LOWELLVILLE, Ohio (WKBN) – Every Friday, a joyful entourage of nuns converges at Knoll Run Golf Course in Lowellville, Ohio. This past weekend marked an extraordinary milestone, as one among these spirited golfers celebrated her 105th birthday.
On Sunday, September 21, Sister René Parman turned 105 years old. A few days prior to her birthday, she celebrated in a manner that has been constant for many years: by enjoying a round of golf. Accompanying her were fellow sisters from Humility of Mary.
“It’s a wonderful place to be — very meditative,” said Sister René. “It’s a beautiful place — grass, flowers and it’s quiet.”
Sister René began her journey to becoming a nun right after she completed high school at 18. She devoted many years to teaching across various schools in northeast Ohio. It wasn’t until she was in her 40s that she experienced her first encounter with the game of golf.
“I was driving the cart, and they suggested, ‘Why don’t you give it a try yourself?’ I thought, sure, why not? What should I do? They simply said, ‘Hit the ball.’ That was the extent of my initial instruction,” Sister René recounted.
That simple suggestion sparked her passion for the game. Throughout the 80s and 90s, she and her friends established a weekly golfing tradition every Friday. Even now, it remains a cherished routine for them.
“When we rode together, she guided me on the intricacies of the game and advised me on how to strike the ball,” Sister Barbara Noble, a close friend and fellow golfer, shared with Nexstar’s WKBN. “It was quite special since she had a wealth of experience.”
Sister René is now legally blind and has dealt with a few injuries, but she hasn’t let that take her away from the course.
“[My friends] are kind enough to golf with me and tell me where my ball is when I get there. They tell me how far it is to the hole, and I use that club. Without them, I could not golf,” Sister René said.
“She’s a great role model for all golfers,” Sister Millie Ely said. “To me, it proves how long you can golf and do it as a sport. And she practices every day. She takes Wiffle balls and hits them with her clubs, so she works at it every day.”
Sister René said this could be her last golf season before she hangs up the clubs, but her friends said they don’t believe she would ever go through with it.
“They call me and say, ‘Let’s go.’ I love it. I love to do it, and I think it’s wonderful exercise. It’s the one thing that kept me going as well as I have,” Sister René said.
