Irene Cecilia Greek a.k.a. Sister Mary Colette Greek, O.P. (1909-2000)

Irene Cecilia Greek a.k.a. Sister Mary Colette Greek, O.P.
(1909-2000)

Irene (Sister Colette), the second child of Claude and Mayme Greek, was born 29 Apr 1909 in Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana. At the time the family was living at 914 South Stormont Street next door to Mayme's parents, John Francis and Martha Sheridan,

Irene 1909.

who lived at 908 S. Stormont. Irene's grandmother Martha died there on 21 Oct 1910 and grandfather John Francis followed her in death on 30 Apr 1911. Six months later, on 11 Oct 1911, Irene moved with her family to join Claude's parents who were living on a 40 acre farm in Moreno, Riverside, California. In the spring of 1912, Claude got a job with the National Orange Company and the family moved into a ranch house in Highgrove, Riverside, CA.

Irene attended the newly established St Francis de Sales High School in Riverside as did her sister, Carletta, who had changed her name to Colette upon entering high school. Colette was one of four girls making up the first graduating class of that school in 1925. Irene graduated in June 1926 along with her only other classmate, George Rice. (George went on to become Monsignor Rice who married my parents, Gene and Alice Hill, and even participated in their 50th wedding anniversary in 1983.) Irene attended Riverside City College (founded in 1916) for two years. On 22 July, 1928, Irene entered the Dominican Order of Sisters at their convent in Houston, Texas. She received the Dominican habit on 25 Mar 1929. She took the name Sister Mary Colette, O.P., in honor of her older sister, Colette, who had just been killed in a car crash in Houston, Texas, on 9 Jan 1929.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston in 1942 and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas (Austin) in 1953.

Sister Colette spent her entire 71 years as a Dominican nun teaching. She started her career in 1928 teaching at All Saints School in Houston. She went on to teach every grade in elementary school from one to seven, high school and college. In Texas she taught in schools in Pt Arthur, Houston, Taylor, Beaumont, Galveston, Austin and Orange. In California she taught in Riverside, Whittier, and Pico Rivera. In 1971 she shifted her career into Adult Education, primarily in teaching English as a second language to immigrant communities in California and Texas. From 1971 to 1973 she was employed by the Latin American Program in East Los Angeles. In 1972 she joined the Whittier Adult school faculty and taught there for the next 20 years. In 1992 she began to teach at the San Diego Adult School and worked there until her "retirement" in 1995 at age 86 to Dominic Villa at the convent in Houston, Texas. During her "retirement" she worked as a volunteer riding the bus every day to teach English as a second language at Holy Name Parish in Houston. As her fellow nun, Adrian Dover, O.P., wrote "Colette loved to teach. She loved the classroom --- it was her life".

Sister Colette was a very important part of our family. She cared deeply about all of us and interacting with her was part of the glue that held us together. She visited with everyone as often as she could including visiting the Sheridan part of our family back in Princeton, Indiana. She was a wonderful aunt to me: always making me feel loved and special. She took a great interest in my education and, later on, in my career. She was always curious about the research I was doing. She was an inspiration to me and I owe her more than I can say here.

In June 1999, Louise and I visited with Sister Colette for a few days in Dominic's Villa at the convent in Houston. It was a wonderful visit: she and the community of her sisters made us feel so welcome. A few months later Sister Colette passed away. Her colleague, Adrian Dover, O.P., wrote: "..I believe with all my heart, that Colette died according to how she lived her life. Quietly and gently and no trouble to anyone. She was in a lot of pain these last few months with her back, but worried so much about all the trouble she was causing on the second floor..I tried to assure her that we were with her in prayer and wanted to do all in our power to help (her) get well. She slipped quietly and quickly away on Sunday morning..." (19 Nov 2000.) Sister Colette is buried in Gethsamane Garden, Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston, Texas. She will be in my heart forever.

Greek children, Early 1914.
L to R: Clarence, Carletta, Alice, Irene.

