Althea Madeleine Baudouin was named for an aunt, Althea Young her mother's sister), who became Mother Madeleine, S.B.S. 

Althea early showed talent in music and art. She began at St. Matthias, then went to St. Catherine of Siena where the twins stayed weekdays with her godmother, Edna Sweeney Rapier, returning to graduate from Our Lady of Lourdes. Following in the footsteps of her godmother, and her sister Mary Agnes, Althea went to Dominican High School, where she played in the Band. She did well in Math. After graduating in 1945 she went to work for the Weather Bureau, near the Industrial Canal. Her big brother, on his return from the war, took his mustering-out pay to buy an old car, and went to pick her up from work every evening so she would not have to come home on public transportation.

When she told him she wanted to enter the convent, he said "Thea, don't go. They will shave off your beautiful hair and put blinders on you, so you'll have to look straight ahead for the rest of your life."

She enrolled at Dominican College, where she began her first semester in Business Education. In February she followed her call, and joined the Dominican sisters in Rosaryville.

When their father, Oliver, Sr., died in 1958 after a long illness, the mother went to live with Oliver and his wife Betty until her death. Betty says her mother-in-law was a saint.

Sister Mary Grignon taught upper grades, where she preferred teaching boys. Her brothers had prepared her for that. Many of her boys give her credit to this day. One is Doctor/Brother Herman Johnson, O.P., to whom she taught "The New Math" in summer session at Our Lady of Lourdes.

In 1952 at St. Anthony she made friends with Sr.Mary Aloysius, who taught her among other things to shuck oysters, a skill that came in handy more than once. in 1980 Sister Mary Grignon re-joined her old friend, Sr.Mary Aloysius who had become administrator at Metairie Manor. There Sr.Mary Grignon, who soon became "Sr. G." found a niche that was just right for her, a change of pace from her nearly 30 years of teaching. Her artistic talent found a home in the Hobby Shop. When it was converted to a computer lab, she was out front, computerizing everything in sight, proving invaluable to the Manor's operations. In her nearly thirty years there, she contributed greatly to its growth from the first fifteen residents to the present almost three hundred and growing. There she was greatly loved, and greatly missed when her failing health caused her to agree to transfer to Our Lady of Wisdom Health Care Center. 

She continued to do computer work for the Manor, and got around the "neighborhoods" of the huge complex on her motor-scooter, even serving as a guide to visitors. Sister was, by all accounts, happy at Wisdom. "If this will help me...," she said hopefully. And it did, but she didn't quite make it through in the end. Her twin brother who like her, was also diabetic, died of an accident in December, but his only son Rene had just upgraded her computer to network with his when her time ran out. 

"There was a lot wrong with her," said her brother Oliver, referring to her deteriorating health, "but nothing wrong with her heart. It was made of pure gold."

"She was a giver," said her sister, Mary Agnes. "She loved to give."

Her letter, neatly typed, addressed to Mother Dominic in 1951 asking to be admitted to perpetual vows, said,

"This is a little note to let you know that I wish to renew my holy vows and make final profession... I sincerely hope and pray that I may be considered worthy to do so, since I have no other desire."