Sr Freida Mohnl Interview

Sr. Frieda Monhl  September 2010 at Franciscan Courts, Oshkosh,  WI.

Sr Freida Mohnl Interview  23 September 2010 

*     Listen to The Audio (hosted at Story Corps)  Recording Number SSM-OHP-012

               Private interview that requires FREE registration / login with The Story Corps Archive to listen.

*     Transcript of the Session

*     Field Notes of the Session

This interview was memorable for me because this was the first interview I did by myself.  Fr Bill was not able to attend, and he assured me I would be fine ...  and it was largely due to the amazing woman doing the talking this day!

Highlights :
Like many of the Sisters I've interviewed, Sr Freida got caught up in WWII in Europe.  She was a teacher for many years before she became a medical social worker.  She basically pioneered the field of  case management after her own difficult experience of being discharged from a German hospital far from her home in Austria, with no money to get home.  She was in Frankfurt, Germany,  the night of  Crystal Night 11-9-10/1938 when all the Jewish places had their windows smashed out ...  She was hurt and got help in a hospital run by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.   Sr. Frieda was not born Catholic, so it's an interesting story to hear how she decided to become a Sister.  It's another interesting story to hear how she became friends with Sr. Regina and came to America,

Memorable Quotes from the session :
"History is Politics ; Politics becomes History."

Sr. Frieda had a rebellious spirit -- always a fire burning.  She made a difference!

I had the great good fortune to talk with Sr. Frieda on several other memorable and enjoyable occasions, but this was the only session that was recorded.   It's one that I treasure!

Sr. Frieda died Jan 27, 2014 at 90 years of age.   Sr Frieda's Obituary.

Check out ALL the Sisters Stories posted to date at The Stories of the Sisters Project Website.

[Updated 27 February 2023.]

How did this Project Begin?

Who am I, and how did this project begin?
I am a Health Science Librarian based at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh,WI.  A few years ago, we were celebrating a milestone in our hospital's history, and wanted to honor the Sisters who made an impact here in Oshkosh.   Part of my job is to tend and curate my hospital's history and local archives. However, on this particular question, our archives contained very little about any individual Sister's contributions : Prior to Vatican II, it was all about the Community, service to the poor and to God.  Even the nun's habits as a uniform made them all look alike.  No one was supposed to stand out or be full of pride about their accomplishments.

The Sisters have their headquarters and retirement home here in Oshkosh, WI.  When I found that out, I thought, "Someone should go over there and interview those ladies and get this all documented."  Then I thought, "Well, why don't YOU (meaning me) do it?"   So I happened to be talking about this pipe dream project with my hairdresser who just happened to volunteer with the nuns in her off-time.  She helped me make some valuable connections with Irene Hans and  Sr. Raphael.  After 2 meetings to flesh out the scope of the project, we pulled in Father Bill Kuhr who was the Chaplain working with the Sisters at Franciscan Courts.  He'd been doing some great work scrap booking with the Sisters, so he knew who had some great stories to tell and wold be able to help me draw the stories out of the Sisters.  Father Bill was instrumental in setting up the sessions and helping the sisters feel comfortable with the project, and he knew what questions to ask.   After a while, I was able to do the interviews by myself.

Interviews typically last about 1 hour.

We use the recommended questions from Story Corps (along with a few others) as a starting place, although the Sisters can talk about anything they want to remember.  Some come with notes and a script and some are much more at ease.

Questions to think about :

• Where and when were you born?
• When did you decide to join the SSM Community?
• What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
• What are you most proud of?
• What was the happiest moment of your life?
• The saddest?
• Is there something about yourself that you think no one knows?
• How would you like to be remembered?
• Do you have a dream that was never fulfilled?
• If we were never to meet again, what would you want me to know about you? 
• In looking back on your life, what is your “defining story?”  What is the story that you use to restore yourself to a sense of purpose and worth and that makes your life worth living?

Other possible topics :

            Childhood Years                              Grandparents / Parents

            Young Adult Years                          Friendships

            Adult Years                                       Life Passion(s)

            Regrets                                              Turning Points

            Travels                                               Difficult Decisions

            Memorable Gifts                               Nick-names / Names

            Favorite Places                                ?????

                        Anything you’d like to talk about …

See the Project Invitation for more specifics.

Welcome to Stories of the Sisters

Welcome to the new blog featuring Stories of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.

This oral history project begun in 2009, when I started to interview The Sisters at Franciscan Courts in Oshkosh, WI.  I wanted to know more about their lives, their work, and their passions--in their own words.   These are the women who founded my hospital and many others in Wisconsin and around the US.  Many of the Sisters became Nurses, Teachers, Social Workers, and Chaplins.  Some of them even became Hospital Administrators and Leaders at times when educational opportunities and career options for women were very limited.  Some of the Sisters even became Architects and Plumbers "because that's what the community needed to do the work required."  

These women made incredible impacts in our world, so here are some of their stories ...

In each interview, we invite the Sisters to review their life and work, and share the things that they want to remember and share.

Each session contains :

• The Audio File (hosted at Story Corps)
• Transcript of the Session
• Field Notes of the Session
• Photo of the Sister

Thank you to the many people who have helped with with project through the years.  

I could not have done it without you!

Read more about The Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.

Link to The Stories of the Sisters LibGuide.