Jackie Greener Puetz - Celebrating Generosity

Celebrating the Bonds of Sisterhood

A reflection written by the daughters of Jackie A. Puetz ’47, (Nancy Ruzicka ’73, Carol Wilmes ’89, Joan Hannegan ’82, Susan Lenihan ’71, Ellen Wojcicki ’69, and Joyce DiStefano ’78) honoring her Ursuline legacy.

Jackie Greener Puetz, UA class of 1947, truly left a legacy in the hearts and minds of her children. Her love for Ursuline was evident to us growing up and continued through the next generation of grandchildren as well. She fondly told us stories of her first day where she met her dearest friend for life along with many other friends. One of their favorite activities was skating on the pond on the beautiful Ursuline campus.

Our mom remained connected to Ursuline over the years celebrating many alumnae functions, including her 50th class reunion with friends. Her appreciation for the educational and Serviam opportunities that Ursuline still offers to all students, remained a constant in her life. Based on our mom’s high school experience, our parents were committed to providing the same opportunity for their daughters. Although there were sacrifices, our parents valued the UA experience as a top priority, making every effort to accomplish that end. They also showed us the importance of giving back, which sparked the idea of honoring our parents by establishing a scholarship in their name. What better way to show their love for the school than by contributing to the education of future Ursuline students. Our family hoped that this scholarship would provide the opportunity for someone to attend Ursuline, who might not have been able to attend without it.

Our family would describe Ursuline in many different ways, since there were six daughters and seven granddaughters who have followed in Jackie’s footsteps to date. As we know, over the years the school uniform, song, and mascot have changed based on which generation one asks. However, we would all agree with these three, fundamental descriptions of an Ursuline experience: quality Catholic education, Serviam, and sisterhood. These Ursuline tenets that were true seventy-five years ago for our mom are still just as evident on the Ursuline campus today, building women of faith, strength, and character. And our family is grateful to be a part of Ursuline’s past and future.

If you’re interested in establishing a named scholarship, please contact Kim Vogt, Director of Advancement 314.984.2814 or kvogt@ursulinestl.org