Oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia, 1979 June 29
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Mary Emerentia, Sister, 1897-1996
- Title
- Oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia
- Dates
- 1979 June 291979-06-291979-06-29
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (41 min., 39 sec.) + transcript (20 pages))
- Collection Number
- SR 9011
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia conducted by Roberta Watts on June 29, 1979. Sister Mary Emerentia joined the Sisters of the Holy Names in Portland, Oregon, in 1916, and taught music and harp at affiliated schools in Portland and Seattle.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Digitization funded by the James F. Miller Endowment.
Biographical Note
Sister Mary Emerentia, nee Louise Berndorfner, was born in Iowa in 1897. She came to Oregon at age 12. In 1916, she became a Catholic nun with the Sisters of the Holy Names in Portland. She taught music and harp at schools affiliated with Holy Names in Portland and Seattle. She died in 1996.
Other Descriptive Information
A handwritten index (1 page) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content Description
This oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia was conducted by Roberta Watts at the Marylhurst Education Center in Portland, Oregon, on June 29, 1979, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program. A transcript is available.
In this interview, Sister Mary Emerentia discusses her life as a Catholic nun with the Sisters of the Holy Names in Portland, Oregon. She shares her reasons for becoming a nun, and speaks at length about playing and teaching the harp. She talks briefly about the history of Marylhurst College, and closes the interview by discussing her fellow teachers.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
Audio and transcript available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Sister Mary Emerentia, by Roberta Watts, SR 9011, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of Sister Mary Emerentia. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/
Administrative Information
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Catholics--Oregon--Portland
- Harpists--Oregon
- Music teachers--Oregon--Portland
- Nuns--Oregon--Portland
Personal Names
- Mary Emerentia, Sister, 1897-1996
Corporate Names
- Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
- oral histories (literary works)
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Watts, Roberta (interviewer)
