Our brother
Alphonse Dietrich (DEE-trick) was born in Ashwaubenon in 1895.
After the family moved to Ladysmith, Wisconsin in 1900, Alphonse attended
the State Teachers College in Stevens Point, where he earned a Teachers’
Certificate in 1916 and another in 1917.
He
then spent 5 years teaching in various public schools, before becoming the
record clerk at the State Reformatory in
Green Bay
from 1922 until 1926. After
spending 4 years at
St.
Benedict
College
in
Collegeville
,
Minnesota
, he joined the Order in 1930.
Alphonse
began teaching at the college in 1932 and was solemnly professed in 1935. While
at the college, he was in charge of the bookstore.
In 1942, he received a Master’s degree in Education from
Marquette
University
. During 1944, he was chaplain at
Wisconsin
General
Hospital
in
Madison
, and in 1948 was transferred to
Buttonwillow
,
California
, at the advice of his doctor to go West.
"Phonsie”
entered U.C.L.A. in 1949 and remained until 1955, earning a Ph. D. in Education,
with a special emphasis on reading.
“Ma
Dietrich”, as he was called, rejoined the college faculty in 1960 and taught
remedial reading education until 1973, although his deteriorating eyesight made
it next to impossible for him to read himself.
His eyesight was so poor, that on one occasion he approved an earring in
the ear of a confrere after he was told it bore a small image of the Blessed
Virgin, which of course, he himself could not see!
He died on Monday, July 2, 1973 at the age of 77.
