Tom & Estelle George Family Scholarship Fund
St. Ignatius is the proud recipient of a new scholarship endowment set up by the George Family in honor of their mother, Estelle George. Estelle, who passed away in March of this year, had been a St Ignatius parishioner for 63 years, and her children all attended St Ignatius School.
Estelle was born in Nebraska on the family farm in 1923, and moved to Portland in the early 1940s. She married Tommy George in 1945; they had both worked in the Kaiser shipyards during the war. Tommy and Estelle soon moved to 34th St and had five children: Bill, Mike, Pat, Tim and Nance.
Estelle and Tommy were committed to educating their children at St. Ignatius and then Catholic high schools, even when meeting the costs was a struggle. Tommy worked extra shifts on the docks and both of them delivered phone books to help cover the tuition. When Tommy passed away from cancer in 1975, Estelle worked for Portland Public Schools and the Odd Fellows Home in SE Portland.
It was Estelle’s commitment to her parish and the Catholic education provided in it that inspired her family to set up the new endowment. Her daughter Nance remembers ‘lighting candles and praying with my mother’ at St. Ignatius. ‘If I was good at mass, didn’t talk too much, and refrained from bothering Timmy, she would bring us up to the Blessed Mother statue, give us some of her pocket change and let us light a candle. It was especially motivating during advent when the most beautiful nativity in the entire world was right there.’ Estelle’s family talks of her powerful belief in prayer and the example that set for them, from saying the rosary as a family each week to her conviction that prayer and hard work would ensure things worked out. Bill George says, ‘St. Ignatius Church and School have been the cornerstones of our family experience, from 1954 until today. Most of my memories of those years in some way are connected with either my faith life or my school years. St. Ignatius School prepared us for life after grade school and all of us are thankful that we were blessed to be a part of such a caring and nurturing community.’
As it did for many alumni, St. Ignatius left indelible memories on Estelle’s children. Her son Bill ‘loved everything about [his] time in school.’ He writes, ‘The priests were caring and connected to the school ... especially Fr. Thatcher. The lay teachers and Sisters were really student centered and I have no memories of the "I survived Catholic School" types of experiences. Mrs. Bedney in the third grade and Sr. Aloysius were two favorites of mine. All in all I was so lucky to grow up on 34th Street in a great neighborhood and attend a Jesuit parish and Catholic school. Both set the foundation for my life and I thank God for my good fortune.’
Estelle’s children hope that the endowment will enable young people in the future who might not ever think that they could attend a Catholic school realize the opportunity and ultimately attend St. Ignatius. They write, ‘We know it was a huge struggle for our parents to get all five of us through St. Ignatius and various Catholic high schools. They sacrificed, worked hard and dedicated their efforts to our faith lives and education. They are smiling now as we continue to follow their example and help other needy families give their children the experience of a St. Ignatius education.’
Jo Ann Grubb compiled this history of the St. Ignatius School Foundation Named funds originally for the Centennial Celebration in 2008 and will keep it updated it for the Foundation Board records.
Estelle was born in Nebraska on the family farm in 1923, and moved to Portland in the early 1940s. She married Tommy George in 1945; they had both worked in the Kaiser shipyards during the war. Tommy and Estelle soon moved to 34th St and had five children: Bill, Mike, Pat, Tim and Nance.
Estelle and Tommy were committed to educating their children at St. Ignatius and then Catholic high schools, even when meeting the costs was a struggle. Tommy worked extra shifts on the docks and both of them delivered phone books to help cover the tuition. When Tommy passed away from cancer in 1975, Estelle worked for Portland Public Schools and the Odd Fellows Home in SE Portland.
It was Estelle’s commitment to her parish and the Catholic education provided in it that inspired her family to set up the new endowment. Her daughter Nance remembers ‘lighting candles and praying with my mother’ at St. Ignatius. ‘If I was good at mass, didn’t talk too much, and refrained from bothering Timmy, she would bring us up to the Blessed Mother statue, give us some of her pocket change and let us light a candle. It was especially motivating during advent when the most beautiful nativity in the entire world was right there.’ Estelle’s family talks of her powerful belief in prayer and the example that set for them, from saying the rosary as a family each week to her conviction that prayer and hard work would ensure things worked out. Bill George says, ‘St. Ignatius Church and School have been the cornerstones of our family experience, from 1954 until today. Most of my memories of those years in some way are connected with either my faith life or my school years. St. Ignatius School prepared us for life after grade school and all of us are thankful that we were blessed to be a part of such a caring and nurturing community.’
As it did for many alumni, St. Ignatius left indelible memories on Estelle’s children. Her son Bill ‘loved everything about [his] time in school.’ He writes, ‘The priests were caring and connected to the school ... especially Fr. Thatcher. The lay teachers and Sisters were really student centered and I have no memories of the "I survived Catholic School" types of experiences. Mrs. Bedney in the third grade and Sr. Aloysius were two favorites of mine. All in all I was so lucky to grow up on 34th Street in a great neighborhood and attend a Jesuit parish and Catholic school. Both set the foundation for my life and I thank God for my good fortune.’
Estelle’s children hope that the endowment will enable young people in the future who might not ever think that they could attend a Catholic school realize the opportunity and ultimately attend St. Ignatius. They write, ‘We know it was a huge struggle for our parents to get all five of us through St. Ignatius and various Catholic high schools. They sacrificed, worked hard and dedicated their efforts to our faith lives and education. They are smiling now as we continue to follow their example and help other needy families give their children the experience of a St. Ignatius education.’
Jo Ann Grubb compiled this history of the St. Ignatius School Foundation Named funds originally for the Centennial Celebration in 2008 and will keep it updated it for the Foundation Board records.