Mary McCarthy

Mary McCarthy was born on March 16, 1907, the fourth child of Felix and Anne McCarthy's 10 children. She grew up on the family farm at Barnum, Iowa, and graduated from Corpus Christi High School in nearby Fort Dodge. At the age of 18, she entered the convent of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubuque, Iowa. She received her teaching certificate from Clarke College, her bachelor's degree in Great Falls, Montana, and her master's from Creighton University. On September 8, 1995, Sister Mary McCarthy B.V.M. celebrated her 70th jubilee as a nun. During that time, she has touched the lives of countless students as she taught Latin and English in the West and Midwest. In later years, Sister discovered a talent for working one-on-one with remedial reading students. She also worked in the adult literacy program at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge and was awarded the Iowa Governor's Award for volunteerism. Sister McCarthy has dedicated her life to God and to making the lives of others better.

She has been an unyielding advocate for children and has earned the respect of her students, fellow teachers, and administrators. Even in retirement, Sister continues to give to others. She has taken up painting and her artwork brings joy to the family and friends she has shared it with. She is a role model to all of the women whose lives she has touched because her faith does not allow her to give up or settle for less than the best for all people. She is appreciated and loved by her family and friends who recognize her as a special heroine.

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