Sister Stories

Sister Martha Mary Conrad

It was in Somerset, Kentucky, in the Lexington Diocese, that she felt the Holy Spirit calling her. She must have heard well as she stayed there for almost thirty-five years. While getting acquainted with St. Mildred’s parish there, she soon heard about the needs of the community. With the help of others, including churches, they founded St. Mildred’s Outreach of which she became the Director. The range of needs was great from utilities, to food, clothing, shelter, medications, even to advocating for clean community water supplies. Whenever needed, such as sudden loss of a job or of a home to fire, Sr. Marty’s service included counseling and spiritual support. She left behind “God’s Food Pantry”, a non-profit organization that serves the entire Pulaski county area, and the Outreach Center now managed by experienced volunteers.

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Sister Darlene Schwarte

At the time of her 50th jubilee as a Sister of Humility in 2006, she reported she had spent 26 years as a teacher’s aide and 26 years as a cook...In addition to her baking skills, Sister Darlene was a fine seamstress and produced needle-work pieces and other crafts for the holiday sales that were annual events at the Center for years.

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Sister Ursula Keough

Right after Vatican II we were teaching the children the newer ideas of theology and the more open way of operating in the Church. When they tried to explain it to their parents, it wasn’t making sense. It seemed like it was creating a division rather than having parents and children on the same track. So I began to feel it was important that we work more with the adults and then, in turn, help them work with their children.

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Sister Carolyn Walters

Sister Carolyn has left lasting records of her caring heart. In the late 1960s she established what may have been the first, or at least a very early, hotline for calls from persons in distress or, simply, from lonely individuals.

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Sister Corrine Foley

Sister was always gracious and patient. Her education ministry covered schools in four dioceses: Davenport, Des Moines, Great Falls/Billings and Phoenix. She taught in both elementary and high schools. She was at St. Anthony, Des Moines, three different times and always commented on how much she liked being there. In each case it was a group of imaginative students matched with an energetic teacher. During her last months at Bishop Drumm she would often have visits from former students. Politics and science were generally the topics of conversation.

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Sister Mary Rocca

Mary was a woman of many gifts that were shared with many people. She was a teacher in the elementary grades, nurse, English language teacher to people from other countries, playful clown for children and adults, sister to eight siblings, and “sister” to her CHM sisters and associates

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Sister Marie Ven Horst

She began the 8:00 a.m. class with a science experiment with flames or a loud noise just to make sure all were awake. Then she would declare, “Isn’t science wonderful!...she endeared herself to hundreds of science students and, later, to weekend graduate students with her excellent teaching, sound advice, and sense of humor.

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Sister Marie Ven Horst

Sister Helene broke the Ph.D. glass ceiling at the University of iowa in the chemistry and physics departments with her degree in 1952. Sister returned to Marycrest where she endeared herself to hundreds of science students and, later, to weekend graduate students with her excellent teaching, sound advice, and sense of humor.

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Sister Modesta Neubauer

We saw that very early that Sr. Modesta was interested in caring for others. This thread would run through all of her ministries, from caring for small children through assisting her CHM sisters who needed nursing care.

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Sister Joanne Mauro

Sister Joanne’s commitment to her family was definitely a ministry. She not only taught and counseled nieces and nephews but also grandnieces and nephews and cousins near and distant....She was definitely a woman of prayer.

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Sister Carolyn Mullin

She was a person who enjoyed life and accepted adversity with humor and common sense. She could quickly analyze an issue, accept what was relevant and not worry herself with what wasn’t. Her matter of fact way was both reassuring and often very humorous

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Sister Mary Anne Leto

Sister Mary Anne brought a warm, kindly demeanor to those she served, be it students, elderly residents or her CHM sisters. We remember her smile and will miss it

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Sister Marcia Marie Costello

She said that she knew from age 10 that she was going to be a sister but she had three things on her “bucket list” before entering: to complete a degree, to date a nice Catholic young man and have a good time, and to ride to the convent in a Cadillac. In 1953, with a degree from Marycrest College, and having dated a Catholic man for more than two years, her father bought a “baby-blue” Cadillac in which she rode to the Humility of Mary motherhouse in Ottumwa on September 8.

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Sister Marilyn Brinker

It involved following one’s intuition, feelings, and inner spirit...It meant trusting one’s openness in ministry while celebrating life experiences...It demanded discerning decisions, managing difficult choices, taking risks for the good of the whole, while being guided by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

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Sister Patrice Steffes

In her “block” on the bicentennial quilt at the foot of the steps to the dining room, Patrice shows a figure at an easel, a cat at her foot, surrounded by the things she named as important to her: community, friends, family, teacher, children, animals, art, gifts from God, angels and bike riding.

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