Sister Jeanette Kopel
Sister Jeanette Kopel entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary on January 6, 1954. She received the habit and religious name Sr. Mary Rene on July 26, 1954, and pronounced her first vows on July 26, 1956.
She earned an associate’s degree from Ottumwa Heights College, Ottumwa, Iowa, a bachelor of arts in home economics from Marycrest College, Davenport, Iowa, and a master of science in library science from Incarnate Word College, San Antonio, Texas. She also studied at University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Riverside City College, Riverside, Calif., and Midland College, Midland, Texas.
She taught in Iowa and Montana before becoming librarian at Regina High School in Iowa City and at other schools in Iowa, Montana, California and Texas.
Sr. Jeanette became a volunteer coordinator of the record library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in San Angelo, Texas. Upon retirement, she remained active in volunteer work including the narration of books and other materials for the Iowa Department of the Blind. She now lives at Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, Iowa