Letter from Caroline Caho Weltig Thu, Jun 30, 2005 9:08 pm via e-mail to the History mailbox:
MY NAME IS CAROLINE CAHO
WELTIG AND I ATTENDED ST BONIFACE UP UNTIL 1947. OUR PASTOR WAS FATHER EBERT
WHO WAS A WONDERFUL PASTOR. I MADE MY ENTRY AT KINDERGARDEN AND I REMEMBER FILING
IN LINE TO WALK ON THE SIDEWALK TO CHURCH. WE NEVER RAN OR MADE NOISE AND WHEN
WE ENTERED CHURCH WE QUIETLY WENT TO THE PEWS AND KNELT DOWN TO PRAY. IF WE
SLOUCHED THE NUN WOULD TOUCH OUR SHOULDER AND WE WOULD SIT UP STRAIGHT. CHURCH
WAS A HOLY PLACE AND NOT LIKE TODAY WHERE EVERYONE TALKS IN CHURCH L IKE THEY
ARE OUTSIDE. I DO NOT LIKE THE WAY PEOPLE ACT IN CHURCH TODAY, TOO MUCH TALKING
AND IT IS HARD TO CONCENTRATE ON YOUR PRAYERS OR ROSARY.
MY SISTER, BROTHER AND I LIVED WITH OUR PARENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. I REMEMBER
PENNSYLVANIA BEING THE FIRST BIG WORD I LEARNED TO SPELL. WE HAD SISTER ILGA,
SISTER MARY AND SISTER ROBERTA AS TEACHERS AND WE REMEMBER SISTER MARY AS BEING
A LITTLE MEAN. SHE WOULD GIVE KNUCKLES IN THE BACK AND SWAT YOU WITH THE RULER.
I REMEMBER NOT LIKING HER VERY MUCH. SHE WOULD EMBARRASS ME BY SENDING ME HOME
TO CHANGE BLOUSES WHEN SHE THOUGHT MY WHITE BLOUSE WASN'T WHAT SHE THOUGHT IT
SHOULD BE. MY MOTHER HAD TO COME AND TALK TO HER ABOUT THAT. MY SISTER SALLY
MADE HER COMMUNION BEFORE ME. SHE WAS CONFIRMED FIRST BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN IT
WAS CONVENIENT FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE.
CHRISTMAS WAS MY FAVORITE TIME AT SCHOOL. WE WOULD ALL MARCH OVER TO THE BIG
HALL AND RECEIVE A STOCKING FULL OF CANDY, NUTS AND A BIG ORANGE. IT WAS WONDERFUL
FOR ALL US CHILDREN. WE SANG SONGS AND HAD A GREAT HAPPY DAY.
THE CHURCH WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE RIGHT ALTAR , ST JOSEPH ALTAR, WAS ALL COVERED
WITH FIR TREES AND BLUE LIGHTS WERE ALL OVER THE TREES. THE STATUES WERE OUT
WHERE WE ALL COULD SEE AND NOT HIDDEN LIKE TODAY. OUR CHURCH NOW PUTS THE MANGER
IN A ROOM TO THE SIDE OF THE ALTAR WHERE YOU CANNOT SEE IT. CHILDREN SHOULD
BE ABLE TO SEE THE BABY JESUS AND KNOW WHAT HE IS AND NOT SOMETHING ADULTS TALK
ABOUT. I MISS THE STATUES IN THE CHURCH WE HAVE. I DO NOT LIKE MY CHURCH AND
USUALLY TRY TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. I LOVE THE OLD TIME CHURCHES AND ST BONIFACE
MEANT SO MUCH TO ME, ALWAYS A PLACE TO RETURN TO WHEN YOU ARE HAPPY OR TROUBLED.
IT WAS A HAVEN AWAY FROM HOME.
ON APRIL 23, 1955 MY HUSBAND RON AND I WERE MARRIED BY FATHER THURMER AT A BEAUTIFUL
WEDDING. WE HAD OUR RECEPTION IN THE CHURCH HALL. OUR PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN FRONT
OF THE GROTTO IN THE PRIESTS YARD, AND IT IS MY FAVORITE. MY HUSBAND'S MOTHER,
LINDA SHOULTS WELTIG USED TO BABY SIT FOR FATHER THURMER WHEN HE WAS A TODDLER.
HOW IRONIC. WE MOVED AWAY FROM ST LOUIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND WAS SADDEN TO
HEAR OF FATHER EBERT'S DEATH. WHEN WE RETURNED TO MISSOURI I WAS ALSO SHOCKED
TO SEE THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDINGS TORN DOWN. I REMEMBER THE WELL WORN FLOOR AND
STEPS IN THE SCHOOL. WE HAD A PRETZEL MAN AT THE GATE WHEN RECESS TIME CAME.
HIS NAME WAS PETE THE PRETZEL MAN AND WE DID NOT HAVE TO FEAR HIM OR ANYONE.
WE [;AYED RED RIVER AND HOPSCOTCH AND TAG AT RECESS. IN THE MORNING AFTER MASS
WE WALKED TO THE CONFECTIONARY TO BUY BREAKFAST WHICH FOR ME WAS CHOCOLATE MILK
AND DOLLY MADISON CHOCOLATE CAKE. IT WAS A HAPPY TIME FOR MY FAMILY.
WE ALL ATTENDED MASS TOGETHER AND LOVED OUR PARISH.
SOME OF MY CLASSMATES WERE URSULA PLEIMANN, CLARISSA KRAEMER, TOM JULIUS, CLEM
NEIWORNER, FRANCES COCO AND MANY MORE PEOPLE WHOM I HAVEN'T SEEN FOR MANY YEARS.
I ATTENDED THE DINNER AND PICNIC THIS MONTH AND HOPED TO SEE SOMEONE I KNEW,
BUT IT DID NOT HAPPEN.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TELL MY STORY. IT ISN'T EXCITING BUT IT IS
A PEACEFUL LIFE THE LORD HAS GIVEN TO ME. MY HUSBAND AND I CELEBRATED OUR 50TH
ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR BY ATTENDING MASS AT ST BONIFACE. OUR SON WAS BAPTISED
AT ST STEPHEN'S PROMARTYR CHURCH WHERE WE LIVED IN 1957.
MRS CAROLINE CAHO WELTIG