Ruth Esther Sherman
Outline for Autobiography
1. Cradle to Convent
A. Birth
B. Old Homestead
a. Then
b. Now
C. Move to Hancock, Sands Creek
a. Paul's birth
b. Polio
c. Grandma Dutcher's Death
d. Densie Beattle
e. Skunk
f. Bees
g. Well - Cow dared to milk her. Roundups
h. Dared to ride a horse. My brothers always dared me to do things.
i. Camp Meetings - My Baptism in the Delaware River
i. Mom's conversion, Dad's, Paul and John become altar boys.
j. I asked: "How come there are no Altar Girls" Mom's answer: "You will be one
some day."
D. Move to Old Schoolhouse apartment in town.
a. Grandsquare Piano only thing in huge parlor. Had been in storage
with a black family where Mom had been a minister.
b. Sprained ankle riding down hill behind. Couldn't go to Midnight Mass.
c. Christmas gifts were always homemade except one Christmas Daddy gave
us jackknives as we were always borrowing his. Cut myself and had a scar
on my hand for may years
E. Move to Stagecoach Barn above the Railroad Trestle.
a. Daddy redid the inside.
b. Mom and I stippled tar paper floor.
c. Old fashioned shrine with painted mirror by Mom. Old Rugged Cross Theme.
d. Pope's picture framed in round old fashioned car headlight.
e. Garden and Chickens and Nanny goat.
f. Webbed feet friend - RR bum (so-called)
g. Visits by Sr. Amanda and Sr. Huberta
h. Car hit Mom when she was on the way home from the silk mill at 10:00 PM
i. Dad found her, took her to Dr and brought her home, Lost his watch. Found
it the next day in a puddle of water. It was still working.
j. Mom had surgery. In those days you had to have permission from the Church to
have a hysterectomy. I was in the 7th grade. I had wanted to be a nurse before
that but after having to take care of her at home, I changed my mind
k. Violin Concert, graduation from 8th grade. Preparing to go to Syracuse.
2. Juniorate:
a. Arrival - had received old list of requirements. Came wearing gunmetal
stockings, long dress, black shoes.
b. Attic incident & broken john top incident.
c. Dorm frolics
d. Laundry case goodies.
e. Work-study program
f. Sr. Mary vs Sr Consuela
g. Weight gain, clothes situation. Mom making clothes for me and guessing my
size. When I went home a t Christmas she had to let them all out. During the
summer vacation I lost only to gain it back in Boarding school.
3. Algebra Regents - end of Soph year. Failed, Returned in Sept to find out I had passed.
which meant I had to enter in February. Middle of my Junior Year.
4. Novitiate Daze
5. Investing
6. Early Missions - Hoboken, NJ -Cook `/2 year, 11/45 - 06/46
Albany, NY - teach 2nd grade 1 year 09/46-06/47
Mt. Carmel - Utica - Kindergarten & Day Care - 09/47-06/49
7. Final Profession 08/49 Homevisit -5 days with Sr. Grace Margaret
8. Hawaii - St. Joseph's Hilo -teach 2nd grade, 7th, 8th 09/49-06/58
First Communion, Brownies, Sodality, Church and Servers(Knights
of the Altar)
Pilot new Holy Week Services For Diocese of Honolulu.
9. Honolulu - Trip to Mexico with Sr. Miriam 1958
St Francis Convent School Founded Art Department, Taught High School
Religion I, Latin I, World History, Algebra I, Gen. Math I, Asian and
Pacific Studies, Spanish I, Art & Art Appreciation. 09/58-06/67
Taught students how to make 500 statue busts of Father Damien
To get him into the Hall of Fame in Washington DC
Damien Council YMI sent me to Kalaupapa to teach the patients.
Accompanied Sr. Maureen to a recognition breakfast where I
Received a Resolution form the Governor "Whereas...." and a
Plastic Statue of St. Francis for our fishpond. That ended up in
Hilo where I saw it upon my return to Hilo in 1990.
Accreditation and dinner
BS 1st to get from Chaminade College. Many of my Credits were under
The University of Dayton. I had some post grad credits from UH.
10.Syracuse - Assumption School 09/67-12/69 Jr. Home room, Soph. Home room Taught
Same subjects as above
11.Peru-Paramonga 02/70-02/73 English Classes and Special end of School year Programs.
Outdoor Theatre Production - each grade had a window up in the air. Parents
and workers helped construct the stage on oil barrels & windows in the sky.
05/70 Earthquake - Huaraz - helped Red Cross & US Military Personal
on Helicopter Missions to the areas of Destruction.
Fiesta del Bano. Mom and Sr, Gabriel in Paramonga-meals & beds.
12. Pativilca 73-12/79 Founded Parish Clinic, Studied Nursing, Practiced in Hospitals, Lima,
Huacho, Paramonga
Founded Clinica Parroquial San Jeronimo, and Club Artesanal San Jeronimo.
13. Accident 12/27/79 Hospitalized in Clinica Anglo-Americana in Lima. 15 operations.
Hepatitis. Transferred to Syracuse in May 1980
Phone call from Paul - bed and all out to Nursing Station 3x before
actually talking to him
14. During and after recuperation joined St. Mary's Prayer Group in Minoa.
Father DeOreo
Special Prayer Team - Bubbles, Bob and Conversion
Worked in Medical Lab
On Mission Board. Fell on ice and broke hip by Convent at St. Joseph's
After being dropped off from Mission Board Meeting. Hospitalized a
few days. Was back to work shortly after.
Lab Statistician and worked in Microbiology on Saturdays.
11. Stella Maris -84 30 Day Renewal/Sr. Shirley also going to Peru
12. 10/84-10/89 Peru
Reopened Clinica Parroquial which then became a Diagnostic Lab for TB
Patients who went to the Medical Post for Treatment. Banana Tears
Terrorists - Senderos Luninosos Y Tupac Amaru used Clinic via threats.
My Nurses and their Children lives were threatened so I decided not to
Return to Peru in order to protect them.
13. 11/28/89 To Hawaii to look for a Job.
14. 01/90 Broke shoulder in Ca on way back to Hawaii. Went to Blessing and Open House of
Our new Hospital West. Next morning my hip came out. Had surgery at Queen's where they
found the one and only screw they needed. Didn't get to Hilo until 09/90.
15. St. Joseph's Jr/Sr High School School Nurse until 08/95 when I tripped and fell on the rug
And broke my Rt Femur. Medevaced to St. Francis. Hospitalized in St. Francis and In Rehab
Continued Physiotherapy until the end of 95. Couldn't go back to Hilo.
1992 - To Peru for Celebration of 25 years of Service of our Sisters in the Diocese of
Huacho.
15. 02/04/94 My Jubilee Celebration in Hilo. My brothers and their wives came to Hawaii. Very
Significant as John passed away in 1995 and Paul in 1996.
Jubilee trip to Peru - ended up closing the Parish Lab and doing all
legal work necessary
To turn over the equipment to the Gov run Posta Medica in Pativilca.
Mass and Jubilee Celebration In Pativilca.
Then to the House of Formation for another Celebration and farewell.
16. New Franciscan Adult Day Care was just opening and looking for someone to be Activity
Director. Was Activity Director for two years and than became Resource Person until now.
Adult Day Care opened in January of `96.
17. Jan 2001 Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of our Sisters in Hilo. Founded St. Joseph
School.