Greek family in Highgrove, Riverside, CA, circa 1915.
Adults-L to R: Charles, Claude, Mayme, Mont, Effie, Rose, Margaret (Sheridan) Johnson, Dave.
Children-L to R:Alice, Ralph, Clarence, Irene, Carletta with Charlie.
Charles, Mont and Dave are Claude's brothers. Effie is Mont's wife, Rose is Dave's wife and Maggie (Sheridan) is Mayme's sister.
Ralph is Dave and Rose's son and Charlie is Mont and Effie's son.

Alice1917 — The Greek children at an outing in 1917 (most likely, Fairmount Park in Riverside). L to R: Carletta holding Ray, Alice, and Irene.

5kids — The Greek children at their home in Highgrove (Riverside), CA, circa early 1918. L to R: Clarence, Carletta, Ray, Irene, Alice.

The Greek family circa April 1919. L to R: Irene, Carletta, Ray, Mayme,Dickie, Clarence, Claude.
(Alice was in the hospital.)

1923 — Irene 8th grade graduation. June, 1922.

The Greek family circa late 1924.
L to R: Alice, Claude, Bill, Mayme,
Rolly, Irene, Ray

GleeClub — The St. Francis de Sales High School Glee Club 1924/1925. Colette, then a senior, was president of the Glee Club and Irene was a junior. (Colette is 2nd from Left and Irene is 4th from Left.)

SacredHeart — On July 22, 1928, Irene entered the Dominican Order of teaching nuns at Sacred Heart Convent in Houston, Texas

Irene as a Postulate (L) and Collete (Sister Luke), late 1928.

Sister Colette with her brothers circa 1941.
L to R: Rolly, Jack. Ray, Bill, Clarence.

1942a — Sister Colette with John Hill and Sharon Greek (Ray and Virginia's daughter) circa 1942.

Sister Colette in Los Angeles circa 1945.
L to R: Sister Colette, Alice, Jack
Front- Richard, Jim, John, Roger.

Sister Colette on a visit to the family in Oregon on the beach at Florence, OR, Summer, 1946.
L to R: Roger, Sister, Jim, John, Jack, and Rich.

Sister Colette 1947 while teaching at St Mary's High School in Taylor, Texas.

Sister Colette with her brothers(L to R) Ray, Bill, and Rolly. Taken at our home in Fontana in 1950.

1950a — L to R: Virginia, Ray, Sister Colette, Bill, Alice, Rosemary, Gene, Rolly. In front are Ray and Virginia's children (L to R): Doug, Pat, Sharon. Taken at our home in Fontana in 1950.

Greek family picnic in Santa Ana, CA, 1955.
L to R: Ray, Virginia, Emma (Clarence's wife), Clarence, Jack, Sister Colette, Margarette (Jack's wife), Alice, Bill, Bill's friend, Rolly, Dorothy (Rolly's wife)

Family at our home in Fontana, 1956.
Standing L to R:Rolly, Gene, Bill, Jack, Clarence, Sister Colette.
Seated L to R: Alice, Emma, Dot, Margarette.

Christmas in Fontana 1959.
L to R: Ray, Jack, Rolly, Alice, Bill, Sister Colette.

Sister Colette 1976 while teaching in Whittier, California.

Sister Colette with some of the Greek family. Whittier, CA. Mar 1985. (L to R:) Jack, Stephen, Sister Colette, Virginia, Patsy, Dot, Rolly, Ray (in back), Clarence, and Stephanie.

1995 — Sister Colette retiring from teaching at the Whittier Adult Education Institute in 1990.

Sister Colette in"retirement" doing what she loved best. June 1996.

SisterRoger — Sister Colette with her nephew, Roger (me). Dominic's Villa, Houston, TX. Jun 1999.

1990s — Sister Colette's hobbies had always been sewing and making beautiful note cards incorporating dried flowers. This field of Texas flowers must have been heaven for her.

Sister Colette with several of her sister nuns at Dominic's Villa in Houston, Texas, 2000.
She died shortly after this picture was taken.

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