Pio Nono High School - Pio Nonite Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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19 THE PIO NONI'1'E 25 ALUMNI NOTES. Guido Fonteehio, a popular student at Pio None from 1921'-1925 is now attend- ing a boa1'ding school in Chieti, Italy, studying particularly the language of that land. From a letter se11t to Prof. Ruep- ing we are informed that the climate in that region is excellent. He also writes that there is no place like the U. S. A. for many things, specifying two, sports and to- baccos, of which he is exceedingly fond. 1Ve are glad to know Guido intends to re- turn to America and has already promised to visit Pio None. It has been reported that Mr. R. Kom- arowsky has embarked, rather clandes- tinely, upon the sea of matrimony. Pray, skipper, who is,your mistress? Joe Smith, Ike, invites everybody to come to Iowa to become millionaires. 1Vell, Joe, we think it is worth while con- sidering. Having been the candy store man at Pio None for several years you will have little trouble counting your money, Joe. The following former students at Pio None were ordained Feb. 1, 1925: Rev. P. Salm, appointed to .... Marinette Rev. J. Schneider, appointed to ..Racine Rev. J. Feider, appointed to .... Kenosha Rev. F. Shea, appointed to ...... Racine Mr. Cyrill and Mr. Kraft have recently favored Pio Nono with a visit. IVC hope that others will follow suit. Prof. Leo A. Xickasch resigned his po- sition as organist and director at St. Mary's Church, Appleton, IVis. He ae- cepted a similar position at Holy Angel's Church, Gary, Ind. Address: T04 Polk Street, Gary, Ind. Mr. P. Schcuerell, a. 1923 graduate, is employed as salesman with Sinclair Oil Co. in Chicago. W'e we1'e recently in- formed that he is happily married and settled in the city of his employment. Father Gruenwald, former professor and procurator at Pio None, who has a parish at Ashford, VVis., visited us recent- ly. New that you are closer, Father, come and visit us often. Charles Brandenstein, Brandy , a. 1923 graduate, is employed at the Mil- waukee Mechanics Insurance Co., Mil- waukec. Mr. Raymand Zurn, a student and gradu- ate of years gone by, who spent the last few years in European waters as a sailor, lately joined the Navy. Rev. Ed. Rodenkirch, former professor of the college, has been advanced to the parish of St. Rita at Milwaukee. Fred Maersh, a 192-L graduate, is assist- ant cashier in his father's bank at She- beygan. Good stuif, Fritz, now we know where to get the 'dough.' Father Schneider, Father Salm, and Father Shea gave their first blessing to the students on the day following their ordination. ' .Ioe Gardner, who formerly worked for the Penn Mutual Life lnsurancc Co., is enjoying himself on his father-in-law's farm near Allenton, 1Yis. At the request of the editor of Pio None Alumni I will give a flickering sign of life. Shortly after Easter 1889, I entered the Catholic Normal at St. Chas. Fessler was rector, and he encour- aged me to take up the musical cou1'se The first hour in his class convinced me, that if my first Francis. Rev. under Prof. Singenbergcr. instructor in music, Prof. Oberhoffer of Luxemburg, had evinced only half the zeal and patience of Chevalier Singen- berger, I would have mastered the organ during my studies at the Normal of Lux- emberg. As it was, I had to start in at the beginning and although 23, had to train my hands like a little boy. 1Vhen I looked at some of the aged, earnest faces 29

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19 THE PIO NONITE 25 of the fourth year, I had to admit that if men of 30 could learn and practice suf- ficiently for graduation, I should not give up. Soon I had occasion to admire the professor's pedagogical tact and imparti- ality. The oldest student of the institu- tion was a Polish count, Mr. YVascovicz, who had been exiled to Siberia by the Czar, but who had succeeded in making his escape. He was over 40 years old and a very pious man. His voice, and his hear- ing had suffered in the icy regions, but nevtvthcless he was eager to study music and to play the organ. A quack had per- suaded him, that if he would inhale the fumes of a strong solution of ammonia, he would regain his voice and hearing. He carried a flask with the solution in his vest pocket and sniffed at it every 5 or 10 minutes. When he practiced melodian in the organ house, he would sing, counting the beats of every note, but singing more than an octave higher than the melody of his lesson. Oh, it was a shrill piping, lit not to soften tones, but to enrage human ears. By good or by bad luck it happened, that I had two or three practice hours on an instrument adjoining the Count's me- lodian room. I tried everything to steady my nerves and my ears, so as not to hear the sharp, shrill singing, but to no avail. So I concluded to stuff up my ears, to bandage my head, and to pump the bel- lows, so as to drown the Count 's chant by the noise. Suddenly one day the door opened and I heard Prof. Singenberger's stcntorian voice Man, are you mad or crazy, to pump the bellows at such a speed Look- ing around. I said: A fellow would be sick and erazv to have to listen to that serenading for an hour, A smile played around the professor 's mouth, but he sup- pressed it, saying: Miz Vliassovicz has the same rights here as anv other stu- dent, and if he practices singing while playing melodian, that is his own affair. I did not dare to contradict, but I asked if he could not be urged to sing at a lower pitch. The good nrofessor said: My dear man, you shouldn't have taken the right to remedy it in your own hands, you should have complained at the 1'cctor's ottice. Besides you exploded the bellows by your fast pumping, and even if the seams be glued together again, the instru- ment will have to rest Cer several days. Your practice hours are canceled for this week, so that the students using this in- strument can take your hours at the other melodiuns. It will never do, to take the law in one's hands. I had tc admit, that the professor was right. Next week, I had my hours assigned asain, but none coincided with the Count 's practice in a ll0il1 lly I'00lll. In the vacation of 1890 I stayed at the Normal. On one day Father Gerend called me to the rector 's otiice and handed me a letter of a school trustee from Ne- braska, asking tor a Catholic teacher. The reverend rector advised mc to accept the position, and I followed his advice, giv- ing my terms to the ineuirer. My proposi- tion was accepted, and so, after the Feast ot' Assumption, I started on my westward journey. It was quite a pioneer life in Nebraska. but it suited me. and I stayed five years at Menominee, Nebraska. In 1895 the trustees of St. Joseph Parish, Constance, Nebraska, engaged my services and there I taught schooi nm. played the organ for ten successive years. The cold winters undermined my health, and in 1905 I had to Quit teaching and move with mv familv to California. Although I was given up by the doctors and by our pastor, I rallied again, and although an in- valid for twentv years. I can move around a little and derive a living from garden- ing and poultry raising. Only two of the former fellow students of the Catholic 30