Sister Mary Francine Gould, BVM, Interview with Sister Mary DeCock, BVM, 1999

Sister Mary Francine Gould, BVM interviews with Sister Mary DeCock, BVM. She describes growing up in Chicago, and eventually entering the BVMs in 1929. Sister Mary Francine served as part of the first set of sisters to teach at Mundelein College. She encountered various pressures in the early years of Mundelein, working alongside and occasionally standing in for Sister Justicia Coffey, BVM. Her time at Clarke College was much more calm in comparison to Mundelein. She eventually retired from Clarke in 1972 before moving to the BVM Mother House in Dubuque, Iowa.

1999

Sister Mary Francine Gould, BVM was born in 1905, growing up in Chicago, Illinois. She entered the novitiate in 1927 to become a BVM nun. Sister Mary Francine was a high school teacher in Chicago; a college teacher at Mundelein College, Chicago, and Clarke College, Dubuque. She was one of the founding faculty members of Mundelein College, and served the first president, Sister Justicia Coffey. Sister Mary Francine lived her later years at the BVM Mother House in Dubuque, Iowa, where she died in 2000.

Sister Mary Francine Gould, BVM
Interview with Sister Mary DeCock, BVM, June 10, 1999
Dubuque, IA
Time Log

Side A

0-5 minutes
She lived in St. Columbkille’s parish. Went to the BVMs at St. Vincent’s. Moved and went to Lourdes. Immaculata for one year. Attended Mount St. Joseph, now Clarke College; finished four years. Entered novitiate in 1929. Went to study at St. Louis University for a year. Went to Annunciation in Chicago. Attended St. Louis University with Sister Mary Sylvester (Geisler); lived in convent there. Sylvester came from Mt. Carmel with her. Five sisters sent on to study - Sister Mary Columba Kriebs, Sister Irma Corcoran, Sister Mary Sylvester Geisler, Sister Mary John Michael Dee, and herself went on to Michigan. Columba was the treasurer at Mundelein. John Michael was the president. Sylvester took math, study of a lateral area of an oblique circular cone in terms of elliptical intervals.
5-10 minutes
Gould compared two educational theories of two medieval educators; thought was very boring. Latin major as an undergraduate. Received degree in June. Lived in a little bungalow next to where Mundelein is now. Nobody knew what they would teach. Sylvester taught the sisters one week, and they would teach it the next week. Taught a lot of English. Sister Mary Angelita (Stackhouse) head of the English Department. Taught John Henry Newman. Angelita (Kramer) took every course she taught. Taught Latin. Sister Justicia Coffey assigned her house duties. At the switchboard.
10-15 minutes
Priest wanted to talk to Sister Justicia; she was in a conference with Mother Isabella Kane. He was a priest talking for Cardinal Mundelein; Sister Justicia talked to him. 384 students the first year. Took care of the students as well as you could; young and enthusiastic. Sister Mary Justicia said she would take the job of president if she received young sisters. Sister Mary Justicia wanted things her way. Students were not wealthy. Not conscious of the Depression.
15-20 minutes
Not sure where students came from. Not afraid of failing students. Mundelein for three years. Moved to Clarke College, less pressures than Mundelein. Sister Mary Agatha Farrell at Clarke was considerate. She spoke for Sister Justicia at Mundelein. Music teacher at Mundelein, Consuelo Ramaley. Taught Education at Clarke. Didn’t teach Latin all her life. Taught some high school. Went to St. Mary’s after Clarke. Had to keep kids in ranks; got along fine with them.
20-25 minutes
Went back to Clarke after St. Mary’s. Sister Mary Ambrose Mulholland was the superior. Sister Mary St. Clare was the home economics professor. Did what Sister St. Clara Sullivan said. Retired at Clarke in 1972. Registrar at Clarke. Created her own computer. Always learning something new moving from school to school. At Clarke when the fire occurred. Working desk at Marian Hall.
25-30 minutes
Lost some of her things to the fire. Sister Carolyn Farrell decided who would move where after the fire. Moved to the Mother House. Used a walker and later a wheelchair. Community for seventy-two years. Enjoyed the contrast between teaching college and high school. Liked St. Mary’s.
30-35 minutes
Would give advice to new sisters to “roll with the punches.” She was glad to see the changes with Vatican II.

Side B

0-5 minutes
Mother Isabella. Gould felt like she never got things right in the habit. Scared of Mother Isabella. Mother Isabella and Sister Justicia had a lot to do with the creation of Mundelein. Mother Isabella was in her sixties when she received her high school diploma. She was Sister Justicia’s stand-in.

Sister Mary Francine Gould, BVM 1999 Index

KEY
MFG 1999=Mary Francine Gould 1999 Interview

INDEX
Annunciation school, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
BVMs, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Clarke College, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5, MFG 1999 Side A 15-20, MFG 1999 Side A 20-25
Coffey, Justicia, MFG 1999 Side A 5-10, MFG 1999 Side A 10-15, MFG 1999 Side A 15-20, MFG 1999 Side B 0-5
Corcoran, Irma, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Dee, Mary John Michael, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Education, MFG 1999 Side A 5-10, MFG 1999 Side A 15-20
English, MFG 1999 Side A 5-10
Farrell, Carolyn, MFG 1999 Side A 25-30
Farrell, Mary Agatha, MFG 1999 Side A 15-20
Geisler, Mary Sylvester, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Great Depression, MFG 1999 Side A 10-15
Immaculata High School, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Kane, Isabella, MFG 1999 Side A 10-15, MFG 1999 Side B 0-5
Kriebs, Mary Columba, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Latin, MFG 1999 Side A 5-10
Lourdes school, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Marian Hall, MFG 1999 Side A 20-25
Mount Carmel, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Mount St. Joseph, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
Mulholland, Mary Ambrose, MFG 1999 Side A 20-25
Mundelein College, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5, MFG 1999 Side A 5-10, MFG 1999 Side A 10-15, MFG 1999 Side A 15-20
Mundelein, George, MFG 1999 Side A 10-15
Newman, John Henry, MFG 1999 Side A 5-10
Ramaley, Consuelo, MFG 1999 Side A 15-20
St. Clare, Mary, MFG 1999 Side A 20-25
St. Columbkille’s Parish, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
St. Louis University, MFG 1999 Side A 0-5
St. Mary’s school, MFG 1999 Side A 15-20, MFG 1999 Side A 20-25, MFG 1999 Side A 25-30
Stackhouse, Mary Angelita, MFG 1999 Side A 5-10
Sullivan, Sister, MFG 1999 Side A 20-25
Vatican II, MFG Side A 30-35

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