I found this at the bottom of a box labeled "Mom's Things." It's a little worse for wear, but after almost 77 years, is that a surprise? The blue cover has that fuzzy feel of felt, adding, what must have seemed like a sense of elegance befitting the occasion. The pastor who signed it, Monsignor John Hummel, had baptized my Mom in 1920 and then presided at my parents' wedding in 1940. Father Joseph Becker, the principal, was still around some thirty-odd years later, a monsignor by then himself, and the pastor of St. Mary's. He taught catechism and religion classes during my various grade school years. Lots of history attached to those names.
I like the seal that says The Industrial City Menasha wi.
ReplyDeleteLove the beautiful handwriting.
ReplyDeleteMsgr Hummel died on Oct, 20, 1953, a date that I have recalled every single year since then without fail, likely because he was the first person I knew who died and his funeral was so grand. I was a new altar boy that year and had "served" for him at 6:10 daily mass many times that summer. The older altar boys liked him because he only used a few drops of wine at the Offertory. Wonder what happened to the rest? He could give a fire and brimstone sermon that would leave children bawling.
ReplyDeleteMsgr Becker's signature I could pick out anywhere. David, I was always curious about a photo you showed a while back of the SMHS band, ca. 1938, posing on a bleacher by the statue of Mary. He always bragged about the band, "his" band. He is in the shot, first row left. I counted 88 members including color guard. I think the most we had in the band 1956-1960 was ~60 out of a HS roster of 500. We could barely form an "M" at halftime. Where did he get 88 out of X? students? Or did he take a cue from Gov. Huey Long in Louisiana in the 1930s. The "Kingfish" wanted to promote LSU amongst its rivals in the South and formed a band of 200 marchers which he travelled by train or bus to all away football games. He would march to the stadium with the band. However, only about 60 of them actually knew how to play their instruments. The others just pretended. But it was good PR.
I seem to remember that my grade school friends who did Band also marched with the High School marching band, so maybe the rules then were as they were during my grade school years? Seems like a simple way to pad the size of the band.
ReplyDelete