Margaret DePriester

Given by Margaret DePriester at the Saint Mary's Campus Chapel, September 5, 2003.

We are honoring & remembering, today -

Brother Dennis Goodman, Christian Brother, local historian extraordinaire, librarian, Moraga's Citizen of the Year, friend.

* A fitting title for Br. Dennis could be "historian laureate of the Town of Moraga". At his fingertips were the answers to questions about the beginnings of this Lamorinda area.

* Although not officially involved in the Town's Incorporation campaign, Br. Dennis was supportive, and he and the College assisted our new Town by answering questions, letting us use a classroom or 2 for the general plan writings and for meetings needed to get the Town going.

His work wasn't finished when we incorporated, though. He persuaded the Town to require names for new streets to reflect our Mexican and Spanish heritage. He authenticated what is an offshoot of one of the area's first pear trees at the corner of Moraga Rd. & St. Mary's Rd. He was instrumental in designating several buildings and sites as historical sites.

* What absorbed more of his time, however, was our Moraga Historical Society. One of the founders in 1965, he was an active part of the group, served as editor of the newsletter, as archivist, and our History Center is dedicated in his name.

Many of the historical and official documents that are in our archive files came through his researching and copying of county and state official files (I must note that many of these notes were scribbled on the backs of papers that had been previously used -. whenever we see a finely written notation like this, we know immediately that this was a Br. Dennis note). , When we at the archives could not find an answer, we were sure that Br. Dennis could do so.

He was very involved in the publication of the Society's book Moraga's Pride and is listed as Chief Researcher.

* There were other sides to this gentle person, who always called me "Mrs. DePriester" - he was a genealogy buff; in fact, tried to help me find documents from churches in Michigan and Canada.

We have missed him since his move to Mont La Salle

We shall miss him tremendously now.

We salute you, Brother Dennis, historian laureate.

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