Jeanie Hagerdorn, Chm
Our friendship grew as we shared so much in common especially our love for music (and fun times like smores over the campfire, spitting watermelon seeds from the porch balcony, our evening walks "out to the gate" after dinner, times of prayer and sharing with the community, rides to the grade schools in Ottumwa when my classmates and I did our student teaching -- Mary was our designated chauffer. I especially enjoyed our time together in the little music room or the dining room when Mary practiced her piano and voice in the evenings. I would often go down to listen and we would visit and laugh while she practiced; those were special times. My favorite song that she played was "The Dream of Oelwen" (I'm still trying to find it on a CD....but no one could play it like she did.) Even when I was studying up in my room her beautiful music wafted up and brought such joy. Her loving support and friendship made that first year away from home so much easier -- this just felt like the "right" place for me. (Leave it to the Holy Spirit to know what is best for us! Oh, yes, we both also had great devotion to the Holy Spirit!)
After Mary professed her vows the next summer ('57) and left Ottumwa we were not allowed to communicate until after we novices were professed two years later. (Yes, we did have some strict rules -- today they seem strange but at the time were just accepted as part of the discipline before Vatican II.) The exception to the rule was that novices were allowed to write three letters to anyone at Christmas time -- and one of mine was always to Mary.
After our class professed first vows we too were sent out to teach. The early days of living "on mission" and beginning our teaching profession were not easy. With the challenge of teaching a classroom of 55 first graders and adjusting to daily living with a new group of about ten sisters I was SO grateful for the loving support of Mary. Her encouragement and joyful spirit always lifted my own. I was (and am) eternally grateful for her friendship during those first difficult days and years. It was a special joy when we were able to get together at meetings, conferences, CHM Assemblies and Senate, etc.
As the years went by we lost touch for awhile after she left the community and got married. Somehow, I don't remember how, we were able to reconnect and kept in touch frequently by email and, in the summer when I got to Davenport for our CHM Assembly, Jubilees and Senate, we always made it a point to get together for dinner somewhere. She often joined the community for these special times of celebration ~ and at events held at our Center in Davenport. I was so grateful that Mary agreed to my invitation to add her voice to the beautiful music for our class' 50th Jubilee celebration in Davenport in 2006. I think that was the last time she felt up to joining the music group though her presence was felt and she was physically present as often as she could. The last time I saw Mary was at the June ('09)CHM Jubilee Mass in Bettendorf,