Sister Mary Olish
1915-2008

The story of Sister Mary Olish's life is unique. She was born in Detroit on September 3, 1915, to Matthew and Valeria (Gachiewicz) Olish, and baptized Mary Charlotte.

There is some question as to when her parents died. In her autobiography, she wrote that they both died when she was very young, probably about four years old, during a period when influenza raged. At that time she was placed in an orphanage, as there were no known living relatives. She was later taken from the orphanage into the home of Grace and Frank Kelley. Frank Kelley was a prominent Detroit citizen, and a member of the Wayne County Board.

There seems to be a bit of conflict between Sister Mary's remembrances and what was said at her wake by Frank Kelley, now Michigan Attorney General Emeritus. Frank is a son of the Kelleys and considers himself Mary's younger brother. In his eulogy he painted a different picture of why she was placed in the orphanage: It is possible that Sister Mary did not know the true reason for being in the orphanage, and perhaps was told that it was because of her parents' death. Frank said:

My father … made a social visit to a Catholic orphanage. It was during the Great Depression and many large Catholic families were so poverty-stricken that they had to put some of their children in orphanages because they couldn't properly care for them. It was hoped that they would return to their families when conditions improved. During that visit to the orphanage, my father came upon the angelic face of Mary Olish. Being a compassionate man, he was compelled to ask to take Mary into our home as a member of our family until such time as her natural family might be able to provide for her.

And so Mary was taken into the Kelley family. Although she was never legally adopted, they gave her their name, looked upon her as a cherished daughter, and their three children-Frank, Patricia, and Jimmy-considered her their caring, loving big sister. Dick was born two years after Mary's entrance into the family. In his eulogy, Frank spoke of Mary as his protector when he started school, holding his hand as she walked him to school and home. On the first day of school, he was frightened of the teacher in her habit and hid under her desk. Mary made sure that the other children never teased him about that. She considered him her younger brother, and looked upon herself as member of the Kelley family.

All of the Kelley children attended St. Theresa School, taught by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Mary had attended St. Catherine School, but when the Kelleys took her into their family they registered her at St. Theresa School. Sister Mary wrote that in those years enrollment was very high, the school was crowded, and some students were promoted in the mid-year. She was able to get through fifth and sixth grade in one year, so would finish her senior year in high school at the age of sixteen. As time went on, she began to dream of becoming an Adrian Dominican Sister, but she intended to finish school first. When she was a junior in high school she spoke to one of the sisters, Sister Barbara Wall, of her desire to enter, and Sister Barbara told her that she could enroll at St. Joseph Academy in Adrian and finish the last year of high school there as a postulant.

The Kelleys had plans for her to attend Marygrove College, but when she told them of her desire to become a religious sister, they did not object. Their son Frank said that his parents were convinced that Mary would be happy as a sister, and secured the approval of her natural parents so that she could enter the Congregation. At the end of her junior year, she became a postulant in Adrian on June 18, 1931, at the age of fifteen. and received the postulant's veil from Mother Augustine Walsh. The fact that she was known in the Congregation by the last name of Olish was difficult for the Kelley children to understand. She had been known to them as Mary Kelley.

She had not expected to be sent out to teach right away, but that is what happened. At the end of summer 1931 she was sent to St. James in Maywood, Illinois, where she taught forty-five third graders and had no problems. The sister who assisted her told her that she was a born teacher. When she returned to Adrian for the Christmas break, she and her group were given the habit and their religious names on December 29, 1931. Mary was devoted to St. Jude and had hoped to receive that name; but, since there was already a Sister Mary Jude, she was named Sister Mary Thaddeus. When she returned to Maywood, and found that everyone-children and parents-had trouble with her religious name, it was easier to be called simply Sister Mary. The next year was her novitiate year in Adrian, and she pronounced her first vows on August 8, 1933.

During that year, Mother Augustine Walsh died in January, and Sister Mary Gerald Barry was elected Mother General at the General Chapter held in June. An interesting little anecdote appeared in Sister Mary's autobiography. She wrote that when her group made their silver jubilee in 1958, Mother Mary Gerald also celebrated twenty-five years as Mother General.

All of Sister Mary's teaching ministry was in Midwest schools. Within a short time of profession she was on her way to St. Clair, Michigan, where she taught for a year at St. Mary School. For the next three years she taught fourth grade at St. Nicholas in Chicago. Then for five years she taught third grade, a year at Sacred Heart in Munising, Michigan, and four years at Blessed Sacrament in Toledo, Ohio. The year 1942 saw her again in Chicago as a sixth grade teacher at St. Carthage. Four years later she returned to Michigan and spent five years in Detroit, two years at St. Scholastica with middle grade students and three years at St. Jude with first graders.

During the summers, she returned to Adrian and studied at Siena Heights College (now University), and in July 1943 the College awarded her a Bachelor's Degree with a major in English and minor in history. Later she began work on a Master's Degree at the University of Detroit, but the condition of her health prevented her from finishing it.

After 1951, she taught mainly on the primary level. The year 1951-52 she spent in Michigan's Upper Peninsula at St. John the Baptist in Garden, then returned to Detroit for eight years at St. Gabriel in Detroit. The summer of 1954 was filled with sadness for her when her stepfather, Frank Kelley, died in June.

In 1960 she was again in Ohio, this time at St. Lawrence in Cleveland for two years, then at St. Peter in Harper Woods, Michigan, for five years. Once more she spent a summer of sadness when her stepmother, Grace Kelley, died in July 1966. After spending two years at St. Ambrose in Detroit, Sister Mary taught for a year at St. Margaret in St. Clair Shores.

