Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., April 5, 1873, Stephen Wise entered St. Benedict’s College in 1888 after the family had moved to Topeka. While in school he was active in debate and dramatics and was also the first editor of The Abbey Student literary magazine. He entered the abbey and was professed in 1897 and ordained in 1903 after four years of study at San’t Anselmo, Rome. The Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Respighi, ordained him.

Father Alphonse was called to Atchison to be novice master in 1904, only to return to Burlington a year later until 1907. For the next 25 years he resided at the abbey, ministered at various abbey missions like Doniphan, White Cloud, Wetmore, and Perrin, Mo. He also taught again at St. Benedict’s College German, French, and Spanish in addition to theology to the diocesan divinity students. He was for many years confessor at Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison. Father Alphonse was an ardent stamp collector and helped increase the value of the Abbey Collection.

Father Ernest was a man ahead of his time in stressing the importance of having an excellent catechetics and liturgical program in the parishes where he was pastor. He was pastor at St. Benedict’s Atchison, St. Peter’s, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and St. Benedict’s, Bendena, Kan. While there he built a catechetics center that still serves that purpose. It also doubles as a parish hall.

A renowned Shakespearean scholar and actor, noted preacher of missions and retreats, Father Henry was born in Montrose, Mo., finished his schooling there and entered St. Benedict’s High School and College in 1903. He entered the community and did his novitiate at St. Vincent Archabbey having made vows there in 1910. He stayed there for his junior year of college but finished at St. Benedict’s. The abbot sent him to St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn., where he studied theology. He also earned a master’s in English there in 1921. He was ordained in 1917.

Brother Andrew in what seemed to be a pattern of all his monastic life put his whole heart and soul into the brothers’ daily schedule and into any work that would benefit the community. He was a handyman of all kinds both in common tasks and specialized ones. He died as a result of stomach ulcers at St. Margaret’s Hospital, Kansas City, Kan., the day after the feast of St. Andrew.

Father Albert was famous for his stage productions such as “Tulip Time,” H.M.S. Pinafore and “Upper Room.” Bishop Matthias Schmidt, then a grade schooler at St. Benedict’s, Atchison, remembered that Father Albert had a version of the Little Hours of the monastic breviary for the kids to recite at various times during the school day. Father Albert, as a monk, recognized the importance of the Divine Office and of the growing Liturgical Movement of those days in the Church.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Father Eugene came to St. Benedict’s College as a student in 1862 and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Louis Mary Fink, OSB, on April 24, 1873. Early in his priesthood he rode the mission circuit in Seneca and both Mooney Creek and St. Patrick’s south of Atchison. He received his education at St. Vincent Archabbey and St. John’s, Collegeville, Minn. He was professed as a member of the community in August 1866 after a novitiate at St. Vincent and was once a member of St. Leander’s Priory, Pueblo, Colo.

Father Angelus was a very generous monk and sometimes, as often happens, generous without realizing the lateral effects of his generosity. The stories of his foibles, patterns of speech, his use of the title, “Doctor” for any and all, and exploits are legended; all the source of admiration, laughter, and dismay. He was truly a community person, tireless in its efforts, generous nearly to a fault.

In his career at St. Benedict’s Father Louis was principal of the high school, director of the college and professor of economics. In that capacity he was known among the students, particularly his own, as “Econ Louie.” He was known as a hard grader and author of meticulous questions like, “How many railroad spikes are there between Kansas City and Albuquerque?” This latter was a question asked in a parody of one of his classes during a college amateur night in 1950. During World War II Father Louis was on the War Labor Board, Region VII, in Kansas City, Mo., and worked in over 55 cases as a mediator.

Once it was stated during the reading of the minutes of a community meeting that “Father Dominic has asked the abbot to resign.” Which bold statement prompted Father Felix Nolte to say, “He can’t do that!!!” Father Felix was satisfied after being assured that the resignation pertained to Father Dominic’s resignation and not Abbot Cuthbert’s!

Father Peter Beckman in Kansas Monks lists the three monks who served Abbot Martin Veth his entire time as abbot. They were Prior Gerard Heinz, Subprior Bonaventure Schwinn and Procurator (business manager) Edmund Pusch. These men helped Abbot Martin fulfill his dream of inculcating a genuine monastic discipline and observance for the community, astute management of resources while building the new Abbey on the hill above the Missouri River. Father Edmund managed the building since there was no outside contractor and managed the finances before the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, and during the Great Depression that followed, when construction on the new Abbey ceased. He was business manager for twenty-one years.

Father Benedict was a large man and possessed more than normal strength. He could carry large floor scrubbers, one in each hand, up and down stairs. He often scrubbed and waxed the floors of the entire abbey church at Christmas and Easter time. Father Benedict was a holy and cheerful man and was the confessor and spiritual director to many in the community. Many visitors who came to the Abbey were delighted by his flower gardens that graced the Abbey grounds in the spring and summer months. He planned said gardens so that something was always in bloom with the changing seasons and also the changing hours of the day.

Brother Emmanuel was a marvel in so many ways. He led a marvelously and utterly simple life as a monk with respect to room, clothing, and diet. He was a self-taught artist in stone sculpture, wrought iron work and wood. Out of window sills and other stone left over when the construction on the abbey ceased in 1929, he carved statues of the Blessed Virgin and others. There were the wooden statues of Sts. Maur and Placid, the wrought iron decorative gates around the arches opposite the prior’s office and the former cloister grill. Some smaller artistic carvings are in the present chapter room. Brother Walter built some altars and Brother Emmanuel did the carved lettering and images, and textured the background. The altar in St. Joseph’s Chapel is an example.

Father Linus entered the community from Spaulding, Neb., making first vows July 11, 1941. He did his philosophy and theology at St. Benedict’s College and was ordained June 2, 1945. He did graduate study at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, earning a doctorate in 1953. Father Linus taught at Maur Hill for two years, then an instructor in philosophy at St. Benedict’s College and returned there in 1953. He was dean of studies at St. Benedict’s, dean of studies and professor at Assumption College, Richardton, N. Dak., and director of the graduate theology program at St. Mary’s College, Moraga, Calf.

Brother Nicholas came to the abbey at age fifteen, too young to enter the community and so did some high school work at Maur Hill before entering. He did that and made his first vows March 12, 1933. He first served in the Abbey poultry yard as assistant and as the monk-in-charge. But in 1937 he began to work in the print shop and stayed there until 1972. He later did upholstery work and was dedicated to recycling aluminum cans. At the end of the academic year the college dumpsters became the source of many treasures.

He was a fascinating person with a wry sense of humor and a way of holding his mouth when playing a violin or a banjo. He was the heart and soul of many jam sessions. He was an amateur radio buff and TV repairman. In addition, he studied Spanish, Russian, German, Greek and Italian on his own. Brother Jerome was a multitalented Renaissance type man. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the community is that he was who he was. He will live forever when the monastic stories are told.

Truly a pioneer member of St. Benedict’s Abbey, Father Thomas Bartl was sent to Kansas in 1862 by Abbot Boniface Wimmer. He had a friend in the community in the person of Father Emmanuel Hartig. The conditions here, monastically, were a disappointment but he threw himself into the Missionary work.