St. Nicholas Community Bids Bittersweet Farewell

Some big, positive changes are ahead for St. Nicholas Church and School in Sunman.

Photo provided.

(Sunman, Ind.) - St. Nicholas Church & School community, along with alumni, several former teachers and principals, and many others gathered on Sunday, May 12 at the St. Nicholas campus in Sunman to walk through the historical St. Nicholas School building one last time.  Led by mostly alumni, the stroll down memory lane was part of a “A Walk of Remembrance” — an event held to allow anyone interested to bid their final farewells to the 1881 building before it is demolished next month.

It is estimated that over 325 people took time to make the final visit through the classrooms. There were many happy faces and jubilant laughter as people remembered and shared where they spent much of their childhood years, the friends they made and what they did.  Portrayed in the old photographs, newspaper clippings, and yearbooks that were on display in the gymnasium depicts just how many sentiments and memories are attached to this old building.

Among those who attended the event were nine out the fourteen who graduated from St. Nicholas School in 1971.  Pictured in front of the old school building. Front Row:   Angie (Hountz) Myers, Nancy (Eckstein) Denni, Carol (Ertel) Ziegler, Terry Huber  Back Row:  Joe Luhring, Rick Allgeier, Mike Knueven, Dan Schneider, Kevin Eckstein

"It was important to have a day such as this," said Liz Lattire, Director of Communications & Marketing for St. Nicholas & St. Anthony Parishes. "It will be a bittersweet moment when day of demolition is upon us, but we’re very excited to move into the new building."

Construction of the new Education Center, which is Phase 1 of the ongoing Heritage Project, is set to wrap this summer with doors formally opening to students for the 2019-2020 school year.  A formal Ribbon Cutting ceremony is in the works.

To see more information and the progress of the Heritage Project, please visit the parish website at www.stnicholas-sunman.org/heritage-project.