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Autobiography of Sister M. Remigia (Mary J. Wals)
1868-1942
My parents were both Europeans. My father Michael Wals was a native of Bavaria born at Straubing, Aug. 17, 1823. My mother was born at Irschenbach, Bavaria, Oct 16, 1829.
Both had a good Catholic training emigrated to America, selected Milwaukee, Wis. for their future home.
Here they were united in marriage by the Rev. Doctor Salzmann, June 14, 1852, shortly after their arrival from Europe.
They lived in Milwaukee eight years, during this period of time God blessed them with six children.
The four oldest died in their infancy, of these two were twins, Joseph and Julius. The other two, little girls, also died there in their childhood, both had the name of Mary.
In 1861, my parents moved to New Frankfort, Saline Co., Missouri.
Shortly after their arrival there the Civil War broke out, and my father was called to the colors.
After three years of hard and faithful service he was honorably discharged.
Meanwhile my mother had been engaged in the Mail Service during those troubled times. She carried mail between New Frankfort, and Glasgow, Missouri.
Whilst living in Missouri God blessed my parents with six more children.
Three of these Michael aged 13, Magdalene aged 7, and Susanna the baby aged two years, died in one year all of typhoid menningitis.
In 1876 my parents moved to Bellevue, Iowa, where they lived until their death.
I their third youngest child was born March 30, 1868, and baptized by Rev. Meyer's P.J. the same day since I was in danger of dying any moment. My mother met with a great accident had a fall just one or two days before my birth. Which caused me to be born in a disfigured condition. My limbs were all out of shape and place every limbed had to be bandaged seperately for over a year during which time I was a little bundle, that could not move nor stir, but cry day and night.
In baptism I received the name Mary, the name that two of my deceased little sisters had had for my mother loved the B.V. Mary very dearly and wanted at least one of her children to be named after her Heavenly Mother.
I caused a great deal of trouble on account of my woeful condition but my dear mother loved me dearly and had the patience of job taking care of me. Mothers always do love a little sufferer more than the rest.
I retained a very dark face for months, and was called the little negro by my sisters and brothers.
My mother had a nurse for me that kept me bandaged constantly. My good mother felt that she could never thank God enough for giving me straight limbs again that nobody expected.
May God grant the good old lady nurse eternal rest for taking such good care of my little disfigured body.
Strange to say we three children saw her after her death, but were frightened almost to death when she beckoned us to come near, but soon found out for three of our children died shortly after.
When I was four years old I again was near death's door. I had cholera morbus and was dreadfully sick.
At the age of six I nearly bit my tongue off, and a little later had my front teeth knocked out by a little deaf and dumb playmate of mine. I also got a cherry stone up into my nose. I had to suffer very much for a long time it lasted about a year, when suddenly a part of it dropped out, after the doctor got the other part out it had begun to sprout about an inch long.
In spite of all this, I was reserved for something else.
Our home in Bellevue was not near as nice as that in Frankfort there we had everything in abundance but there was no Catholic school and no prospect of getting one for that reason my parents left that place.
In Bellevue I had to attend the public school for a few months, until the Catholic school opened.
I then was eight years old. My parents were more than happy to see us going to a Sister school for that had been their aim in all the years past in spite of all the hard trials. God had sent them for I must say my dear parents were very good and pious, took all their afflictions as sent to them by their loving Father from on high.
Whilst attending the Sisters school the wish of being a sister began to ripen more and more every day to the great joy of my good parents.
But I was very small, looked like a child when I was fourteen years old.
Nevertheless I wanted to go to the Convent. Finally Sisters and parents deemed it best to have me stay for a year or two with our Sisters in Bellevue, until I had grown a little larger and had a little more sense. So I left my dear home and entered as a postulant in Bellevue. I went to school until I left for La Crosse, but received the bonnet to the great joy of my dear parents before I left.
When my father saw me dressed as postulant, he cried tears of joy and said: Now my dear child, you have laid your hand on the plough, you cannot look back anymore. Oh, how I thank God that He made choice at least one of my dear children, may He grant that you serve Him always faithfully.
My good mother's heart was too full to speak, her tears were freely flowing.
I had been with the Sisters in Bellevue nearly two years and was subjected to many trials, but the dear Lord always helped me out of my troubles. One of my greatest trials was homesickness. I had to supervise the sweeping and in this way met my little brother who would cry and cry begging every day that I should go home with him, he could not live without me any longer. This was a hard battle for me for I loved the little child dearly.
One day I resolved to return home in spite of the long battle I had fought.
I told my little brother, he should go home I would come as soon as the sweeping had been finished.
I strapped my books together was ready and after the sweeping was over, I left, walking along the hillside until my home was in sight - then I sat down on my books for a while looked at my dear home and wondered what next to do when to my surprise my dear mother came out of the house to pump a pail of water, singing a old familar German song (my mother was a beautiful singer).
When I saw her so happy and cheerful, I said to myself: "What will my dear mother say, if I turn back on our dear Lord and come home again, that will surely break the hearts of both."
Well, no one can imagine the struggle my heart went through in that never to be forgotten hour. What should I do - go home or return to the Sisters?
There I sat, looking and crying without coming to decision. All at once, as if an supernatural being had lifted me up, jumped up, took my books, and ran as fast as I could, back to the Sisters all out of breath and with swollen eyes I had to meet the superior Sister Adrian. She did not say much for I think she could guess why I was so late that night.
This put a stop to my wishing to go home but I underwent many more trials later.
After vacation Sister Bonaventure started a music class at Bellevue and the Sisters took in boarders. I was obliged to give up my good room and many conviences, but I was quite satisfied, thinking that all the Sisters had to be tried hard to show that they were ready to become brides of Christ.
I took up music, Sister Bonaventure gave me music lessons, this gave me great joy.
When spring came in 1883 Sisters concluded to have me go to La Crosse.
I should of been glad to go on St. Joseph's day for he is and has always been my dear patron, on his feast in 1881 I received my First Holy Communion, his name as also that of his spouse Mary was given me in baptism and in fact these two of all the Saints were those so dear to the hearts of my dear pious parents.
In the summer of the same year I was confirmed by Rev K. Flash and in 1884 I received the habit and in 1886 made my Profession.
