MONROE - She is the last religious employee to leave Monroe Clinic, and for many, it marks the end of an era. Sister Florence Magnan has bid adieu to the job she's held for the past three decades but feels strongly a continued mission is in place.
"It was time for me," Magnan said. "It's in good hands."
Magnan was born in Fort Atkinson but says her family soon moved to Watertown where she grew up. She had three brothers and lived across from Sacred Heart College. She recalls there being an extra lot where her mother kept a big garden she helped with, along with mowing lawns in the busy summertime.
Her young years were spent riding bikes and going to the first municipal swimming pool in town. She enjoyed softball with neighbor children and attended school at St. Bernard's Grade School until eighth grade. The sisters of St. Agnes were her teachers, and Magnan says she enjoyed her time there. She walked the six blocks to and from school and also home for lunch; she recalls her mother always made something for the children.
At Watertown Senior High School, Magnan was active in the Girls Athletic Association and also enjoyed playing the violin. On weekends, she helped out at her father's optometrist office in town. She also worked in Fort Atkinson at a canning company and worked a summer in the parks and recreation department.
The 1952 graduate says she wasn't sure what she wanted to do after graduation, but her Girl Scout leader was a dental hygienist and she thought it might be a good fit for her.
While interviewing at Marquette, however, a landscape painting hanging on the wall caught her eye. She says it reminded her of how much she loved the outdoors, and she stopped the interview, telling them she changed her mind.
Instead, Magnan enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where she hoped to earn credentials to teach physical education. The summer before she started, she saw a movie that questioned where one might be headed in their life, and she second guessed her choice again.
"I completed one year at La Crosse and then went to the convent," Magnan said. But after a year at the convent in Fond du Lac, she decided to go back to La Crosse to complete her degree.
Magnan took a job teaching physical education and home health in Wausau after graduating from La Crosse.
Then after teaching for two years, she received a letter inviting her back to the convent. She finally made up her mind.
"It put a bug in my mind," she said. "I went back to the convent, I finished and I stayed."
Four years later, in 1962, she received her black veil and became available for teaching again that year.
She was happy.
"I could not see myself loving one person in a marriage," she said. "If I went to the convent, I knew I could love everyone."
Magnan was first called to the West Coast to teach biology and general science but was soon called home to teach what felt like a dream job - physical education at St. Mary's Springs Academy in Fond du Lac. It combined the two things she hoped to do in her career.
"They didn't think I could tumble in my habit, but I managed," she said, laughing.
As sports became more popular for girls, coaching became rigorous for Magnan. She was taking teams to away games, meets and tournaments. She earned a license so she could drive the teams on the bus as well. She has wonderful memories and stories to accompany her time there, and she holds them dear.
"I could teach what I felt most comfortable teaching," Magnan said. "And I could be outside."
After 20 years, Magnan says she was ready for a change and began thinking about what she might want to do. She had a fellow sister who was having physical therapy treatments on her hand, and Magnan says she thought of her often. Eventually, she learned more about physical therapy and thought it was something she might enjoy.
She began the two-year physical therapy program and says she was much too busy to miss teaching. While she finished her internship, she knew Monroe was holding a place for her, and she looked forward to taking the job, despite knowing very little about the city.
Magnan says she was hesitant at first to work at the hospital but was able to keep up and enjoyed the work greatly. Her first patient, she recalls, asked her if she could speak Swiss.
She enjoyed her patients and especially her co-workers.
"There were such wonderful people to work with," Magnan said. "It was a pleasure."
When it came time to renew her two-year license most recently, she knew it would be the last time. After 30 years, and now newly retired, she's still thankful for the people she worked with and the friends she's made through the years.
"Everyone was so helpful," she said. "It wasn't like I was doing it all myself."
Despite missing the river in Watertown, Magnan says Monroe has been a wonderful home for her. She has enjoyed biking the Sugar River Trail and the roads of Green County and enjoyed many other parts of Monroe.
Magnan is taking time to enjoy her yard and a small garden she keeps. She says it's nice to be able to rest and settle into retirement as she pleases. She still helps out at the St. Victor School kitchen on Thursdays and enjoys sharing Mass with children at 8:30 a.m. beforehand. She also attends communion for the sick on Fridays.
She has enjoyed making and repairing rosaries in the past and may dabble in that a little more.
She still has family in northern Wisconsin she enjoys visiting periodically as well.
Magnan feels Monroe Clinic is in good hands, and she is happy sisters continue to serve as volunteers and on the Monroe Clinic board and its Foundation.
