A Virtual Birthday Card: Click here or the photo above to watch.
FOREVER NOLL: Wishing a happy 101st birthday to Class of 1938 alumna
POSTED: January 14, 2021
The Bishop Noll community sends birthday wishes to alumna Lillian Schreiner Radigan, who turns 101 today.
We featured Lillian in December, sharing her faith-filled Christmas message for her fellow alumni. Many alumni reached out to us to express how much the message meant to them.
We wanted to share more of Lillian’s story with you as she had many fond memories of her days at Catholic Central High School and a great appreciation for her Catholic education.
Lillian, a 1938 graduate of Catholic Central, was the ninth of 11 siblings to attend the school, now known as Bishop Noll Institute. She is believed to be the school’s oldest living graduate.
Her parents, John L. and Henrietta Schreiner, chose Catholic Central because of their strong Catholic faith, she said.
“We all went to Catholic grade school and then Catholic high school,” she said in a December interview. “They sacrificed a lot to get us there.”
In fact, the Schreiners have been part of the Bishop Noll legacy since Day One. On Catholic Central’s first day of class on Sept. 16, 1921, George Schreiner, Lillian’s oldest brother, was in attendance as a freshman. Siblings remained at the school for three decades, until the 11th, Carol, graduated in 1950. A number of the 11 siblings also sent their children to Bishop Noll, and subsequent-generation descendants attended Noll until 1990.
Lillian sang the praises of Catholic schools, especially the strong foundation her education provided her in life. Along with helping forge her own deep faith, it also led to lifelong relationships and provided many happy memories.
“I enjoyed my years at Catholic Central and it set me along my path. I think if you have a good foundation, you can weather any storm,” she said. “It doesn’t make any difference what the problem is, it’s always solvable with a good foundation.”
She encouraged today’s Bishop Noll students, currently celebrating the school’s 100th year, to “enjoy what goes on, enjoy whatever is happening. I had a good time in high school, a lovely time. I wouldn’t change any of it.”
Lillian said that while all of the Catholic Central teachers were excellent, one of her favorite teachers was Sister Victorine, who taught English and history.
“She was very strict but very loving. She would listen to you. She was interested in our class and education and making the most of us,” Lillian said, adding that Sister Victorine gifted her a crucifix on her wedding day and they stayed in touch for some time after graduation.
Most of her teachers were nuns, Lillian said, adding that before the school day began at Catholic Central, she and her female classmates attended Mass in the nuns’ chapel in the convent.
As far as extracurriculars, Lillian performed in a few plays and musicals. She also played intramural basketball her sophomore year.
“We didn’t go out against any other schools – just played within our school.” In their leisure times, her friends would hang out in groups and go to basketball games, football games and roller skating.
“A couple of my brothers were at Catholic Central at the same time. They helped me get back and forth to football and basketball games. We had dances in the big hall ... I went to senior prom with a friend as a sophomore. We had a promenade where you walked around in a parade. We had dance cards filled out with different names for each dance.”
In addition to a solid education in school and faith, Catholic Central also led her to meeting her husband, James F. Radigan Sr., and making lifelong friends.
“CCHS has a good record of people who married within their classes and stayed married. A lot of us celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Our class had a very good record of staying married … I liked all my colleagues.
“Made a lot of good friends, lifelong friends. That’s one thing the school was known for. When you made a friend, you really made a friend. They weren’t fly-by-night friendships,” Lillian said.
Her best friends included Peg and Jack Dillon, who stayed “friends all through our lives. We went to each other’s children’s weddings – we kept in touch even after retirement.”
After high school, Lillian worked at Northern Indiana Public Service Co. but had to quit, she said, due to company policies about married women when she married James, who worked as a manager at his family’s business – Radigan Brothers Fine Furniture on Broadway in Gary.
When Lillian and James had children of their own, they chose to send them to Catholic school just as their parents had done for them.
“We bought our house so it would be close to Catholic school so they could walk to school and Mass.”
She remembered a time when one of her sons had to attend public school after he was injured during football practice, missed a lot of school and needed to catch up.
“When he went to take the test, they said he was so far ahead, he could just take electives. When you went to Catholic school, you really got a good education.”
The couple had seven children, five of whom were still living at home in 1971. That year, with downtown Gary retail businesses collapsing, they talked about what to do next, Lillian said.
“Our son who was attending Arizona State University said (James) should look for work in Phoenix, so that’s what we did,” she said. “My husband went and found a job and a place to live, and we followed behind that summer.”
The family remained in the Phoenix area the past 50 years. Lillian currently lives at a senior living community in Mesa, Ariz.
“I found out I can take the heat better than I can take the cold,” she joked.
Although she is currently unable to have visitors due to safety measures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lillian’s family will be calling, texting and FaceTiming her for her birthday.
Lillian has 27 grandchildren and many great grandchildren, with the number of them growing so often she has lost track.
Her secret to her longevity is her faith.
“My faith has gotten me through so many trials and tribulations. My family is wonderful to me. They are absolutely fabulous. I feel very grateful for my life.”
Lillian Schreiner Radigan, circled near center, is a 1938 graduate of Catholic Central High School. She and 10 siblings all attended Catholic Central High School, now known as Bishop Noll Institute. In this 1946 Schreiner family photo, 25 of the 38 people photographed attended Catholic Central/Bishop Noll High School.
Additional Noll grads were born or married into the family after the photo was taken. The Schreiner family is an important part of the high school’s history as it celebrates its 100th school year.
Lillian on her 99th birthday.