Barbara Ferstl Knott

Married while in college at OSU. Raised four great kids, had a wonderful marriage. Then Paul died from a massive heart attack. I have been on my own-getting those kids through school-for 19 years. Now they are all married and settled into their careers. I sell real estate , teach high school Latin. For fun, I still ride my horse, Billy, hike,ski; love birdwatching, gardening, painting. Hoping to retire in the not-too-distant future.

I was not one of you----those middle class kids with intact families.We were poor, and I paid for my school tuition by cleaning erasers after school. I rode to school from King Ave. , up High St. on the city bus. We were allowed to go to Watterson because the Dominicans also taught in our elementary school:St. Francis of Assisi. But we were definitely out-of-territory. I remember when we had science or math club or other events in the evening, I would just stay at school rather than go all the way home on the city bus and then have to pay to come back to school in the evening. It was a little scary being the only student in the school. Sometimes a nun would see me and offer to give me dinner. But I just waited around in the school. Once in a while I would hear a sound--what was that!!!-- like a mouse running about the school. It was _____Monsignor Spiers! Just checking up on his school, making sure everything was all right. Didn't we actually nickname him 'mouse' ?!!