Sister Ignatius, The Fishing Nun

Aunt Margaret turned 81 on July 21st. I send her roses on her birthday, which sounds pretty nice of me when in truth, I have an ulterior motive. I know I'll get a thank you letter or phone call from Aunt Margaret-and in the letter or phone call is my present...a great family story. This years story was delightful:

My grandmother, Rita Connelly, had 2 sisters, Florence and Margaret (Aunt Margaret's namesake.) Margaret decided, unbeknownst to the family, to become a nun. She went to Europe first, spent all her money and then returned home to inform the family of her decision to become a nun. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph in Rochester, N.Y. (a Roman Catholic order founded in 1650 in Le Puy-en-Velay, France) becoming Sister Ignatius.

For vacations  Sister Ignatius returned to Upstate New York, visiting her now married niece (myAunt) Margaret and her niece's husband, (my uncle) Johnny. Uncle Johnny took Sister Ignatius fishing, which Aunt Margaret described:

Sister Ignatius would remove her gimp, hike up her habit and stick her legs over the edge of the boat and into the lake. Sitting back, she'd soak her feet while drinking a beer.