LIFE OF EDITH A. WALTER BEFORE ENTERING THE CONVENT

BY SISTER MARY SALESIA, O.S.F.

I was born in Minnesota in Sibley County, on a farm in the country at 9 o'clock in the morning. Our P.O. address was Sibley, a little town there.

I was the fourth child of Hannah Kinsey and Clark Walter. I lived there in Minnesota till my third year when the grasshoppers came and ate us out of house and home and Father put us all in a covered wagon and started for Oregon on May 2, 1877. We arrived in Oregon at Grandfather Milton Kinzie’s place August 31, 1877. It took us four months to make the journey.

This same year when visiting my Aunt and Uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Dion Keefe in Walla Walla, Wash, my mother was received into the Catholic Church. I was baptized in St. Patrick's Church, Walla Walla, Wash. By Rev. Father Duffy with my sister Mabel age 10, Charles age 5, Edith age 3, my Aunt and Uncle were our god-parents. My Mother and us children, Mabel, Charles, and Edith lived for a while at Uncle Henry Kinsey's, Mother's brother, place, till Father built us a house on the farm near Athena, then called Centerville.

The Indians were on the War Path at that time, murdering white people but we were not molested by them although many were, but lived in constant fear of them finding us, then things finally calmed down and were peaceful.
Soon after returning to the farm there was an epidemic of diphtheria. Every place children were dying like flies, sometimes an entire family was wiped out of existence. Mother tied bags of asafetida around our necks and would not let us children meet or see anyone. If someone came to the house, we were sent into a back room till they were gone. Not one of us took the disease. When I was six years old I attended the District County School walking 2 ½ miles each morning and night with my brothers and sister. I attended school here till I was 12 years old. There were about 20 children in all who attended this school. They were neighboring children whose parents lived on farms around us. The schoolhouse was on a hill and we often played on the surrounding farms lands, and occasionally for a treat the teacher would take us during the noon hour down to Wild Horse Creek which was one mile away. When I was in the Eighth Grade, I attended the Athena public school. My sister Mabel was teaching school there. Then I went to school at St. Vincent Academy, Walla Walla, Wash. The Sisters of Providence had a boarding School there. I took music lessons while attending this school.

When I was 15 years old I attended the State Normal School in Monmouth, Ore. with my sister Mabel and cousin Ida Keefe. I was a junior then, my sister and cousin were seniors and graduated from this School with Honors, both having a general average of 95% plus. They both received their life diploma.

The next School I attended was St. Joseph Academy, Pendleton, Ore. in 1892 and 1893. I went here for two school years and besides schooling I took Music and Art. About the time I made my First Communion was when thought first came to me about my future vocation to the Religious Life.

When attending St. Vincent's Academy, there was a girl boarding there whose Mother had died when she was very small. Her Father, a railroad man, put her with the Franciscan sisters in the Baker Academy after the mother passed away. This girl, Addie Salesbury, could not praise these Sisters enough, how kind they were, doing this and that for her, etc. We boarders heard this constantly. In fact, Addie was homesick for the Sisters who had cared for her during her tender years. She was then 12 years old when I knew her.

This talk of hers created in me to know the Franciscan Sisters, so afterwards, I went to the Franciscan Sisters in Pendleton in 1892 and attended School here for two years. I decided I wanted to be a Franciscan. I applied and was accepted.

When I made this intention known to my parents, they objected in every way. "What are you thinking of to want to leave us and go so far from home." "You will be like the Masons. We will never know what you are doing." "Why don't you get married and live near home so we can see you now and then. etc." After I entered I was home to visit my parents before my Sister Mabel who had married Doctor Moffitt, a month before I left for the Convent.
They urged me to go our more to parties, dances etc., but I did not find any pleasure in them. Sometimes thoughts like these would come to me when sitting in a ball room: I would gladly give all this and more to be in the Convent right now, for I felt that was where God wanted me to be. It was to be my work in life to work for Jesus and God and nothing would satisfy me.

My Parents would not let me go back to the Sister's School. They said I had too many thoughts about entering the Convent. They seemed to think I might change my mind if I was away from the Sisters. But they were mistaken. I felt there was where God wanted me to be and no place else. They then threatened me with "There is a law that will hold you till you are 21 years." In this, they were mistaken, but I did not know it. I was 18 years old then. Well, I thought, if they carry out that threat and go to Court about it, I would wait till I was 21.

In the meantime I stayed home and helped my Mother with the cooking, washing, house cleaning, etc. Then for a time I taught English in a District School. Those days anyone in High School who would take and pass a teachers' examination could teach. I had obtained a Second Grade Teachers' Certificate having a general average of 88%. After this School was out, I gave Music lessons. My Father gave me a horse and buggy to go to the pupil's houses for this.

I thus earned money to get my things ready for the Convent. At home my oldest Sister was being married. There was still my three brothers and two sisters yet at home, so I was not needed for my Parent's support.
When I was 21 I wrote again for my admission date, and in reply, three dates were given me, Sept 8, Oct. 4, Sept. 17th. Up to this time I had never obtained my Mother's permission to enter, so I thought I would try again. I went to my Mother and told her I had received an answer, and asked her which date should I take. She said, "Which is the last one? Take that. It is soon enough." This was the only permission I ever got from Mother. My Father did not openly oppose me, but did indirectly. On Oct. 4, 1895 I entered the Franciscan Order at St. Joseph Academy, Pendleton, Oregon. My brother Charles took me with horse and carriage. There were no autos in those days.
When I told my mother goodbye, the last I heard of her she was screaming and crying. My Father had disappeared and I did not see him to tell him goodbye.

In after years when my Mother was reconciled to my being in the Convent, she told me on that evening before I left when we had gathered around, she had made up her mind to tell me I could not go, she would not let me, then thought better to my Father's advice. He answered and said, "You let her alone and let her go. If you don't she will run away and go." This time my Father knew me better than Mother as this was what I intended to do if I was opposed any longer, as I was then three months past 21 years. I had my own life to live and I felt this was where God wanted me to be. I have been happy in this life and if I had my life to live over, I would have done just the same, and now I have lived in the Community over 60 years.

After entering at St. Joseph's Academy, I was sent to Sacred Heart Academy, La Grande, Ore. after Christmas to teach in the intermediate grade. I returned to S.J.A. Pendleton after this school closed, then went east to Glen Riddle, Pa to the Novitiate and was invested in the Holy Habit August 25, 1896 by Arch Bishop Ryan and received the name of Sister Mary Salesia. I was one year in the Novitiate, then my second year was sent to St. Andrew's Mission in 1897, and was there two years.

(Written by Sister Mary Salesia c. 1955; edited by Dave Vannet, 2003)