In Loving Memory...

Sister Marie Imelda, CSC
(Mary Margaret Neville)
Birth: April 28, 1919
Profession: August 15, 1957
Death: November 17, 2007

Mary Margaret was a native of Anamosa, Iowa, a predominantly farming area. She was an only child, raised lovingly by Jennie and Francis J. Neville, who adopted her as an infant. Jennie died when Mary Margaret was 6 years old. Her father’s sister, Mary Donnelly, and her daughter, Eleanor, came to live with her and her father. Eleanor was like an older sister to her. After her entrance into the community, they often vacationed together and enjoyed one another’s company.

Since there was no Catholic school in Anamosa, her elementary and secondary education took place in the local public schools. Armed only with her high school diploma, she started full-time teaching in a one-room school (where she was both teacher and janitor) the fall after graduation from Anamosa High School. Relishing that career, she decided she would become a high school mathematics teacher and enrolled at Iowa State Teachers College, where she earned her BA in mathematics. She continued teaching and studying, eventually receiving her MA in mathematics from the University of Michigan and an MS from the University of Notre Dame.

Through the years the thought of becoming a religious sister was often on her mind, and she began to look for an order that would accept a candidate who was a few years older than most entrants. She came upon a book listing religious orders, contacted Holy Cross and was accepted. Her band had more than a half dozen college graduates who entered with her. She and several of the postulants taught at the Saint Mary’s campus school and were a mutual support for one another.

Mary Margaret entered the novitiate in August 1955, received the name Marie Imelda, made first vows in 1957, and final vows in 1960. After first vows, Marie began a span of teaching for 42 years in senior high school, all connected with mathematics, but eventually branching out into computers. Her teaching career took her to Flint, Michigan; Woodstock, Illinois; Hammond and South Bend, Indiana. Her assignment to Bishop Noll Institute lasted 16 years. She began teaching computer programming in addition to the usual math classes. Even though the students had to take the computer classes before the beginning of the school day, it was a popular course.

In May 2000, Sister Marie Imelda’s mail included a surprise—an unexpected package from Richard Blum, a 1980 graduate of Bishop Noll. The carton contained a copy of his first published computer book, sendmail for Linux, a copy of that Linux software, and a note in which he wrote, “You have been extremely instrumental in my going into the computer field. I can still remember those days of before-school computer programming classes. Thank you for all of your hard work and determination at Bishop Noll.” The last item on the acknowledgment page was: “And finally I would like to thank Sister Marie Imelda, CSC, who back in the late ’70s thought that this microcomputer craze might just catch on, fought, and struggled to teach a bunch of goofy high school kids to program. Thanks, Sister.”

I had the opportunity to live with Sister Marie Imelda the last three years she was missioned at St. Joseph’s High School, South Bend. She was a quiet person who enjoyed teaching, reading and sports, particularly baseball. Her faithfulness to her cousins, bandmates, students and duty was very much a part of her life. The time came to move to Rosary Convent at Saint Mary’s in 1999. She loved to work on the computer and continued this interest using a computer, which had been given to her when she was at St. Joseph’s High School.

After the amputation of her leg in September 2006, she was much less able to enjoy the computer, reading and TV. As her health declined, especially this past month, it became apparent that her physical limitations were becoming more pronounced. Early Saturday afternoon she went to meet her God. May she rest in peace.

Written by Sister Joan Elizabeth Johnson, CSC

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry With the Poor Fund, Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556.