Br. James Edward

James Joseph Mason was born one of three sons of Rose Riely Mason and John Peter Mason, Sr. on February 24, 1922. He attended De La Salle High School in Minneapolis until he entered the Juniorate in 1937. In 1940 he entered the Novitiate and completed his Scholasticate studies from 1941 to 1944 at St. Mary’s College in Winona. Brother James Edward began his teaching career at St. Mel High School in Chicago where he remained until 1947 when he was transferred to Cotter High School in Winona. In 1952 he was sent to teach at Christian Brothers High School in St. Joseph, Missouri, but after two years he was stationed at Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri, where he spent seven years. In 1961 he was assigned for the first time to his alma mater, De La Salle High School in Minneapolis. Six years later he was assigned for three years at McDonnel High School in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and then for thirteen years to Xavier High School in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 1983 he returned to De La Salle High School in Minneapolis and taught there until his retirement from the classroom in 1989. That same year he volunteered to work at Dunrovin Retreat Center at Marine-on-St. Croix, Minnesota. After fifteen years there he retired to Holy Family Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul. He was eighty-five years of age at the time of his peaceful death and had been a De La Salle Christian Brother for sixty-seven years.