Picnic in the mountains near Las Vegas, circa 1963

Sr. Gertrude wrote on the back of this photo: "This is one of our picnics in Las Vegas, New Mexico in the mountains. That's me with my sleeves rolled up. We are making hamburgers. I guess this is two years old."

Postulant Gertrude, circa 1939

A blessing from her great-nephew, Father George

Sr. Gertrude receives a blessing from Father George Saletrik, grandson of her brother Elmer, in 1996. Note: Elmer and his descendants spell their surname Saletrik, as do August's. The rest of the family uses the Salitrik spelling.

August 1971

Sr. Gertrude  and Sr. Pauline, August 1971. Location unknown.. Could be East Los Angeles, could be the O.L.V.M.S. Motherhouse in Huntington, Ind. Notice that both sisters chose to wear habits that feature pockets. You can't have practical clothing without pockets!

At the Lake House, 1966

Sr. Gertrude is the second from the left, standing. Anyone know where the lake house was?
(As always, you can click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Visiting her brother Johnny & his family, 1980

Sr. Gertrude with her brothers Elmer & August

This circa 1950 photo shows two of Sr. Gertrude's brothers in their prime, closer to the way they were when Sr. Gertrude still lived in Uniontown. That's Elmer on the left and August on the right. Their 13-year-old nephew Roger (William's son) is in the middle.

Sr. Gertrude and Elmer on July 11, 1995, when she visited him in his nursing home near Ohiopyle, PA. Elmer was more comfortable around animals than people. He was permitted to bring one his goats, Snowball, to the nursing home and she was a pet of the residents.
Notice the darkness of Elmer and Gertrude's hair! Salitriks (and Saletriks!) did not go gray.

This photo from June 6, 1973 was taken at the Union Printers' Home in Colorado Spring, Colo., where August was living due to ill health. His son Dave is on the left. Sr. Gertrude is standing next to Margo, Dave's wife. The woman with the white purse is Margo's cousin. That's August in the wheelchair, of course. He had the black Salitrik/Saletrik hair as well.

That's Augie on the left, smoking a cigar.

Sr. Gertrude took this photo on June 3, 1972 at the Balanced Rock at the Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, Colo. That's Sr. Mary Ruth Kramer in the driver's seat and August as passenger.

August and Gertrude's last visit in Cushing, Okla. on July 27, 1978. August died about four months later, on November 13. 

Final Years at Victory Noll

Las Posadas service, 1994

Sr. Gertrude crocheted baby blankets and sold them in the craft shop.

With a visitor from Slovakia. Sister always enjoyed speaking her first language.

Sr. Gertrude gathered pop cans and gave the money to a needy woman in Huntington.

Even as she got older and had to slow down, Sr. Gertrude liked to have little tasks to fill her day. In 2001, at age 90, she watered the urns in the cemetery.

The last photo of Sr. Gertrude, taken on May 17, 2010.She died about two months later.

Sr. Gertrude rarely missed the bimonthly meeting with the visiting dogs.

60th Anniversary, 1998

Sr. Gertrude & her childhood friend Marie

Marie Roskovensky Sulc and Sr. Gertrude  were friends for most of their lives, although Marie was one year younger. The two were schoolmates in  St. Mary's parochial school in Uniontown, Pa. Sr. Gertrude probably attended the wedding when Marie married Cyprian Sulc in June 1934. Marie and Cyprian founded Nehi Bottling Co. in Washington, Pa, which later became Royal Crown Bottling. Marie helped run the company until she retired at age 78. She loved to travel and took more than 30 cruises and traveled to Europe several times. Marie Sulc died on April 9, 2011.

During one of Sr. Gertude's trips home to southwestern Pennsylvania, Marie Sulc's daughter and son-in-law treated Marie and Sr. Gertude to a ride on the Gateway Clipper.

50th Anniversary, 1988

The sisters who entered O.L.V.M.S in 1938 celebrate their 50th anniversary in 1988. Just as in the 1938 photo below, two ladies are wearing white shoes and the rest are wearing dark ones. It is interesting to note that although all five women started their religious careers together, only two of the five chose to wear veils/habits at this point.

The same women 50 years earlier, upon their arrival at Victory Noll and wearing "civilian" clothes  Gertrude Salitrik, from Uniontown, Pa ; Catherine Ley (later known as Sr. Callista), from Pittsburgh;  Marie Chettle, from Missouri; Leocodia Rutkoski, from Detroit; and Betty Keifer, from Chicago.

Sr. Getrude's sister Julia and sister-in-law Dorothy traveled to Indiana to celebrate her 50th anniversary as a nun. Julia (in blue) looks very happy in this photo; she always looked forward to spending time with Gertrude. Notice Julia and Gertrude's jet-black hair.

Is This Photo From Denver?

Written on back of photo: 1976, Support Group, 3rd Floor. Front row:  Srs. Clarice, Mary Magdalen, Victoria.  Back row:  Srs. Barbara Marie, Mary Joan, Gertrude, Mary Jane. Does anyone know which city this was, or what "support group 3rd floor" means?

Images from Los Angeles, 1972-1975

Caption written on back of photo: Party at Santa Monica, June 1975. Sr. [S????], a Jesuit priest, Sr. Kathleen in red, Mrs. Murphy, Sr. [Patricia's?] mother.

Sr. Gertrude celebrates her 64th birthday.

Las Vegas, 1963

This photo shows Sr. Gertrude with some of  her catechism students in Las Vegas in 1963.   At this time her job was to conduct  catechism classes for kids who attended public school. Las Vegas was booming during this time, but I doubt members of the Rat Pack spent much time in the neighborhoods where Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters worked. Note that Sr. Gertrude (known as Sr. Leo back then) was not much taller than her students. She was quite petite.

Mysterious photo from November 1962

This photo is stamped  "Nov. 1962" and "Studer's of Texas, " but on the back someone wrote "Azusa 1962. Sr. Gertrude Salitrik a long time ago." In other words, the handwriting identifies the photo as being taken in Azusa, California, but the printed information suggests El Paso, Texas is correct. According to the timeline Sr. Gertrude wrote for me, 1962 was the year she moved from El Paso, Texas to Las Vegas, Nevada. Of course, just because the photo was processed in Texas doesn't mean the photo was taken there. It could have been taken by a sister who was working in Texas and later mailed the picture to Sr. Gertrude. Does anyone in the family have a copy of this photo? Perhaps with an accompanying letter?