She hopes eventually to volunteer and get involved in the community, but for now, she's enjoying a slower pace. And, in all of her time teaching and helping her patients and friends, she's always tried to follow the golden rule:
"Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you," she said.
"It was time for me," Magnan said. "It's in good hands."
Magnan was born in Fort Atkinson but says her family soon moved to Watertown where she grew up. She had three brothers and lived across from Sacred Heart College. She recalls there being an extra lot where her mother kept a big garden she helped with, along with mowing lawns in the busy summertime.
Her young years were spent riding bikes and going to the first municipal swimming pool in town. She enjoyed softball with neighbor children and attended school at St. Bernard's Grade School until eighth grade. The sisters of St. Agnes were her teachers, and Magnan says she enjoyed her time there. She walked the six blocks to and from school and also home for lunch; she recalls her mother always made something for the children.
At Watertown Senior High School, Magnan was active in the Girls Athletic Association and also enjoyed playing the violin. On weekends, she helped out at her father's optometrist office in town. She also worked in Fort Atkinson at a canning company and worked a summer in the parks and recreation department.
The 1952 graduate says she wasn't sure what she wanted to do after graduation, but her Girl Scout leader was a dental hygienist and she thought it might be a good fit for her.
While interviewing at Marquette, however, a landscape painting hanging on the wall caught her eye. She says it reminded her of how much she loved the outdoors, and she stopped the interview, telling them she changed her mind.
Instead, Magnan enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where she hoped to earn credentials to teach physical education. The summer before she started, she saw a movie that questioned where one might be headed in their life, and she second guessed her choice again.
"I completed one year at La Crosse and then went to the convent," Magnan said. But after a year at the convent in Fond du Lac, she decided to go back to La Crosse to complete her degree.
Magnan took a job teaching physical education and home health in Wausau after graduating from La Crosse.
Then after teaching for two years, she received a letter inviting her back to the convent. She finally made up her mind.
"It put a bug in my mind," she said. "I went back to the convent, I finished and I stayed."
Four years later, in 1962, she received her black veil and became available for teaching again that year.
She was happy.
"I could not see myself loving one person in a marriage," she said. "If I went to the convent, I knew I could love everyone."
Magnan was first called to the West Coast to teach biology and general science but was soon called home to teach what felt like a dream job - physical education at St. Mary's Springs Academy in Fond du Lac. It combined the two things she hoped to do in her career.
"They didn't think I could tumble in my habit, but I managed," she said, laughing.
As sports became more popular for girls, coaching became rigorous for Magnan. She was taking teams to away games, meets and tournaments. She earned a license so she could drive the teams on the bus as well. She has wonderful memories and stories to accompany her time there, and she holds them dear.
"I could teach what I felt most comfortable teaching," Magnan said. "And I could be outside."
After 20 years, Magnan says she was ready for a change and began thinking about what she might want to do. She had a fellow sister who was having physical therapy treatments on her hand, and Magnan says she thought of her often. Eventually, she learned more about physical therapy and thought it was something she might enjoy.
She began the two-year physical therapy program and says she was much too busy to miss teaching. While she finished her internship, she knew Monroe was holding a place for her, and she looked forward to taking the job, despite knowing very little about the city.
Magnan says she was hesitant at first to work at the hospital but was able to keep up and enjoyed the work greatly. Her first patient, she recalls, asked her if she could speak Swiss.
She enjoyed her patients and especially her co-workers.
"There were such wonderful people to work with," Magnan said. "It was a pleasure."
When it came time to renew her two-year license most recently, she knew it would be the last time. After 30 years, and now newly retired, she's still thankful for the people she worked with and the friends she's made through the years.
"Everyone was so helpful," she said. "It wasn't like I was doing it all myself."
Despite missing the river in Watertown, Magnan says Monroe has been a wonderful home for her. She has enjoyed biking the Sugar River Trail and the roads of Green County and enjoyed many other parts of Monroe.
Magnan is taking time to enjoy her yard and a small garden she keeps. She says it's nice to be able to rest and settle into retirement as she pleases. She still helps out at the St. Victor School kitchen on Thursdays and enjoys sharing Mass with children at 8:30 a.m. beforehand. She also attends communion for the sick on Fridays.
She has enjoyed making and repairing rosaries in the past and may dabble in that a little more.
She still has family in northern Wisconsin she enjoys visiting periodically as well.
Magnan feels Monroe Clinic is in good hands, and she is happy sisters continue to serve as volunteers and on the Monroe Clinic board and its Foundation.
She hopes eventually to volunteer and get involved in the community, but for now, she's enjoying a slower pace. And, in all of her time teaching and helping her patients and friends, she's always tried to follow the golden rule:
"Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you," she said.