Real photographoc postcard of a group of women and children lawn of private residence. Bertha Strunk with medium size dog, woman in center next to her is Lizzie (Elizabeth) Ries. The three children are Howard, Don, and Hildegard Ries.
Cedric Adams on the left and Art Tibodeau on the right advertise Vigorena Feeds. The bag both are holding onto reads: Vigorena: The Feed You Need, Springfields Milling Corporation, Springfield, Minnesota.
Besides fostering the mission of education, especially the academy, in which the sisters of St. Benedict's Convent were engaged by 1880, Mother Scholastica Kerst is best known for fearlessly launching the community into the new field of health care. Under her leadership, St. Benedict's Convent flourished as did the hospitals in Bismarck, Duluth and St. Cloud. During her administration of nine years, the membership of the community increased from 57 to 164; the number of parochial schools staffed by the sisters had grown from 10 to 28; the orphanages, schools and hospitals became monuments of her enterprise and executive ability. Mother Scholastica had the spirit of the American frontier in her blood. Mother Scholastica (Catherine) Kerst was born in Prussia in 1847 and came to St. Paul, MN, with her parents in her infancy. She entered St. Gertrude's Convent, Shakopee, MN, in 1862, two days after its establishment. Bishop Thomas Grace, O.P., of St. Paul, required that she spend some of her formation period at St. Gertrude's founding motherhouse in St. Marys, PA. This experience in a well-established, older convent and her own flair for leadership and good business, gave her the impetus to request permission to establish a convent in St. Paul with four other sisters. Instead, church authorities advised her to transfer to St. Benedict's Convent, St. Joseph, MN, which she did in 1877. Three years later Abbot Alexius Edelbrock appointed her prioress of St. Benedict's Convent. [Saint Benedict's Monastery Archives ; McDonald, ppage93-95]
Bernice Weinzierl of St. Boniface (sister to Elvira Weinzierl Notermann), covered in bees for publicity at Minnesota State Fair. White dress, white kerchief in hair, smiling.
The Weinzierl Sisters of St. Boniface, Minnesota are covered in honey bees for publicity photograph at the Minnesota State Fair. Elvira (later Notermann) is on left, sister Bernice on right. They both wear white dresses, white stockings, dark shoes, and sun bonnets. Covered with bees, especially on their hats and around their laps. Elvira holds what appears to be a small box and a doll, of which only the head is visible. Between them is a box where the hive is. They are seated on the grass.