In 1975 she began her ministry on the kindergarten level at St. Mary in Royal Oak. After a year she transferred to Guardian Angels in Clawson, where, at the invitation of the pastor, she added a kindergarten to the curriculum and taught there for fifteen years. She retired in 1991, and upon that occasion, she received a certificate of recognition from Mary F. Airriess, Mayor of Clawson.

After her retirement, Sister Mary moved to St Mary in Royal Oak for a year, to St. Lawrence in Utica for two years, then back to Guardian Angels, where she lived for several years with Sister Helen Essa in "their little house just off the church complex" and volunteered her services. In her autobiography, written during that time, she wrote of her love for the Kelley family. "They were the greatest, and I loved them dearly, including my brothers and sisters." She also mentioned her health problems.

I've had cataracts removed, also a spinal surgery for ruptured discs, two broken wrists (one at a time), so have had my share of some setbacks with my health, but God has been good to me and has provided me with the care I needed whenever I needed it.

In 1998 a writeup in the Guardian Angels Parish bulletin praised her ministry, described the prayer that she taught young children, and said in part, "Sister Mary knew what young children needed to accomplish in kindergarten in order to be ready for first grade and welcomed the new challenge. She called it her 'second career.'" The family of one of her students sent her a letter saying, "Our faith is reinforced through our children's religious education. We learn from our children to be better Christians."

Sister Mary returned to Adrian in 2003, and moved into the Dominican Life Center/Maria, where she remained until her death on April 30, 2008.

Her wake-remembrance service was held on May 5 in St. Catherine Chapel. Present were her brothers (Frank Kelley and his wife Nancy, James and his wife Patricia, Richard and his wife Cecelia), her sister Patricia Herbst, several nieces and nephews, and her many Dominican friends. Sister Joan Sustersic, Prioress of Holy Rosary Mission Chapter, opened the service, welcomed all who were present, and summarized Sister Mary's life and religious service. She spoke of Sister Mary's time at Maria:

She started on second floor, and then it became apparent that she might need some additional help. With a little prodding she was willing to move. She liked her room. She walked to Madden Hall for her meals, She loved the walk, and also liked the menu. She did this for years-until recently she had some health problems. She truly enjoyed the weekly trip to the Beauty Salon. She enjoyed visiting with her family when they came. Recently, it was difficult for her to go out for a visit, so they came here.

Her main complaint (for years) was that she couldn't hear with her hearing aids … She watched Mass on TV because she was able to hear better. She usually had the "closed caption" on the TV so she wouldn't miss anything.

On the afternoon of April 30, the nurse passed Mary's room. As she did so, she heard the hearing aids squealing and went to help Mary adjust them. It was thus that she found that Mary had gone to God. What a beautiful way to pass into heaven-quickly. But how difficult for all of us left behind … So at the age of ninety-two and after seventy-five years of religious profession, Mary Olish (Kelley) joined her adoptive parents, her birth parents, and all her Dominican sisters in heaven.

Sister Mary Declan Foss spoke of the years that Sister Mary had taught kindergarten, how much she loved the little children, and how much she will be missed.

Sister Laura Pautz, who nurses on fourth floor Maria, shared memories through tears. She also brought memories from one of the other nurses.

When Sister Mary found something amusing, she'd laugh so hard that her whole body would shake and she couldn't catch her breath. The nurses saw a tender, sweet quality in her. When she received any gifts she would show them to us and appear as happy as a child on Christmas morning.

Sister Mary loved popcorn and TV. She was also a keen observer of people, but she was very hard of hearing. She was a prayer partner for a Mission Group, and when they sent her gifts she would be very happy. She was always full of gratitude, and thanked everyone for everything.

When I think of her, I think about one of the readings in Scripture about the treasure we carry in earthen vessels. For me, she was a treasure, and I'm grateful to have known her.

Sister Mary Alice Naour also shared some memories.

When Sister Mary came to us, she was determined to go to the Madden Dining Room for her meals, and she wanted to walk over there. She loved her coffee, and the little cups it's usually served in didn't satisfy her. She said to the kitchen staff, "Don't you have a big cup?" They took care of it and got her a big mug-in fact, two mugs. Now there are a lot of mugs, and it was she who had the staff get those mugs because a lot of us like mugs. Whenever I take a mug, I'll think of Sister Mary and thank her.

Sister Roselynn Humbert, Sister Mary's chaplain, spoke of Sister Mary's relationship with Sister Leonita Noetzel, who for several years was a supervisor of the elementary grades in Congregational schools.

Another sister, Sister Leonita, was one of her teachers. When Sister Mary came in to Maria, the two were often together. Sister Leonita often said, "She was the best first grade teacher that I ever knew." That meant so much to Sister Mary. She repeated it often.

Frank Kelley ended his eulogy by saying:

Mary became a most sincere member of your Order, but she always remained the loving daughter and sister of the Kelley family. She spent all of her vacations with us, and we visited her frequently. I personally have had a long, happy, and successful public life-but why wouldn't I, with my loving sister Mary offering special prayers for me every day of her life. Mary was always a saint to me … I am convinced that she will be loved forever by those who knew her, especially me.

Sister Mary's funeral liturgy was celebrated on May 5. Father Roland Calvert, OSFS, was the presider and homilist.

As Sister Joan said, Sister Mary died as she would have wanted-with no fuss and no bother. She will be remembered for her love of God, of her vocation, of her family, of children, (and of the Tigers and Red Wings).