Nashotah Sketch: Memories of the House
By Rosanne L. Knight
I arrived at Nashotah House with my husband Jack, our five-year-old daughter, and nine-year- old son in late summer of 1963 to move into Hallock Hall #4 in one of the buildings called “The Flats.”
The children started school at Summit Elementary, their dad started classes at the House and I began a full-time job in nearby Delafield at the Field Station for the Department of Natural Resources. Later I worked in the alumni and public relations offices at St. John’s Military Academy, also in Delafield.
In his Middler year, Jack was made the manager of the book store which necessitated a move to Shelton Hall #2, a spacious, very nice, two-bedroom apartment above the bookstore. During those three years on campus we met and developed life-long friendships with seminarians, faculty, staff and their families from all over the country. Graduation in 1970 was a very happy event. It meant we would be returning to our home state of Colorado where we would live close to a lot of family and both sets of grandparents which would be a bonus, as at graduation time, I was pregnant with our third child who was born one week after we moved into the curate’s house and Jack began his work as curate at St. Timothy’s in Littleton.
I refer to our son Stephen as my graduation present from Nashotah House when I received my PHT degree (Putting Hubby Through)! Fast forward to sixteen years later when Jack was elected Dean and President and we moved into Adams House, the 150-year-old Deanery. There are several stories which can be told about our lives between the two sojourns at The House. We left Nashotah when Jack’s seven-year contract ended and returned to Colorado. In 1998, he died very suddenly of a massive heart attack while playing racquetball with a parishioner.
Married as teenagers, we had celebrated 41 years of marriage before his death. His ashes are interred on the hill at the Nashotah House cemetery where I will someday join him. In the 20+ years since he died, I have been a member of several congregations and now worship (via Zoom) at All Saints’ Episcopal in Loveland, Colorado, where I live with my new husband. At All Saints’ I have been the organizer of a Daughters of the King chapter, a member of the choir, and author of a weekly column called Thursday Thoughts for the DOK chapter. I cherish the memories I made at The House and love to relate them to anyone who is interested.
Roseanne L. Knight (or as some liked to call me-The Deanarina) is the widow of the Rev. Jack C. Knight (1941-1998), formerly of the Diocese of Colorado. Father Knight was a graduate of Nashotah House (1970), ordained a deacon in 1969 and priest in 1970. He served as curate of St. Timothy’s, Littleton, Colorado (1970-1975); vicar of St. Gregory’s, Littleton, Colorado (1972-1975); rector (1976-1983) and was named rector emeritus; vicar of St. Gregory’s,Gonzales, and St. Mark’s, Harvey, Louisiana (1984-1985); and dean and president of Nashotah House (1985-1992). His last call was as a figure of Saint Andrew’s, Littleton, Colorado.
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Do you have a Nashotah House memory you’d like to share, favorite chapel “prank,” a description of what life was like, or a word of advice on raising kids at the House and/or ringing Michael the Bell? We would love to have your “sketches” of Nashotah House from back in the day— whether that day was last week, last year, or years ago. We are currently collecting these among alumni, spouses, students, and friends of Nashotah House, and would love to include yours.
Nashotah “Sketches” may be emailed to chapter@nashotah.edu subject line: Nashotah Sketches. Feel free to write a brief “biography” of yourself, as well as any pictures you’d like to share with the community. We look forward to sharing!
Images courtesy Frances Donaldson Library, Nashotah House.