Springfield parishioner honored for 72 years of musical service

courtesy of Springfield Advanced Press

As part of the renovation of St. Raphael Catholic Church in Springfield, a number of stained glass windows were restored including a major restoration of the stained glass window at the front of the church. This window features a beautiful picture of the patron saint of musicians, St. Cecelia, playing the organ. The window is original to the church, and is more than 91 years old. With the removal of the balcony, this majestic window is a prominent feature in the church.

The restoration project was the perfect opportunity for the parish of St. Raphael to honor organist Bernice Manderfeld’s 72 years of service. Bernice has been playing the organ at St. Raphael’s since 1934. She also has taught music to hundreds of Springfield area residents.

To honor Mrs. Manderfeld the parish of St. Raphael will honor her with recognition during the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday, September 10. A reception will follow Mass.

Mrs. Manderfeld’s last piano teacher was her first cousin, Alma Marti of New Ulm. Alma attended the Boston Conservatory of Music and was about to tour France as a concert pianist, but WWI thwarted her plans and she returned to New Ulm. While at the Boston Conservatory, Alma had a piano teacher, a gentleman whose name is not known, whose teacher was Beethoven. Therefore, if you were one of the fortunate piano students of Mrs. Manderfeld, your "great-great-grand-teacher"wasBeethoven!

Bernice was born Sept. 12, 1911, in New Ulm to Rudolph and Mary (Huelskamp) Marti, a very musical family. By 9 years old, she was teaching her friends and kids in the neighborhood to play piano. "I have always loved teaching. I don’t know why, I just have always loved it," she says. Bernice retired from teaching in 2004, and still misses it, "When I dream at night, I’m teaching."

Bernice made her music debut in sixth-grade. She and another young girl sang with the Whoopee John Wilfahrt Orchestra at a car show at the New Ulm Armory. At Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy in Mankato, Bernice continued her high school education and music studies. She began pipe organ lessons in sixth-grade. From 1930 to 1932, Bernice attended MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. She lived in New Ulm and took the train once a week to Minneapolis for a full day of piano, voice and music theory lessons. She would return the same day to New Um. After her studies at MacPhail, she studied with Alma Marti for three years. Alma stressed "You must listen, you must listen." During the same time Bernice served as organist for St. Mary’s Catholic Church, New Ulm, and gave lessons.

She married Chris Manderfeld at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in 1934, before moving to Springfield. For one year, Bernice commuted to New Ulm to give lessons. At. St. Raphael’s, Joseph C. Hofmeister had directed the adult choir from 1922 until 1928, while his son, Walter, was the organist. From 1928 until 1937, Walter directed the choir and was the organist. In 1934 working with Walter Hofmeister, Bernice began playing for Benediction on Saturdays and Sundays and some funerals at St. Raphael’s. She then served as choir director after Mr. Hofmeister resigned.

When Bernice began playing at St. Raphel’s, the choir and the organ were in the balcony. The choir stood in front of the St. Cecelia window and the organ faced them. "I spent a lot of time looking at the window," she said. Bernice feels both shy and honored by having the restoration of the window designated in her honor.

It is a fitting tribute to this talented and dedicated woman, that the restored St. Cecilia window bears the words, "In Honor of Bernadette Cecilia Manderfeld."