PRES RPT 2022 ONYX ANNEAU

The Woods Way and the Hellmann Connection By Karen Dyer, Vice President for Advancement and Strategic Initiatives I t was 1904, and John “Henry” Hellmann stopped by the grounds of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on his way to the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Mo. Jerome “Jerry” Hellmann loved to tell this story about his grandfather, who would never make it to the World’s Fair on account of a girl - Philomena Bockhold. Philomena had three sisters: Sisters of Providence, Mary Jerome, Mary Veronica and Mary Rosina. Jerry’s grandfather, Henry, who had become enthralled with Philomena, decided to take a job as a farmhand at The Woods so that he might have another opportunity to see her the next time she visited her sisters. The plan worked, and she married Henry, becoming mother to John, Jerry’s father, the first of 15 children. Many years later, Jerry would find himself following in the footsteps of his grandfather, great-aunts and father. This fall, Jerry passed away after 13 years of service on the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Board of Trustees. His own Woods legacy, much like this story of his family, is filled with service and dedication. Hellmanns and The Woods in a letter he wrote about his family’s history in 2021. In the letter, Jerry tells of how his grandfather, Henry, helped to rebuild the fountain and planted the trees along Grotto Road. His father, John, ran the power plant and handcrafted nine alters for The Woods, two of which remain today. “Today, everyone who enters the gates has their own unique Avenue moment. Imagine my Avenue moment as I turn into these gates and see the fountain my grandfather helped rebuild three generations ago,” wrote Jerry. “The Hellmann connection to The Woods continued into the third generation – my own. Between 1960 and 1964, I spent nearly every Wednesday night at The Woods for date night, pursuing my future bride, Mary Ann, just as my grandfather did decades ago. Like my grandfather, I was successful!” he said. According to Jerry, his legacy as a trustee includes being part of the decision to become a fully coeducational institution, to build the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center, and to hire Dottie L. King, Ph.D., as president. “I feel proud of my impact on The Woods,” he said. Jerry and Mary Ann, an alumna from the Class of 1964, have been among the most generous donors in the Jerry referred to this legacy as the “Hellmann connection,” recounting the intersections of the

Mary Ann Kelly Hellmann ’64 and Jerry

College’s history, having led an initiative with Mary Ann’s class to raise $1 million in celebration of their 50th class reunion. Many spaces around campus and a set of golf carts bear the Class of 1964 moniker due to the handiwork of this Hellmann duo. Jerry also never missed a Woods Giving Day, coming in person with his own list of alumni and friends to call for donations to the College. Each May, you could find Jerry on the Avenue, helping to prep and seal coat the campus roads. If you were to stop and ask him why he was out working on this project, he would tell you it is because he wanted to make sure everything looked great for the return of the alumni at Reunion, in addition to investing in the campus infrastructure and improving the curb appeal for students and families. In 2014, Jerry wrote a prayer and gifted it to the College. The prayer is titled, This Place, An Invocation to Saint Mother Theodore Guerin . His words ring true to this day, exemplifying Jerry’s passion for the place that has meant so much to him and his family throughout the years. At its most basic, the word legacy means that which is left to another. Jerry, his grandfather and his father left visible, tangible signs of their love and investment in this place as part of the Hellmann connection. What does this connection, this legacy mean for us? It is a gift, an opportunity for each of us to pick up where Jerry and his family left off, leaving our own impression on these Woods.

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