Martha Roddenbery was born on July 3, 1917 in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida. She attended boarding school in Macon, Georgia, where she became interested in the Catholic faith and became a nun in 1944. When she first expressed her interest in becoming a nun, the Mother Superior said, "But Martha, you're not even a Catholic!" She took the name Sister Mary Madeline; however, her family called her Sister Martha. She received her B.S. in Education from Mt. St. Agnes College and a Master's degree in Administration from Boston College. She taught first and second grades and was Principal of elementary schools. Later she served as Mother Superior of Mt. de Sales Academy in Macon, where she had been a student. She served as Director and later Superintendent of the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta before her retirement in 1976. She was listed in Who's Who in Religion in America and Who's Who in the Catholic Church in America. After her retirement she moved to The Villa, a home for Sisters of Mercy in Baltimore. Sister Mary Madeline was also a poet, and her poems and collected writings are her legacy to the library at The Villa and to the South Central Community.
Sister Martha's obituary:
Sister Madeline Roddenbery , a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy and a retired educator, died July 26 of complications from dementia at The Villa, her order's retirement home in Woodbrook, Baltimore County. She was 92.
Martha Roddenbery was born in St. Augustine, Fla. She was raised in St. Augustine and Macon, Ga., where she graduated in 1935 from Mount de Sales Academy.
When her mother, an entertainer who played piano on the vessels of the Merchants & Miners Transportation Co. between Savannah, Ga., and New York, was away for extended periods, she boarded at Mount de Sales.
In 1939, she entered the Sisters of Mercy and professed her vows four years later. She earned a bachelor's degree from the old Mount St. Agnes College in Mount Washington and a master's in education from Boston College.
Sister Madeline began her teaching career at St. Cecilia parochial school in Walbrook, and taught first grade from 1954 to 1957 at Immaculate Heart of Mary parochial school in Baynesville.
Other teaching assignments included parochial schools in Savannah; Columbus, Ga.; Warrington, Fla.; and Macon.
From 1968 to 1976, she was superintendent of parochial schools for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, and later was a patient advocate at St. Joseph's Hospital, also in Atlanta.
Sister Madeline had been an administrator of one of her order's retirement convents in Savannah before retiring to The Villa in 1996, where she enjoyed writing and had published a book of her poetry.
"Madeline had learned from her flamboyant mother how to entertain," said Roberta Alston, a niece. "She could be called on at the spur of the moment to provide a poem, story or song for some occasion. She was always able to add humor and human interest to any event."
A Mass of Christian burial for Sister Madeline was offered July 29.
The Baltimore Sun, August 7, 2009
Sister Martha's obituary:
Sister Madeline Roddenbery , a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy and a retired educator, died July 26 of complications from dementia at The Villa, her order's retirement home in Woodbrook, Baltimore County. She was 92.
Martha Roddenbery was born in St. Augustine, Fla. She was raised in St. Augustine and Macon, Ga., where she graduated in 1935 from Mount de Sales Academy.
When her mother, an entertainer who played piano on the vessels of the Merchants & Miners Transportation Co. between Savannah, Ga., and New York, was away for extended periods, she boarded at Mount de Sales.
In 1939, she entered the Sisters of Mercy and professed her vows four years later. She earned a bachelor's degree from the old Mount St. Agnes College in Mount Washington and a master's in education from Boston College.
Sister Madeline began her teaching career at St. Cecilia parochial school in Walbrook, and taught first grade from 1954 to 1957 at Immaculate Heart of Mary parochial school in Baynesville.
Other teaching assignments included parochial schools in Savannah; Columbus, Ga.; Warrington, Fla.; and Macon.
From 1968 to 1976, she was superintendent of parochial schools for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, and later was a patient advocate at St. Joseph's Hospital, also in Atlanta.
Sister Madeline had been an administrator of one of her order's retirement convents in Savannah before retiring to The Villa in 1996, where she enjoyed writing and had published a book of her poetry.
"Madeline had learned from her flamboyant mother how to entertain," said Roberta Alston, a niece. "She could be called on at the spur of the moment to provide a poem, story or song for some occasion. She was always able to add humor and human interest to any event."
A Mass of Christian burial for Sister Madeline was offered July 29.
