Mother Nonie -2008

Nonie Mary Newey grew up on a farm in the Ciskei, educated mostly at home and entered Grahamstown Training College at the age of 23. She joined the Community in 1949 and had her first teaching post at the Good Shepherd School in Grahamstown and in 1952 joined Rhodes and graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts. Sister Nonie spent several years doing pastoral work in Grahamstown and Rhodesia eventually returning in 1960 to the Grahamstown Training College as a lecturer. She became principal of the Training College but due to her increasing deafness had to retire early. Sister Nonie spent some years studying at St Paul’s Theological College (now the College of the Transfiguration in Grahamstown) and running the Retreat Centre through most of 1980’s until she was elected Superior in 1991. In 1993 she was made a Deacon and in 1994 ordained as a Priest and was able to take services in the College Chapel and until very recently was able to help regularly with the weekday services at the various Anglican Churches within Grahamstown. (Sister Nonie was known as Sister Virginia whilst Principal of the Training College but subsequently reclaimed her baptismal name). (source: https://www.ru.ac.za/allanwebb/history/)
contributed by: Carol Beneke
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Mother Nonie -2008