Historical September–October 2000 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
The history of St. Roch School is a long one. Its first classes were held in a storefront on 6000 Pershing. Individual classes have held get-togethers but the school did not hold an all-class reunion until the weekend of September 30th. Getting ready for the event required a great deal of effort. For many years, lists of class graduates did not exist. Volunteers tried to find at Least one graduate per year and discover who else graduated at that time.
There are now 2,000 names in the data base. Neighborhood stalwarts were active in planning this reunion. Maggie HartMahon, class of 1968, co-chaired the alumni committee with Ann HoranHageman, class of 1942. Maggie’s sister, Jane Avar, served as chief operating officer for the reunion. Joe Keaveney was treasurer. Andy Cross made all of the banners for the reunion. Arline Webb, whose mother had been a kindergarten teacher at St. Roch, was in charge of the Sunday Reunion Mass. The. McCarthy family which numbered 13 St. Roch students—was in charge of the food.
In addition, Christina Fleener, a second generation Skinker DeBalivierite, created and sold t-shirts for the event. Attendance at this reunion was excellent. Almost 800 people attended the Saturday night dinner at the Chase ballroom. Every seat was filled at the Reunion Mass the next morning. Then, a thousand graduates with spouses and children came to picnic in the church yard that afternoon and toured the school. Current school principal Gloria Openlander supervised the tour and had every current teacher in place to meet the alumni. Many also toured the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood and were pleased at how well things looked. Many alumni were happy to see Sister Leo Ann Bub and Sister Charles at the reunion. Reunion planners were pleased to find a history of the parish that Jean Eberle, class of 1968, had put together in the 1960s.
The Renards, Schillers, Harts, and McCarthys have all seen more than one generation of their large families at St. Roch. Maggie Hart-Mahon noted that she and her seven brothers and sisters were all alumni. Everyone thanked Washington University for supplying free parking on their campus on Sunday and shuttling reunion participants to St. Roch and back from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
This event brought back wonderful memories to many and points out again to all of us the important role St. Roch and St. Roch School has played in this neighborhood.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September–October 2000.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Jean Eberle called class of 1968 while history described assembled in 1960 s; source wording retained,possible attribution/date error.
Original source: SD_Times2000_09.pdf, printed page(s) 9; PDF page(s) 9.
