Expanding the story of hospitality

Sister Laurine Haley, left, presents Providence Health Care at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods resident Marianne Frey with a watch that had belonged to her late aunt, Sister Marion Celeste Bisch.

Sisters and residents in Providence Health Care at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods were assembled for the monthly birthday party. I thought this would be an excellent time to get a photo to accompany my article in HOPE magazine on hospitality which contained resident Marianne Frey’s interview. Marianne did not seem to be the type that would miss a party. Good idea, I thought to myself!

The party was going strong, but Marianne was not there. I inquired and was told that she was out in the courtyard. So, Paul, our photographer, and I made our way there and sure enough, we found her. Were we ever surprised and pleased that just at that moment Marianne was being presented with a pocket watch belonging to her aunt, Sister of Providence Marion Celeste Bisch.

The presenter of the watch, Sister Laurine Haley, had been given it many years ago, when her own watch stopped running. She had asked about watches “on hand,” and was given the watch of Sister Marion Celeste, who was deceased. When Sister Laurine purchased a new watch years later, the other one was put in a drawer as a possible “back up” should the watch battery on the new one give out.

When Sister Laurine realized Marianne’s connection to the Bisch family and that Sister Marion Celeste was her aunt, she knew she wanted to pass the watch on to her.

So she asked an aide to take Marianne from the party to the courtyard so she could present her with the watch.

“I was thrilled,” said Marianne of the presentation. “I had no idea the watch even existed. After all, Sister Marion Celeste died in 1994.”

And just so you know — the birthday cake and ice cream treat did find its way to the two of them in the courtyard.

Read the story referenced here and all the stories in the recently published fall 2014 edition of HOPE magazine.