catherine McAuley Retirement Convent in Barling, Ark. She was 80.

Born in Bassfield, she was baptized Agnes Bernice Fagan.

Sister Cabrini entered the Sisters of Mercy community at Webster Groves, Mo., on Sept. 8, 1946, and made her first vows on March 12, 1949.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and English and history degrees at Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio, Texas, on July 15, 1958. Her first years of teaching were in New Orleans at St. Alphonsus. She then moved back to Mississippi, where she taught for many years in Biloxi, Pass Christian, Hattiesburg, Vicksburg and Meridian.

Sister Cabrini retired to Our Lady of Wisdom in December 1999, then moved to McAuley Convent in August 2003.

She is survived by two sisters, Natalie Stephens of Carson, Miss., and Lois Bishop of Tallahassee, Fla.; a brother, Edmond Fagan of Bassfield; and nieces and nephews.

Rosary will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday at McAuley Retirement Convent. The Funeral Mass will follow at 10 a.m. at the convent. The burial of her ashes will be at Calvary Cemetery in Fort Smith, Ark., under the direction of Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith.

50th Class Reunion Pictures

FELLOW CLASSMATES!

If any of you have pictures that you want to share from our 50th class reunion, I would be more than happy to post them here and give you credit. Just email them to me at: mariandeerhunter@bellsouth.net or mail to me at 1104 National Street, Vicksburg, MS, 39180 and will make sure you receive them back. We need to keep our blog going and more photos would be a good thing! Thanks so much! Marian :)