Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit 
or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations 
desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain 
the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of 
the submitter.


Bonaventure Sister Mary 670608 p1
Requiem Mass for Sister Bonaventure; Sister Mary Bonaventure, first principal of Sacred Heart School, died of cancer at
the Dominican Convent in Mission San Jose last Sunday.  Before she died she said, "I m happy to be going to God. Tell
all the people in Patterson I was happy to be with them. I m happy to be going to God."  The Dominican Sisters who
cared for her through her illness said she never stopped praying for Patterson. Pattersonites first met Sister Bonaventure
in August of 1962 when she came here to begin Sacred Heart School.  Monsignor Mark Hurley said in his eulogy, "She
made friends for the school in Patterson by showing her womanly humaness."  Sister Bonaventure worked not only for
Sacred Heart School, but for all education.  Monsignor Hurley told how she worked to unify the school system in the
Stockton Diocese.  In a statement Sister made on education she said, "... It is our aim to give each child an education for
Christian social living.  This will be achieved by guiding our children in their development of knowledge, attitudes and
actions concerning their relationship to God, church, fellow man, nature and self. Sister Bonaventure frequently used the
word "our" when speaking of children.  Her sister, Mrs. John Kucher, said that sister Bonaventure considered Patterson
her family.  Sister was impress by the generosity of the people of Patterson, the community itself and even the fact that
Patterson had an airport. Sister Bonaventure was born in San Francisco, March 17, 1917.  She attended St. Anthony grade
school and Immaculate Conception High School in San Francisco before entering the Dominican college at Mission San
Jose. While in high school, Sister Bonaventure was editor of the high school newspaper, "The Megaphone," which
received several journalism awards.  She was a finalist in oratory, earned her block letter in sports and received honorable
mention in a short story contest.  She was also a member of the California Scholarship Federation. Sister received a B.A.
in English at Holy Rosary College at Mission San Jose.  She earned a California Life Secondary teaching credential at the
Dominican College in San Rafael and an Oregon teaching credential at the University of Oregon. Sister Bonaventure
entered the Dominican Sisters Convent, October 4, 1935 and took her final vows August 12, 1943. Before coming to
Patterson, Sister taught at Berkeley, San Rafael, San Francisco and Portland.  While teaching at Portland in a
comparatively new school she was visited by Senator John Kennedy. A replica of Sacred Heart School, planned as a gift
to her from this year s first graduating class, was dedicated to her.  It will be placed on a site in front of the school,
unsheltered and ecumenical in the same tradition as Sister Bonaventure lived. In honor of Sister Bonaventure, Mr. and
Mrs. Camille DePauw have established the Sister Bonaventure Good Citizenship Award to be presented to a deserving
student at each eighth grade graduation.  Steven Reichmuth received the $25 savings bond at the graduation ceremony
last night. Approximately 100 people from Patterson attended the Requiem High Mass celebrated for Sister Bonaventure,
Tuesday in the Chapel of the Dominican Sisters Convent at Mission San Jose. The Mass was celebrated by Monsignor
Hurley.  Bishop Hugh A. Donohoe gave the final absolution.  Interment was at the Convent Cemetery. Sister Mary
Bonaventure, O.P., Frances Fritz, is survived by her sisters: Sister Mary Alice, O.P. of Los Angeles, and Mrs. Margaret
Kachur of Daly City; and nieces, Elisabeth and Mary Louise. It is requested that remembrances be given to a fund for the
education of her deaf niece in care of Mrs. Kachur, 58, Daly City.