15
Class Notes
1930s
1960s
Anna Bakeman Tompert 38 of Port
Huron recently wrote a book about Saint
Patrick and his mission to bring
Christianity to Ireland in the 4th century.
Basing her text on one of Saint Patricks
letters, Confession, she reveals his
remarkable life, through a swift moving and
simply told chronology that interweaves
the words of Patrick himself. The book is
titled St. Patrick and is published by
Boyds Mills Press.
Mary Alan Stuart, OP 62 of Lexington,
KY works as a Registered Dietitian in the
Outreach Nutrition Service at Saint Joseph
Hospital in Lexington.
1940s
Connie Berube Binsfeld 45 of Maple
City, Michigans lieutenant governor, has
made a career of protecting children; and
this past December, Governor John Engler
signed whats been labeled the Binsfeld
legislation to strengthen protections for
abused and neglected children. The
legislation caps a remarkable career for
the first woman in Michigan to hold office
in both the House and Senate, then serve
as lieutenant governor. As a former
Michigan Mother of the Year she has used
her bully pulpit to outlaw the sale by
birth mothers of parental rights to
childless couples, help simplify adoption,
help create the Office of the Childrens
Ombudsman and push through reforms in
the child welfare system. On May 4,
Connie received the Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Michigan Sapphire Award
recognizing her as a jewel of the
community whose efforts have improved
the lives of children. The award was
presented at the Governors Service
Awards Program banquet in Lansing,
where fellow Siena graduate Patrick
Irwin 86 also was honored as a finalist
for an exemplary service award.
Lois Spear, OP 46 of Adrian had an
article, Michigans 650 Lifer Law,
published in the October 25 issue of
America.
1950s
Joan Klusnick Watson 58 of Murray,
UT expects her 5th grandchild this
September. She cant make it to this
years class reunion but sends her love to
all!
Jean Tobin, OP 62, now of Chicago, has
generously shared her life and expertise to
bring academic and religious education to
young girls and lay workers in South
Africa. For the past three years, she
assisted the principal at St. Annes
Secondary School in Modimong. The
school gathers students from a radius of
100 miles. Students are from mixed
backgrounds and most are quite poor by
Western standards. Along with the
artifacts that Sr. Jean brought back, she
also brought home a South African word-one that seems to sum up her ministry.
The word is ubuntu, which means we
are responsible for other people.
Mary LeQuier, OP 63 of Ridgeville, SC
has received South Carolinas highest
award, the Order of the Palmetto, along
with Carol Dulka, OP 71, for their work
with the poor of rural Dorchester County.
Mary Beth Ozar Katz 63 of Homewood,
AL is a science teacher at Our Lady of
Sorrows School and has been awarded the
Friend of Science award by the Alabama
Science Teachers Association. The award
recognizes her long-standing contribution
to the improvement of science education
throughout the State of Alabama. I
continue to teach in Catholic schools
because of the love of Catholic education
nurtured while I was at Siena.
Joan Kehn, OP 65 of Plantation, FL
presented workshops at the 1997
Religious Education Congress in
September in Miami, FL along with Ana
Feliz, OP 63 of Dominican Republic.
Marie Breitenbeck, OP 66 of Atlanta,
GA has been asked to update her chapter,
The Canonical Tradition of
Confidentiality Pertaining to Oral
Communications, in Confidentiality in
the United States: A Legal and Canonical
Study, published by the Canon Law
Society. She also was asked to be a
contributor for the first ever English
edition of The New Dictionary of Canon
Law, published by Michael Glazier Press.
Patricia Pettis Magee 68 of East Tawas
gave a presentation at the Secretariat for
SIENA HEI !QL