The Baltimore Sun, August 7, 2009
Martha Roddenbery was born on July 3, 1917 in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida. She attended boarding school in Macon, Georgia, where she became interested in the Catholic faith and became a nun in 1944. When she first expressed her interest in becoming a nun, the Mother Superior said, "But Martha, you're not even a Catholic!" She took the name Sister Mary Madeline; however, her family called her Sister Martha. She received her B.S. in Education from Mt. St. Agnes College and a Master's degree in Administration from Boston College. She taught first and second grades and was Principal of elementary schools. Later she served as Mother Superior of Mt. de Sales Academy in Macon, where she had been a student. She served as Director and later Superintendent of the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta before her retirement in 1976. She was listed in Who's Who in Religion in America and Who's Who in the Catholic Church in America. After her retirement she moved to The Villa, a home for Sisters of Mercy in Baltimore. Sister Mary Madeline was also a poet, and her poems and collected writings are her legacy to the library at The Villa and to the South Central Community.
Sister Martha's obituary:
Sister Madeline Roddenbery , a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy and a retired educator, died July 26 of complications from dementia at The Villa, her order's retirement home in Woodbrook, Baltimore County. She was 92.
Martha Roddenbery was born in St. Augustine, Fla. She was raised in St. Augustine and Macon, Ga., where she graduated in 1935 from Mount de Sales Academy.
When her mother, an entertainer who played piano on the vessels of the Merchants & Miners Transportation Co. between Savannah, Ga., and New York, was away for extended periods, she boarded at Mount de Sales.
In 1939, she entered the Sisters of Mercy and professed her vows four years later. She earned a bachelor's degree from the old Mount St. Agnes College in Mount Washington and a master's in education from Boston College.
Sister Madeline began her teaching career at St. Cecilia parochial school in Walbrook, and taught first grade from 1954 to 1957 at Immaculate Heart of Mary parochial school in Baynesville.
Other teaching assignments included parochial schools in Savannah; Columbus, Ga.; Warrington, Fla.; and Macon.
From 1968 to 1976, she was superintendent of parochial schools for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, and later was a patient advocate at St. Joseph's Hospital, also in Atlanta.
Sister Madeline had been an administrator of one of her order's retirement convents in Savannah before retiring to The Villa in 1996, where she enjoyed writing and had published a book of her poetry.
"Madeline had learned from her flamboyant mother how to entertain," said Roberta Alston, a niece. "She could be called on at the spur of the moment to provide a poem, story or song for some occasion. She was always able to add humor and human interest to any event."
A Mass of Christian burial for Sister Madeline was offered July 29.
The Baltimore Sun, August 7, 2009
Sister Martha's obituary:
Sister Madeline Roddenbery , a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy and a retired educator, died July 26 of complications from dementia at The Villa, her order's retirement home in Woodbrook, Baltimore County. She was 92.
Martha Roddenbery was born in St. Augustine, Fla. She was raised in St. Augustine and Macon, Ga., where she graduated in 1935 from Mount de Sales Academy.
When her mother, an entertainer who played piano on the vessels of the Merchants & Miners Transportation Co. between Savannah, Ga., and New York, was away for extended periods, she boarded at Mount de Sales.
In 1939, she entered the Sisters of Mercy and professed her vows four years later. She earned a bachelor's degree from the old Mount St. Agnes College in Mount Washington and a master's in education from Boston College.
Sister Madeline began her teaching career at St. Cecilia parochial school in Walbrook, and taught first grade from 1954 to 1957 at Immaculate Heart of Mary parochial school in Baynesville.
Other teaching assignments included parochial schools in Savannah; Columbus, Ga.; Warrington, Fla.; and Macon.
From 1968 to 1976, she was superintendent of parochial schools for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, and later was a patient advocate at St. Joseph's Hospital, also in Atlanta.
Sister Madeline had been an administrator of one of her order's retirement convents in Savannah before retiring to The Villa in 1996, where she enjoyed writing and had published a book of her poetry.
"Madeline had learned from her flamboyant mother how to entertain," said Roberta Alston, a niece. "She could be called on at the spur of the moment to provide a poem, story or song for some occasion. She was always able to add humor and human interest to any event."
A Mass of Christian burial for Sister Madeline was offered July 29.
The Baltimore Sun, August 7, 2009
