I would like to inform everyone who knew her of the death in Chicago of my cousin Sister Jean Marsden, formerly of Ballinderry Upper. She was 82 years of age, and had a battle with cancer for more than two years. She visited Northern Ireland very briefly in September, but I was unable to meet with her as I was recovering from knee replacement surgery. Her funeral will be held in Chicago, arranged by The Little Company of Mary the Order which she joined as a young woman aged twenty one years. Will be sadly missed by all her family at home and in Chicago, where she did such wonderful work with poor, sick, and unfortunate souls. R.I.P.Cousin Jean from Charlotte Rosemary Marsden.

Would you or Jean have been sisters or related to Jimmy Marsden from that area he worked in the mills around lisburn back in 1950s,and always wore a top coat winter and summer he was always in the bookies on a saturday, I knew him very well

may she rest in peace

Yes Jean was Jim Marsden's sister; she left Northern Ireland many years ago to become a nun, firstly in Australia then USA; and she also spent some time in New Zealand. I am their cousin; I left Northern Ireland in the 60's.

The only Marsdens I knew were first class Irish Dancers, but they lived in Belfast though their Mother must have been from Lisburn, as we visited the same house of a friend in Hill Street regularly

Nice to see a Remembrance for an old Lisburn resident all the way from Chicago

May she rest in Peace.

Pat

Thank you Pat - There are a lot of Marsdens in Belfast, all related to the families in Lisburn and the Ballinderry and Glenavy areas. My cousin Sister Jean left Ballinderry almost sixty years ago, but visited very often, as recently as last month. Her funeral is tomorrow in Chicago
May she rest in peace. Charlotte

I attended Lisburn Tech in the 50s with a boy from Ballinderry called Ernie Marsden who later worked for the road maintenance dept of the local council. Was he related?
donald

Yes Donald, Ernie Marsden is the late Sr. Jean's brother. He still lives in Ballinderry. I also attended Lisburn Tech. I remember you at the R.I. classes in the old school buildings. I have been living in the London area since 1967. Good to see someone I know on the forum. Best wishes. Charlotte Rosemary Marsden

Rosemary
Room Nr 36 (or 37 ) if I remember correctly. That was the only class which boys and girls shared then but we were strictly forbidden to share desks.Just imagine what mortal sins would have been committed if we had been allowed to!
donald

Donald your message made me smile, and brought back memories of Miss McQuade and Miss Boomer. Those little extracts from the Bible we had to learn by heart; when I was asked to recite these, I was a wreck, as I had not learned them properly.Still good memories. Rosemary

Rosemary
Miss ( Peggy ) McQuade if I remember correctly made us as a form of punishment write words from the Dictionary with their meaning instead of lines if she thought we were being naughty.
donald

Donald and Charlotte. I also remember Miss Boomer and Miss McQuaid. I think 37/1 was the classroom we went for RI. I remember little about those lessons for some reason. Terrible thing to say but I didn't think that either of them were great teachers. They were nice ladies but just didn't make the subjects interesting. Lucky enough I was fairly good at English thanks to the excellent teaching at the Convent school so I was able to manage despite Miss Boomer's monotone voice and boring choices of poetry. I was at the Tech in 1954/1955, a bit before you two.

Hello Ann. I agree with you 100% about the teaching abilities of Ms. McQuaid and Boomer, Miss McQuaid was very aloof and not a good English teacher. Miss Boomer had her ffavourites amongst the students - I was not one of them - Don't know how I got a good mark in Maths, which she taught me for two years. My favourite teacher was Mrs. Lyttle - I still think of her sometimes. I expect they have all passed away long ago. Charlotte Rosemary.

Donald, looking up words and their meanings in the dictionary as puishment was a more useful exercise. I think writing lines was a very degrading punishment for a child.It is no longer given as punishment in London. Charlotte Rosemary

Charlotte, when I attended the Tech, Miss Boomer taught English Language. I will never forget the longest and most boring poem ever - The Ancient Mariner. Miss McQuaid taught Commerce and her teaching methods didn't instill any interest in that subject. (for me). Mr Devlin taught book-keeping. Even though I never, ever got a Trial Balance correct, and even though I hated book-keeping, I still passed this subject in my Junior. He was a very good teacher and took no nonsense. I was brought to the front of his class numerous times, for talking. Mr Newell taught Maths and Geography and was a nice man and a good teacher, even though I didn't like either of these subjects either. Miss Skelly taught Shorthand and Typing, which I loved. She was a teacher who took no nonsense and kept the class disciplined. Miss Beck was our French teacher and was a lovely lady. I loved French and excelled in this, so I have to pay tribute to her teaching methods. I didn't really like the Tech and wasn't the best pupil but, nevertheless, I gained enough skills to serve me well in my working career. Charlotte, I think Mrs Lyttle is alive and well. I saw her a year or so ago and she hadn't changed a bit, apart from a few grey hairs here and there.

