Catherine Vance
Oh my goodness, everyone at Napoleon High School remembers Mrs. Dewey and her
seventh grade Home Ec class. Being typical brats, we were sillier than we should have
been while she plugged along teaching us to sow, cook and set a pretty table. I want to share this deeply personal story. After graduating from Albion College, I spent the summer of 1976 working as a reporter and editor at the Brooklyn Exponent. I was dispatched to the homes of two people to gather information to write obituaries. One was a couple who had lost a baby. The other was for Timothy Dewey. The name did not hold meaning for me until I arrived at Mary's home and recognized her and put the names together. I never forgot (and have often told the story) of her astonishing selflessness and compassion that day. In the midst of her own terrible grief, she said, "At least we had Timothy so many years; that couple lost their baby." And she cried for them. I believe
Timothy was around 18 or so. I just remember being utterly overwhelmed by facing this
woman I barely knew telling me about Timothy. That was 44 years ago. So, to Mary's
family---I know what she was like just from this one moment in time. I will never forget her and I will tell this story as long as I live. Catherine Closson Vance (NHS Class of 1972).