“It’s impossible to give a full picture of how much I loved it there,” said Murrett, who turned 95 this year. In the mid-1940’s, she lived with her parents in the Northtowns—taking two buses to get to campus, where she had a full day of classes every day. Post-World War II, she and her fellow students often attracted the notice of caravans of male students from Canisius College, as “they circled campus every day, we’d wait by the windows,” she said, adding, “I married one of them.” After graduating, Murrett followed in the footsteps of her mother, becoming an educator and teaching Latin at the renowned City Honors High School in Buffalo. “Because my mother went to college, my parents made it a mission to send me, too—no matter what it took,” said Murrett. “I felt no different when raising Kitty—who raised Katie the same way. It’s understood that education is important to us.” While the institution—and the world—have undoubtedly changed in the decades separating the D’Youville experiences of the four alumni, there are indelible similarities. “We both thought it was a lot of work,” said Gazda. “We both had a lot of fun,” Murrett added, laughing. “I’m really so proud of her.” The women in my family shaped me into the woman that I am. Katie Gazda ’22 Two of our newest alumni board members Katie Gazda ’22 (left) and Shannon Stappenbeck ’21 Kitty (Murrett) Gazda ’83 Mary (Mahaney) Murrett ’49 Alumnae and their daughters: (Front) Mary Mahany Murrett ’49, Marie Michalski Stroh ’56, Rita Penasak Hahn ’54, Alice Fyderek Bernat ’58, Jane McSweeney Mago ’43, Mary Schroer Bremer ’42, Mary Healy Cullen ’59, Patricia Lyons Van Dyke ’52, President of the Alumni Association. (Back) Catherine Murrett, Ellen Marie Stroh, Rosemary Hahn, Margaret Bernat, Sr. Denise, Claire Mago, Kathleen Bremer Durinka, Colleen Cullen, Mary Lohnes. THE D’MENSIONS MAGAZINE 17