Hi Ann. my goodness what a pleasant surprise that Mrs Lyttle is still around; she must be a ripe old age now, she was a very smart women well dressed and groomed. Mr Devlin bless him was a fantastic teacher, he too taught me bookkeeping in my second year. I thank him for all he taught me, as I had a bookkeeping business here in London from 1974 until I gave it up in 2011 to look after my very ill partner. I still have a little bookkeeping job every three weeks - keeps the old brain ticking over. I hope there were many like us, who gained skills at Lisburn Tech, to help us in our careers. Best wishes Charlotte Rosemary

Charlotte, good to hear from you. I too had Mr Devlin at the Tech for maths. Towards the end of my time there I decided I wasn't going to struggle any more with homework that was too hard for me, so for the first time ever, didn't do my maths homework.

As I expected, he called me up to the front, and asked why I hadn't done my homework. I replied that I couldn't. He looked at me and said softly, "Elizabeth, where there's a will, there's a way". Tears sprang to my eyes and I sat down. But I never forgot his words to this day. They were great teachers at the Tech. Did anyone ever have Mr Hunter?

Hello Liz yes I remember Mr Hunter, he did not teach me, but he taught my sister who is younger than me - I think he taught shorthand. Do you remember the very tall male teacher who joined the same year as Mr Hunter - can't recall his name. Most of the teachers were very good, compare very favourably with teachers of today I think. The tech has changed a lot since our days, much larger and the subjects available are of a wider range. Still, gave me a good grounding for my working life. Best Wishes. Charlotte Rosemary.

Yes the Tech ( and other centres of education ) has changed a lot, then we were pupils today those who attend are students! What I will never understand, we served an apprenticeship in engineering, hairdressing, joinery or bricklaying, today those professions are studied. Call me old fashioned if you like.
donald

Mr Hunter taught maths, this was in 1961. A tall male teacher was Mr Montgomery who was a lovely man. He was alive I was told a couple of years ago. He taught me Commerce. A year or so ago when I was in Lisburn, I dared to walk into the Tech and look at the great staircase, but I didn't dare venture upstairs. Yes, it was a very changed place.

Charlotte do you ever visit Lisburn? It has changed quite a bit, keeping up with the times.

Liz

Liz. Mr Montgomery did not teach me, but my sister Margaret, who is a year younger than me, he taught her commerce too. Lovely to reminisce about our school days. Once a few years ago when I was in Lisburn, I was going to go into the Tech to have a look around, but decided against it. The original building is surely a grand place, Maybe when I go to Northern Ireland in the spring, I will persuade my sister to come with me , to have a look for old time sake. I visit Lisburn occasionally, but not this year, as I was recovering from knee surgery. Charlotte R

Rosemary. How did the knee surgery go?

Ann. Knee Replacement is quite a big operation, which was further complicated by a chest infection, however I am walking well now and have 100% movement.so I am quite pleased.I just want to tell everyone how brave I think I am, as I had the operation under local anaesthic. I was aware of everything going on, but of course felt nothing!!!!. Thank you Ann Charlotte Rosemary

Rosemary, Dominic had both his knees replaced a few years ago now. Like yourself, the operation was a completely success. Best wishes.

Ann. Thank you always good to hear of someone who has made a good recovery from knee surgery. Will get plenty of exercise now doing the Christmas shopping - lots of nieces and nephews to buy for, though I don't spend a lot. I love the preparation for Christmas. Charlotte Rosemary

Hi Charlotte,

Like Dominick, I had both knees done, not together, I had some pain at the time, but it was well worth it. I have to say that I didn't have your bravery,I was out both times, I just didn't want to listen to them sawing at my bones. Best of luck for your recovery.

Beano

Beano. Thank you so much,and so happy you made a good recovery from your knee ops. Charlotte Rosemary

Rosemary and Beano. Dominic and I had our replacements carried out with local anaesthetic. You don't feel anything and you are sedated. Having said that I woke up during my hip surgery but felt nothing. I am on the waiting list for my right hip now. I have been told it will be a year but
I'm not complaining.

Ann. Good luck with your pending hip operation - Hope you don't have to wait too long.
Charlotte Rosemary