The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-09
Miss Mary Catalan Dies After
Very Brief Illness
LIFE OF RARE USEFULNESS
The Deceased Was Principal OF the
Powell School and Was Wide
ly Recognized AS An Edu-
Gator of Rare Ability.

ty-one years ago and one of the ablest
and most popular educators in the south,
died yesterday morning at $50 O'Clock at
the residence Of her brother-in-law. r.
\. Wheeler, 2Sll Fourth avenue Her
death was the result of a sudden attack
of uremc poisoning.
The funeral will be conducted from the
late residence Tuesday morning at .
o'clock. Shortly . o'clock the remains will
be borne to St. Paurs church where a
solemn high mass of requiem will be
sung. The interment viii be in Oak Hill
cemetery
The following will be the active pail
bearers: DR. J. II. Phillips, superintendent I
of public schools J. b. Cunningham,
principal of the High school; {. A Brown.
principal of the Henley school; c. Il.
Glenn, principal of the Paul Hayne school;
Z. {. Young. principal of the Martin
school; Samuel Adams, principal of the
Barker school; A. A. Lyon, principal of
the South Highlands school, and +. NJ.
Roof formerly principal of the Henley
school,
The honorary pail bearers will comprise
Education ". NJ. Drennen, Mayor George
b. Ward. Henry b. Gray Eli p. Smith
and b. A Thompson; A. o. Lane and
Samuel Ullman. former presidents of the
board; ]. D. Moore, chairman Of the
board Of examiners; Hugh McGeever and
Frank p. OBrien.
The public schools of the city will be
closed all day Tuesday. Beginning at 8
o'clock the hour of the funeral, the bells
of all the schools will be tolled. The
Powell school has been heavily draped
in black
Profound Shock.
The sudden and unexpected death of
Miss Catalan came as profound shock
to her thousands of friends and all day
yesterday throngs Of people called at
Mr. Wheelers residence to express their
sorrow. Identified with the public schools
of Birmingham from their beginning,
Miss Galatians life had been one of sin
gular influence Many of Blrmngham's
prominent citizens received not only their
actual. tuition from her. but drew their
ideals from her as we'll
Miss Cahalan's death was very sudden,
the serious nature of her condition not
being realized until Saturday afternoon.
She attended to her usual school duties
Friday, and was in apparent good health.
She retired Friday night, feeling little
indisposed. For some time past she had
been subject to occasional attacks of
acute neuralgia. and it was one of these
attacks that seized her Friday night.
Saturday morning she purposed attend
ing the meeting of the reception commit
| tee for the Alabama Educational asso-
citation, of which she was chairman, but
was persuaded not to do So She grew
worse during the day and at o'clock
Saturday night fell into a state of col
lapse and never regained consciousness
Drs. Jordan, Copeland, Nabers and
Brown were in attendance and did every
thing possible to save or prolong the
life that had been of such notable SER
vice to the community
Sketch of Her Life.
Miss Catalan was born in Bourbon
county, Kentucky, but most of her girl
hood was spent in Columbus, Ga. where
she attended ST Joseph's convent, In
charge Of the Sisters of Mercy She was
an eager student and labored at her
studies so assiduously that her health
was impaired. On the advice of physicians
she withdrew from school, but her de-
sire for knowledge was too great for
her to consider her attalnments COM
plete and she resumed her studies under
special teachers.
In 1873 the Catalan family moved to
Birmingham. Miss Catalan was later
secured as teacher for one of the two
grades of the city's only school. In 1883
the services of DR.. j. H. Phillips were
secured and he began the reorganization
OF the school. which had been growing
constantly. In 1885 the High school was
separated from the Grammer school, and
the Powell school, with Miss Catalan
as principal, occupied u small frame
structure ON the site of the present build
ing. The school grew and in 1889 the
present handsome building was completed.
Miss Cahalan's noble character was the
subject of a recent article in an educa-
tlonal journal IN part it said:
Her Ability And Character.
seldom has 1t fallen the lot of a
southern woman to demonstrate the exec
utive possibilities of her sex, so success
fully as in the case of the subject of this
sketch. Alabama has produced few wom-
en- whose natural abilities and graces
| of mind could compare favorably with
those of Miss Catalan.
Miss Cahaan's special talents are best
illustrated in her life as a teacher; 1t is
| as an educator that she has crowned
her accomplishments with unfading lau-
rels. Her career as an educator Is one
that the people of Birmingham and Ala
bama Will wisely cherish. Her ability and
devotion to her honored vocation have
a suitable monument in the hearts of
many hundreds of young men and women
in the state. to whom she has impart-
ed her requirements as a scholar, and
the inspiration of her character.
Miss Cahalan's temperament Is dis
passionate. discretion. a strong sense OF
order and propriety. with kindly consld-
Grafton for the opinions and motives OF
others. are salient traits of her character
Her energy and enterprise. her sagacity
and public spirit, are only equalled by the
expansive view she takes of all ques-
lions that affect the public veal.
IAN interesting conversationalist with
open address and genial spirit combined
with stately carriage and quiet woman
| " dignity she Is extremely popular and
| is esteemed at home and abroad az one