997 The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana 3
uting awards presented May 18
LEINGANG
from throughout the Dio-
lle athered at Resurrection
Sunday, May 18. Following
Gerald A. Gettelfinger presented
Christ's Way, and Marian
scouts.
; leaders were also honored: Lynne
L A Gettelfmger thanks Father Paul Roos, pas-
istians Church, Mariah Hill, for his
to scouting.
Bohnert and Karen Spellmeyer of Jasper and
Carol Wigand of Evansville received the St. Eliz-
abeth Ann Seton Award. Lois Schenk of Evans-
ville received the St. Anne Award.
Jack Thompson, diocesan scouting chap-
lain, and Peggy Coomes, secretary of the
Catholic Committee on Girl Scouting, assisted
in presenting the awards. Thompson also
thanked Father Paul Roos for his years of
involvement in scouting.
Amanda Jochim, a member
of Troop 423, Evansville, car-
ties the "Living Christ's Way"
book in the entrance proces-
sion.
]
%
llnm,, ,ff ....
Lois Schenk, with Troop 208, Evansville, is the recip-
ient of the St. Anne Award, the highest award given to
an adult scouting leader, by the Catholic Committee
on Girl Scouting.
A family reunion for Sister Mary Martha Blandford
LEINGANG
Lily again.
Mary"
rd celebrated
of professin
ices
tir.efamily,
rently
home.
47501
00rgh Co.
O-Life
95
' Indiana
N, IN
"800-GMC.CHE
her vows, with about 175 family
members and friends, at nearby
Burdette Park.
Sister Blandford came to the
Poor Clare Moanstery on Ken-
tucky Avenue in Evansville, Nov.
25, 1944, when she was just 14
years old.
"I would have come in grade
school, if they would have let
me," she said. "I wanted to be a
nun since I was a baby."
She celebrated her fifteenth
birthday in the Monastery, Dec.
9, 1945. And at that time, she
fully believed she would never
254-3612
leave the monastery property.
She expected to live her life
there and to be buried in the
vaults below the church.
Parents could visit a daugh-
ter in the old days, but they had
to remain separated by a heavy
grating. "Not even our fingertips
could touch," said Sister Bland-
ford.
Following the Second Vatican
Council, rules and practices
changed. And the monastery
itself was moved to new proper-
ty near Burdette Park, west of
Evansville.
Sister Blandford made her
first profession of vows on
March 13, but the Poor Clares
choose not to celebrate during
Lent, so she decided on the third
weekend in May for her anniver-
sary celebration.
By chance, the day chosen for
the celebration was the feastday
of St. Paschal Baylon, patron
saint of Sister Blandford's aunt
-- a Poor Clare herself, who had
inspired the 14-year-old girl to
come to the monastery in Evans-
ville from her home in Tell City,
Ind.
When the time approached to
celebrate her jubilee, Sister
Blandford's oldest brother. Earl
Blandford. suggested celebrat-
ing in the context of a family
reunion.
The Blandfont-Gratzer reunion.
with brothers, sisters, nephews.
nieces, cousins and all, was held
at Burdette Park, May 18.
"We've never done anything like
it before," said Sister Blandford.
She admits she is not too sure
about the identities of all the
people who were there. "It's so
overwhelming," she said.
Big Garden project will provide food for the poor
By MARY ANN HUGHES Four years ago, Oberbeck was trying to
Message staff writer find something to keep him busy during
his "later years." He came up with the
Dale Oberbeck laughs when he talks idea of planting a large vegetable garden
about unanswered prayers. Maybe and giving all of the produce to the poor,
they're the best kind. It took him four years to find a suitable
location, and along the wa); he wasn't
sure if he would have to buy the land
or borrow it.
Then, someone told him to take a
look at Oak Hill Cemetery, a city-run
cemetery on Evansville's east side. The
cemetery had 60 unused acres of land.
Oberbeck approached city officials
and asked to use the entire plot. He
was given two acres. Now, he laughs,
"The Lord knew what he was doing.
He gave us something we could take
care of."
Although he has no budget, Ober-
beck received donated plants and seeds
from area greenhouses and nurseries.
The garden project, which will be tend-
ed by volunteers, will have green
beans, beets, lima beans, peppers,
cucumbers, carrots, Swiss chard, toma-
toes and squash.
All of the produce will be available to
"anyone who needs the vegetables,"
Oberbeck says. The Tri-State Food
Bank will take the surplus.
Last Saturday, Bishop Gerald A.
Gettelfinger blessed both the land and
Volunteers Bob Wessel and Jim Coudret the plants. During the prayer service, Dale Oberbeck carries a fiat of tomato plants
till the ld for.tbp,lig p/rden prgjL ' he wasjoine, d by members ofe Dioce- for the Big Garden project.
-- Message photo by Mary Ann Hughes san Pastoral Coeil. ........................ LLMe.a'{e',o'tolYf'Mhlfl
