Sinsinawa
Spectrum
A Congregation News Magazine
Tending to Father Samuel’s Benton Home
by Mary Fox, OP, and Loretta McIlvenna, OP
A truck moves Father Mazzuchelli's Benton
home in 1989.
In 1989, Father Samuel Mazzuchelli’s little house in Benton, WI, was moved from Bean Street to its present location west of the rectory by parishioners of St. Patrick, Benton. It was restored, painted, given a new roof and porch with two barrel decorators in front to be filled yearly with flowers.
The little house now contains memorabilia of Father Samuel’s life; an account of his death; the outreach mission of his time; and his vision, bearing fruit in the future.
Pauline Alexander, a parishioner and member of the Mazzuchelli Commission, gave years of service in gathering, organizing, and displaying pictures, items, and articles related to Father Samuel as well as the 14 Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters once missioned in Benton and the surrounding area, now buried in St. Patrick Cemetery near Father Samuel’s grave. Pauline became ill in 2009 and was unable to continue her dedicated role. We talked with her in April, and she was happy to have us organize some spring cleaning and feature new information uncovered from the Sinsinawa Archives, shared by Lois Hoh, OP, and Judy Miller, OP.
One parishioner came with his vacuum cleaner and cleaned cobwebs, soybean beatles, ants, box elder bugs, and other inhabitants who escaped the winter by living in the little house. Marion DeGrood, OP, helped with finishing touches and weeded and removed flower stems from Father Samuel’s grave. Father Dave Flanagan, pastor of St. Patrick, moved furniture. Father Samuel had lived downstairs and had an office, a bedroom, and a very small closet. The two small rooms upstairs were used by others such as Karl, a handyman who cut wood for Elegius Braley, OP, to make bread in the Academy. A woman and daughter lived there for a while, and Clara Conway, OP, had space for an office there at one time. The upstairs is now used for storage. We have a bowl of apples and a jar of candy in the office downstairs as Father Samuel shared a piece of candy or slice of apple with the Academy girls who came to get him for a meal or escorted him home to his little house after dinner.
We left the bed upstairs as it did not belong to Father Samuel. Joann Piquett, a parishioner whose husband George had been instrumental in the moving of the house and is now deceased, came with a small handmade stand. The stand was handed down through her husband’s family from his great-grandfather as handmade from Father Samuel’s bed. It is now located in Father’s bedroom.
The two barrel decorations are filled with flowers, planted by women of the parish. There are many other things to see, but we hope we have whetted your appetite to come and see for yourself.