Niece brings globe-trotting aunt to life

Cleaning out the closet of a deceased loved one normally means that cherished keepsakes are distributed among relatives who, in turn, put the mementos in their own closets for "safe keeping."

That almost happened after 87-year-old Helen Fitzgerald of St. Agnes/St. Patrick Church in Cohoes died last year -- until her niece, Ellen Mnich, got an idea that transformed her late aunt's closet into a gateway for learning.

Mrs. Mnich felt the contents of her Aunt Helen's closet, which included souvenirs and artifacts collected during 60 years of global exploration, should be given a new lease on life as "teaching tools."

On the road

A remedial reading and math teacher, Mrs. Mnich decided to take "Aunt Helen's Closet" on the road as part of an interactive presentation which introduces children and adults to the travels of a remarkable woman.

"During her long and fascinating life, Aunt Helen visited every country in the world except for two," Mrs. Mnich explained. "A visit to her home always meant instant immersion into ethnic artifacts, clothing, jewelry and other souvenirs she collected from around the world. These now serve as excellent teaching tools.

"Helen Fitzgerald was a woman ahead of her time who quietly left her mark on the world," said her niece, a graduate of Keveny Memorial Academy and St. Bernard's. "She had respect for all people in all countries. Now she lives on in the children she allows me to share her things with."

Closet of surprises

Since last fall, "Aunt Helen's Closet" has been presented by Mrs. Mnich at schools, libraries, nursing homes, churches and other organizations. She credits the name of her presentation to Rev. Arthur Becker, pastor of St. Agnes/St. Patrick's, who used the phrase in a eulogy at Miss Fitzgerald's funeral.

The closet for which the program is named originally contained "500 boxes and counting," according to Mrs. Mnich.

"From those boxes, I gathered up all the things I thought school children would enjoy seeing. I remembered many of the outfits from my own youth, which brought back a flood of the most wonderful memories," she said. "It made me realize how my life had been shaped, molded and influenced by Aunt Helen and all of her colorful possessions. She had roaring red hair and not only bought colorful clothing on her trips, but also wore them to her job with the State of New York when she returned from her trips!"

Story-telling

In her presentations, Mrs. Mnich, who teaches at Turnpike School in Lansingburgh, draws upon the storytelling skills she says she inherited from her Irish ancestors. Her clan has deep roots in Cohoes, dating back to the late 1800s. Indeed, five generations have occupied the same home there for more than a century.

In her presentations in schools, Mrs. Mnich invites students to try on garments, headgear and jewelry representing diverse nations on seven continents. Another activity has the children sit in a circle as she provides some background on the ethnic jewelry being passed around.

They are later encouraged to "brainstorm as a group" to make up a story about the origins of one of the artifacts. At the end of the session, students create a story, sometimes accompanied by illustrations, about the exotic objects d'art.

Legacy of aunt

Asked how she thinks her Aunt Helen would feel about having her possessions handled by strangers, Mrs. Mnich, who attends Our Lady of Assumption Church in Loudonville, exclaims: "She'd love it! Aunt Helen wasn't the type to say, `Look, but don't touch.' In fact, when she travelled, she stayed with ordinary people, usually the families of her guides, and she mostly brought back souvenirs that could be put to practical use."

Besides, she continued, the seeds for "Aunt Helen's Closet" were actually planted while her aunt was still living.

"She was in her 80s when I started asking if I could bring some of her things to school to show the children on an informal basis," she recalled. "She was quite willing to share her much-loved -- and much-used -- possessions. She loved the reactions that her things brought. In fact, one of the highlights of the last few months of her life was the regular stream of letters she received from school children."

Artifacts in Aunt Helen's Closet range from a genuine Indian sari and a vase with dried alligator heads to a gigantic sombrero and items carved from elephant's ivory. (In the case of the latter, Mrs. Mnich seizes the opportunity to explain that such species were not endangered at the time Aunt Helen began her travels in the late 1920s.)

Into the world

Mrs. Mnich said children are often amazed to learn that Aunt Helen was as brave, daring and adventurous as she was, given the fact that she had a speech impediment.

"A student once asked me how many languages Aunt Helen spoke besides English, and I had to explain that she could barely speak fluent English due to a severe stuttering condition," Mrs. Mnich said. "What's inspiring is that she did not let that handicap hold her back from doing the things she wanted to do in life."

In fact, her aunt often reached out to those she considered less fortunate than herself.

"Once she noticed a guide's son in New Zealand had a badly deformed ear," Mrs. Mnich said. "Although Aunt Helen was not rich, she was so concerned that the boy would be an object of ridicule that she paid for a number of operations to correct his condition."

(Those interested in arranging a presentation should contact Ellen Mnich at least two weeks in advance at 271-8870, 434-3991 or 235-1910.)

(07-03-97) [[In-content Ad]]