South Carolina Places -St. Joseph's Academy

St, Joseph's Acadamy, Sumter, South Carolina
Credit: The University of South Carolina Digital Post Card Collection
https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/sclvispc/id/18423

My maternal great grandmother, Loretta (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936) attended St. Joseph's Academy in Sumter, South Carolina. A boarding school for girls, it was said that she was sent there sometime after the death of her mother, Frances "Fannie" Victoria (McRady) McManus (1856-1903).

Loretta McRady McManus
(1894-1936)
Graduation Picture
St. Joseph's Academy
About 1911
©Cheri Hudson Passey

   
    St. Joseph Academy was started in 1863 by the Sisters of Mercy, who moved to Sumter County to get away from the unrest of the Civil War. The school served as a place of learning and community events for Catholics and Non-Catholics until 1929. 

                                   

St. Joseph's Academy About 1907
Sumter County Postcards-Schools

     It is not known exactly when Etta McManus began attending St. Joseph's but two newspaper reports of the 1910 and 1911 Graduation Ceremonies name her as a participant.

 Award for Household Industry

June 1910 Commencement Exercises
The Watchman and Southron
22 June 1910, pg. 2
image from newspapers.com

   Junior Grade

June 1911 Commencement Exercises
St. Joseph's Academy
The Watchman and Southron
24 June 1911, pg 2
image from newspapers.com

Musical Trio Participant

June 1911 Commencement Exercises
St. Joseph's Academy
The Watchman and Southron
24 June 1911, pg2
image from newspapers.com

    

                   A search for school records to further learn of Etta McManus' time at the academy has not produced any results. 

   
  The following bill showing the price of tuition found in a hanging file for St. Joseph's Academy at the Sumter County Genealogical Society. There is no date on the bill, but a search for Florence Bradford, daughter of R.D. Bradford, named on the document shows that Florence was 12 in the 1920 Sumter County, South Carolina Census, and 22 in the 1930 Census of the same county. 
                                             The bill most likely represents prices from the early to mid-1920s. 

Bill for Tuition
St. Joseph's Academy
Hanging File
Sumter South Carolina Genealogical Society

                                                                              $3 a month for tuition. My, times have changed!

  

                          
Do you have a connection with St. Joseph's Academy?
I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,

52 Ancestors Week 22- Commencement ~Etta at St. Joseph's

Loretta "Etta" (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936) my maternal Great Grandmother was educated at St. Joseph's Academy in Sumter, South Carolina.  She is mentioned in the 1910 and 1911 newspaper reports of the Commencement Ceremonies. Both reports have Etta listed with the underclassmen or Junior class. The newspaper account of the 1912 graduation for St. Joseph's does not mention Etta McManus. It is not clear when the picture below was taken or if or when she actually graduated from St. Joseph's Academy or another school. Etta was married by October, 1912.

 Commencement is the blog prompt for Week 22 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks -2015 Edition by Amy Johnson Crow.

  

Loretta "Etta" (McManus) Daughrity (1894-1936)

Etta received an award for her study in Household Industry and took part in an instrumental duet in the 1910 Commencement program for St. Joseph's and during the ceremony for 1911 she received a average of 79 for her year, an award for Composition and Letter Writing and performed in an instrumental trio.

Watchman and Southron, Sumter, South Carolina
24 June 1911, pg. 2

St. Joseph's Academy
Early 1900's
Image from http://www.sumterpostcards.com/schools.html

From the newspaper reports of the Commencement Exercises that Etta McManus participated in her interest in music, writing and homemaking are apparent.  Records from St. Joseph's would provide more information about Etta's experience there. These records have not yet been located. Connecting with others who have ancestors who attended St. Joseph's Academy may provide more information as well. I would love to hear from anyone who may have that connection.


Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by.

Celebrating Woman's History Month-Graduation Pictures

 The blog prompt for day 26 from Lisa Alzo's  The Accidental Genealogist is:

What education did your female ancestors receive?


  Today I would like to share my small collection of High School graduation pictures.

Great Grandmother
Loretta "Etta" McManus
St. Joseph's Accademy, Sumter, SC
1911
© Cheri Hudson Passey

Maternal Grandmother
Azile Juanita Daughrity
Sumter, High School, Sumter, SC
1939
© Cheri Hudson Passey

Paternal Grandmother
Mary Baker
Sumter High School, Sumter, SC
1937
© Cheri Hudson Passey

Mother
Brenda Jean Roberts
Camden High School, Camden, SC
1959
© Cheri Hudson Passey

© Cheri Hudson Passey

Celebrating Women's History-Shining Star: School Performance

From Lisa Alzo at the The Accidental Genealogist
Day 18 of Celebrating Women's History Month Blog Post Prompt:

 Shining star: Did you have a female ancestor who had a special talent? Artist, singer, actress, athlete, seamstress, or other? Describe.
   
  Although not a Catholic, my Great Grandmother Loretta "Etta" McManus attended
 St. Joseph's Academy in Sumter, SC  during the early 1900's.
  These articles were found in the Sumter Watchman and Southeron  for the years 1910 and 1911 in a search of the newspaper website Chronicling .America. 
    
   

The Watchman and Southron
22 June 1910, image 2

The Watchman and Southron
24 June 1911, image 2

The news reports were on the school's graduation program. It lists all those who graduated and what awards were received. It also tells who performed in a "programme".
Etta McManus was listed in both years as having being part of either an "instrumental duo" or "instrumental trio". 
 What instrument did she play? The newspaper did not report on that but my Grandmother once told me that her mother played the piano. Perhaps she did just that.
   

Loretta "Etta McManus"
Graduation Picture
© Cheri Hudson Passey

© 2013 Cheri Hudson Passey