By A.M. Kelley
Superior Catholic Herald
SDCCW: Bishop presents 2006 Pax Christi award
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Margaret Erm of Arbor Vitae was the winner of the 2006 Pax Christi Award, presented during the Superior Diocesan Council of Catholic Women convention on June 6 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Woodruff. (Catholic Herald photo by A.M. Kelley) |
WOODRUFF -- Margaret Erm picked up her Pax Christi award with barely a minute to spare to pose for a picture. She had to be off to Ironwood, Mich. Her ailing sister needed her.
This seems to be business-as-usual for the 2006 Pax Christi winner, who was honored at the Superior Diocesan Council of Catholic Women convention on June 6 at Holy Family Church in Woodruff.
Erm, who lives in Arbor Vitae, retired in 1991 after teaching freshman algebra and geometry for 32 years at Lakeland High School in Minocqua. By her own estimation, she's taught 3,500 students over the years and now encounters some as adults and professionals in the many circles she travels.
One former student was recently hired as a Medicare specialist by the Vilas County Commission on Aging where Erm is also a volunteer commission member.
"It's such a small world," Erm said.
As one hears and reads about her many projects, it seems that the world is not so small, but that Erm really gets around.
"(Margaret's) a hard-working board member," Diane Bluthardt, the director of the Commission on Aging, said. "She's a wonderful woman, smart, educated. She has an opinion and a spiky edge to her, but not aggressive and not just a 'yes' person. I love that about her."
The director also notes Erm's sense of humor and unfailing habit of coming prepared for meetings.
Erm, expressing some aversion to all the praise and attention at the SDCCW convention, made a simple statement: "What I'm doing is the same thing that a lot of people are doing."
"She does what she believes in," Bluthardt said. "She has a life of service, a very full life. She puts her money where her mouth is. I'm so proud of her. (She's) inspiring -- you wouldn't think so to look at her."
Erm is also involved with her parish -- Holy Family -- as a Eucharistic minister for nursing homes, hospitals and seniors; a pianist for daily Mass and choir practices; an office gofer; a kitchen worker at funerals and other events; and an annual rummage sale enthusiast.
"We made $7,000 last year on the rummage sale -- and most things just sold for 25 cents," she said.
Erm's other community projects include: the local CCW, Special Olympics, a horseback riding therapy program, Lifeline, tutoring students in math, local scholarship funds and the international nonprofits Heifer International and World Vision's child sponsorship program.
The other women named as finalists for the Pax Christi award were Frances Means of Spooner, Dorothy May of Medford and Dorothy Cornwall of Turtle Lake.
Bishop George A. Hammes initiated the Pax Christi Award in 1961 to recognize the services of diocesan women. Fliss, who now chooses the winner from among those nominated, has continued the annual tradition.
While giving this year's award to Erm, Fliss said every year the decision is agonizing and he always wants to give it to all the worthy nominees. To make the final selections he enlists the help of a committee of women from the chancery office.
Erm herself agrees that the award belongs to many in her company.
"(The SDCCW) is a bunch of women who decided that working together we can do more good than working alone," she said.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2006