Denver Catholic

11 DENVER CATHOLIC | MAY 16-22, 2015 www.sjvdenver.edu Mary Anne Anderson Cathy Arambula Susan Asche Bernadette Alice Benham Teresa Birdsall Vic Bliden Rebecca Blondo Patricia Bristol Denise Brownell Karyn Michelle Byrne Ginger Cabibi Jim Carlson Jo Castillo Mary Caulfield Dwight Cole Kathy Cole Rose Consoer Mike Corcoran Gregory Danecki Joseph Danecki MaryAnne DeAngelis Carolyn Deardorff Saundra Deitrick Kathy Delgado Lorraine A. Diaz Nancy Dittmer Arlen Engbarth Julie Engbarth Laura Evans Marilyn Jean Fagan Michael C. Fagan, MD Rosemarie Fearrin Rita Fettes Kathleen Fisher Dot Fournier Kathy Frey Marina R. Gallegos Samuel D. Gaona Cathleen Golden Mary R. Gorman Virginia Griego James Hall Jr Maureen Hampson Eileen Hatrick Joseph Hatrick Lynn Hillary Coleen Himes Harold Himes † Ann Homan Terri Hyatt Michael J. Incorvia Kathleen Jensen Luchie Jones Martha Paola Jones Joanne Keith David Brian Keller Geraldine Kelley Joan Zahtila Kellogg Loretta Knauf Debra Kotas Stacy LaClaire Brooke B. Leer Margaret Z. Leichty Richard Leichty George Linehan Betsy Lockhart Frazer Lockhart Theresa Loughlin Maria Mares Julie McCabe Daniel McKeon Thomas McMahon Donald B. Middleton Lynnette Millwood Milton Moore Sharon Moore † Al Moya Susan Muhr Barnabas Murphy Kathy Myles-Wanja Sharon Nason Gina M. Nelson Paul Newland Robert Newman Teddi Newman Jeanne Norville Nancy O'Dell Timothy O'Keefe Jerry Ortega Rumondang Parapat Christine Pearse Nicholas J. Pedler Lorraine K. Pello Francisco J. Perezcano Linda M. Platt Geraldine A Pochowicz Regina Quinn Virginia Quinn Debbie Quintana Amy Rabbio Kathleen E. Ramirez Roberta Rasmussen Bradley A. Ring Ron Roderick Diane E. Rothers Sandra K. Sack Mike Samuels Myra E. Scott Jeff Shaw David M. Shive Beverly Sidhu Michael Silva Susie Silva Judith A. Smith Nancy Snow Mary Lou N. Spurgeon Mike Stange Patricia Stange Bonnie Strafface Matthew Joseph Stueber Rita Sullivan Audra Swies-Gladysh Diane Thelen Kelly Thornton Catherine M. Thorson Jerraline Thurston Janice Todd Mary Jo Touchard Julia Mathison Turing Deborah Velenovsky Stephen Harry Walsh Julia Winka Antoinette C. Wright Tereasa Young Karen Zacher † In Loving Memory Congratulations Class of 2015! A Lay Division of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary Congratulations to the St. Mary's Academy Class of 2015 62 agents of change. 62 graduates. $7.2M in merit awards more than7,000 community service hours in 4 years Madison Rose Agretsti Sarah Elizabeth Alexander Darcy Rose Angus Sara Jane Binder Hadley Louise Keist Bowles Mariana Burciaga Kemay Gladys Patricia Clark Anne Elizabeth Clinton Claire Louise Cornetta Lesley Judith Corona Claire Marie Coughlin Katherine Virginia Coviello Alanna Astrid Croak Halley Nadine Davis Olivia Simone DeHaven Kariann Farrell DeLine Beatriz Priscila Esparza Hannah Therese Forward Crystal Garcia Akberet Semere Gebremichael Emma Frances Goldner-de Beer Lindsay Gomez Banuelos Monique Mae Hansen Maitland Quince Hennessy Summer Malia Hepp Lesly Jaimes Colleen Anne Johnson Yeon Jae Kim Sydney Rae Leen Natalie Lauren Levitt Yadi Ma Caroline Grace Miller Ralsey Ann Miller Alexandra Kate Mitchell Mia Leilani Montoute Madison Claire Moye MacKenna Marie Norris Madisen Elayne Norton Emily Marie Norwood Jennifer Diane O'Brien Rebecca Jane O'Brien Emily Elizabeth O'Neal Cecelia Marie Palmquist Jin Jihyeon Park Subin Park Emily Budde Ragan Kennede Cheyenne Reese Sophia Grace Richardson Holly Diana Sommers Anna Margaret Stenson Emily Hypatia Sutherland Hannah Lucia Taylor Emma Mary Taylor-Kilian Mary Eleanor Tezak Abbie Grace Thilenius Bianca Lydia Thomas Morgan Michelle Wagner Kathlene Francis Ward Alexandra Rostad Weil Elisa Diane Williamson Zoe Micaela Jianlong Wolf Megumi Yoda I sidora and Jack Shirkey didn't always have a car while they were raising their three boys in Aurora. Isidora was a stay-at-home mom and Jack a med- ical technician. Even when fi nances were tight, they kept date night a priority. "I used to babysit during the day, all week long, to make money so we could get a babysitter on Saturday night," Isi- dora, 100, reminisced from her room at Mullen Home where she has lived the last seven years. The couple, married in 1941, would take the bus from their home to the Univer- sity of Denver to watch the Pioneers play hockey, her favorite sport. Another one of their favorite events was the National Western Stock Show. She hasn't missed a stock show since 1941, she said, including a trip earlier this year. "I go out more now than I did before I lived here," she said. "Every day we're busy here." The Little Sisters of the Poor, who operate Mullen Home supported by a professional staŸ and more than 60 vol- unteers, take residents shopping, to plays and restaurants, and to the mountains and churches around the state. They also have activities such as crafts, games, exer- cise and baking. "I don't feel 100," she added, "heavens no, I feel like I'm 50 or 60." Isidora is a member of a small group— just .02 percent of the population has celebrated a 100th birthday, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Four-fi fths are female and 17 percent live in poverty, with a mean income of about $12,200 per year. Isidora is currently the only cente- narian at Mullen Home. The Little Sisters have cared for Denver's elderly poor at their Highlands location for 95 years. The sisters are available to res- idents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "I have everything here!" Isidora said, including the opportunity to continue to live out her faith. She attends daily Mass at the home's chapel, a commute much easier than it was growing up in La Jara outside Alam- osa, where she was the 11th of 12 children. "We'd walk to church with mother every Sunday, four miles, to the great big church in Capulin," she said. "The church had a beautiful marble alter," she continued, "I wish I could go see it now." Her father, a sheep herder, would spend months away at a time. Seven of the cou- ple's nine daughters became nuns. They prayed the rosary together as a family. "Every blessed night," she recalled, "we would kneel down with mother and pray the rosary." Today Isidora prays the rosary two or three times a day, mostly for her family, she said, sons Michael and Larry, grandchil- dren and great-grandchildren—as well as for Jack and her son Terry who have died. And she thanks God for her health. "I have no pain," she said, other than some arthritis in her fi nger. "I've had a great life. I always made sure I had fun, whatever I did and wherever I went, and I have a lot of fun here at Mullen Home." Faith and fun, secrets to a long life BY JULIE FILBY 303-715-3123 | julie.fi lby@archden.org www.twitter.com/DenverCatholic Isidora Shirkey, in her room at Mullen Home, celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year. PHOTO BY JULIE FILBY/DENVER CATHOLIC

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