Windsor’s Biggest Architectural Loss

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• Hi Ward. I was just wondering if James Barton is referring to Mrs. Thompson who was my second grade teacher in '54/'55. I ADORED her. She was a lovely, gentle lady with a very kind smile. melissa

• Hi Melissa, Wish i had more information, I was there for a year sometime in the 50's and went home to the states on weekends "sometimes" We slept in a dormitory and every thing was pretty regimented. I thought it was an "all boy" boarding School because I don't remember ever seeing any girls! From what I remember a young woman lay teacher spent many hours after class teaching another boy and I "aeiou" and how to read. When I returned to the public school system in the states and was tested, I was reading and comprehending at second year college level by their standards. This early intervention by Her enriched my life beyond measure. I never saw or heard from her again although I was told by my wicked stepmother that she did invite the other boy and I to her and her husband's home in Ontario for a visit a while after I left St. Marys. my d.o.b. is 4/7/1947 I am very sure she would remember helping us. She spent a lot of hours after school in a basement classroom @ St. Marys working with us. Scrumpmother@gmail.com

• I am looking for information about an extracurricular group from the 1950s that involved the both the girls of the St. Mary's Academy and the boys of Assumption High School together. My dad (Mike Jacko) was involved in that group and we are interested in the name of it (Catholic or Christian "something"?). Does anyone remember that group? Thanks for your help!

• Marcy, is this what you are looking for (midway down the right side of page 64 out of 102)?

  http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=4b-LE5UluQcC&dat=19570927&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

• I am a 1957 Graduate of St. Mary"s Academy and I have 2 'year books' from there. I also studied Music at the Academy and at the age of 13 I taught the beginner students for the Academy, in piano. I was one of 5 Senior Singers who took the solos for the school and sang on CBC radio for them.It was an honor every time we sang in the huge Auditorium and in the Chapel where everything just echoed, On the 1st floor of the school was the cafateria where the Boarders and Nuns ate their meals and at the very back of the first floor was the Music Dept. There was individual practise rooms for us to study in and the voice Teacher was across the hall (at the east end ) and the piano teacher at the west end/ The hump on the first floor was said to be where Mother Mary Rose was buried who was the Founder of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.It was a wonderful school to go to. I crid when they demolished it. My Father was the person who worked for the H.O.Trerice Co who took care of the boiler room and He said there was so many repairs needed to the school it was to costly to save it.I cried and so did my Dad.

• My mother purchased the baby Jesus statue and a few other artifacts from the auction. I would love to hear from anyone that remembers the statue. It came with several changes of clothes and has a very ornate crown. I have pictures but I am not sure how to attach them.

• I attended boarding school there 1955-1958, does anyone have a copy of the DVD I could buy, or any memorabilia? Does anyone know of a list of names of students who attended in that time period?

• I attended St Mary's when a young child for a couple of years. 1945-1949 later attended Notre Dame De Bon Secours the 4 room school of the parish Christ the King, just down Grand Maris Rd. It was a very happy time but we had different uniforms. Knee length black wool dresses that had button on white collars and cuffs which we washed each night in the bathroom sinks. I remember spending much time in the grotto as a quiet peaceful getaway from the busy school. Made my First Holy Communion in the chapel and we wore the same uniforms as we did every day, but they were white. Everyone had to wear the uniform because some of the boarders did not have the pretty nylon kind. I also fell from an 8foot slide in the basement playroom. Bit my tongue off and was rushed to Hotel Deux for several months while it was sewn back on. I had 3 operations because my saliva would melt the stitches of cat gut and some other material. Finally, in the 40's they tried nylon and it actually held. Had lots of penacillian shots, and loved when the Sisters from ST. Mary's came to visit me. When we moved to California in the 50's, the kids were doing in 8th grade what I had learned in the fourth grade in Canada. I loved the school, and the sisters were always very kind, except for trying to teach me to write right handed. I remember polishing the stair rails and wooden floors with sheep skin and pulling each other around and playing up and down the halls. The only boys at that time were day scholars, and hardly remember any. I saw it being exploded only one time and could not believe that that could happen to such a wonderful place. My best friend was Madeline Breen from Glasgow, Scotland. I was from Detroit, my mom was from the U.S. and my dad was Canadian. Will never forget the day at St. Mary's.

• Mike... When Gus said a 'back road' by the Detroit River, I can only think of somewhere in Brighton Beach. You won't be able to go, for an archaeological search, because that area is heavily guarded and off - limits to the general public... :-(

• I was a boarder at SMA for one year, 1956-57 school year. The last year they took in boys. I organized the Friends of St. Marys Academy in 1995 as an alumni association. We had 2,000 members and a newsletter and annual reunions for five years. They donations dried up and we were out of business. I have souvenirs of SMA, given to me by Sr. John Thomas.