In Memorium

My cousin, Sister Mary Joselle Leising (Mary Frances Leising), passed away this week. Her funeral was Thursday at St. Joseph Heights. We took our girls and went down to the funeral and to say goodbye and remember what a wonderful lady she was.

She was born July 1918 and was Professed 8/16/38, Died 6/15/09. She was at St. Aloysius Orphanage, Our Lady of Loretto, Linwood, Principal at St. Agnes, Bond Hill - she made some major changes there that we put into a newspaper at the time. Back to St. Aloysius, St Stephen, Newport (my grandparents were married in that parish), Back to St. Agnes, St. Luke in Dayton, St. Mary in Alexandria, Mary Queen of the Rosary in Lexington, NDA (77-91). She also had a wonderful family tree (for the Leising side and her mother's side) that the Sisters let me bring home to keep.

When I started going to NDA (Notre Dame Academy), she hunted me down. The reason, we shared same names - we were both Mary Leisings. She had to find out how I was related to her. This was very important to her. She made me feel welcome at the school. I had a very good 4 years at this school. I came from a school that sent most of it's students to Newport schools, and I was in Covington with other students from the Covington districts. So I had to start new with making friends.

When it was our last year of school, the group of girls that I hung out with were crying. We knew that this would be our last year together and that we would be moving on and that we would probably not have contact with each other ever again. But I was able to keep in contact with Sr. Joselle.

I sent her photos - my husband and I together, our children - especially as they grew up. We would take the girls to the convent for her to meet them and so that they could know more about the family. This wonderful lady will be missed for many years to come.