Violet Marie Nicolini Deverell - Class of 1933

Violet was born in 1919 to an Italian family.  Her family came through Ellis Island and settled in DeKalb, IL.  The sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary made up the faculty at SMS at that time.  Violet attended St. Mary School during the Great Depression and it was a true financial sacrifice.  Violet was able to reduce her tuition costs by taking on several tasks, such as:  taking money collected each week to the bank on her way home from school and correcting/grading homework for her teachers.
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​After SMS, Violet graduated from DeKalb High School and began working as a secretary at DeKalb Ag Assoc. taking dictation and shorthand.  Violet was an accomplished accordionist and vocalist. While working for DeKalb Ag, she was sent to Iowa to entertain Italian prisoners of war. She played the accordion on WLS radio with Lawrence Welk. ​

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  In 1947 she married a farmer, Samuel Alan Deverell and they had 5 children.  She and her husband sang in the choir at St. Mary Church and in their church in Genoa.  As most women during this time, she stayed home to care for her children.   When they were all in school she returned to work at DeKalb Ag Association.  A true pioneer for women!  
Violet and Samuel were married for 59 years. Her husband passed away in 2006.  Violet loved to read, pray, cook, and entertain her family and friends playing the accordion.  She often told people that her greatest answered prayer and greatest fulfillment of her life was being a wife and a mother.  Violet died on Sept. 15, 2012.  
What an amazing and inspirational woman. Thank you Janet Deverell for sharing your mother's wonderful story with our St. Mary family.  God Bless you and your mother!

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