Sister Mary Jerome (Theresa) Gordon
Sister Mary Jerome was born on a farm near Manila, Iowa. When she was 11, both parents died within a month of each other, and the surviving family, except for her oldest brother and youngest sister, came to St. Vincent Home in Davenport, Iowa. After she completed the eighth grade, she worked for board and room and went to high school in rural Adair, Iowa. Wanting to be a teacher, she passed the teacher's examination and began teaching near Montpelier, Iowa, helping at St. Vincent's on the weekends.
After she joined the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1909, she finished high school and earned her college degree through summer school and correspondence courses.
She taught upper grades and commercial subjects in high school, then in later years, was librarian. Sister Jerome had a remarkable sense of humor, loved people, disliked routine and enjoyed travel.
She was devoted to prayer, especially the Eucharist, the rosary and religious hymns. She died at age 97, the oldest sister in the community at that time.
"Thank you for your great website. Thank you, too, for including both pictures and biographies of some of your earlier sisters: Frances Therese, Mary Antoinette and Mary Jerome. These women of great faith and service provided us with a superior education and were great role models. I attribute their teaching/example as one of the elements in my call to religious life.
" If I may, I would like to add/correct to Sr. Jerome Gordon's biography that she also served at Saint Pius X School in Urbandale, Iowa. In the early to mid-1960's, she helped out selling small school supplies. We would often buy notebooks, pencils, rulers and other small utensils from her small store located in a tall white steel cabinet in the hallway of the school. She was always kind and a great nun. Thank you for your great work and all of these amazing stories. They were and are women of great faith. God bless." - Deacon Steve Boatwright - Archdiocese of Saint Paul/Minneapolis
Sr. Gordon Missions:
St. Joseph, Neola
Melrose Public, Melrose
St. Mary, Marshalltown
Parnell Public, Parnell
Cosgrove Consolidated, Cosgrove
St. Joseph, Fort Madison
St. Joseph, Dunlap
Georgetown Public, Georgetown
St. Vincent, Davenport
Dowling High, Des Moines
Pius X, Rock Island, IL
Ottumwa Heights, Ottumwa
Saint Pius X School, Urbandale, Iowa
Humility of Mary Center, Davenport