Oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia

Collection

Identifier: SR 9011

Staff Only

Oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia

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Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia was conducted by Roberta Watts at the Marylhurst Education Center in Portland, Oregon, on June 29, 1979, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library’s oral history program. A transcript is available.

In this interview, Sister Mary Emerentia discusses her life as a Catholic nun with the Sisters of the Holy Names in Portland, Oregon. She shares her reasons for becoming a nun, and speaks at length about playing and teaching the harp. She talks briefly about the history of Marylhurst College, and closes the interview by discussing her fellow teachers.

Dates

Creation: 1979 June 29

Creator

Mary Emerentia, Sister, 1897-1996 (Interviewee, Person)
Watts, Roberta (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of Sister Mary Emerentia. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

Biographical note

Sister Mary Emerentia, nee Louise Berndorfner, was born in Iowa in 1897. She came to Oregon at age 12. In 1916, she became a Catholic nun with the Sisters of the Holy Names in Portland. She taught music and harp at schools affiliated with Holy Names in Portland and Seattle. She died in 1996.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 audiocassette (41 min., 39 sec.) + transcript (20 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia conducted by Roberta Watts on June 29, 1979. Sister Mary Emerentia joined the Sisters of the Holy Names in Portland, Oregon, in 1916, and taught music and harp at affiliated schools in Portland and Seattle.