Sister Stories

Sister Mary Bernard Bowers

Among her special memories was a wild ride shared with Sister Mary Cecilia and a good Monsignor just learning to drive, giving another Monsignor’s dog a very large piece of chewy, caramel candy to keep his mouth occupied in order to protect her Christmas ornaments, walking to the Ursuline Academy Junior College from Sacred Heart Convent in thirty degree below zero weather with only a black shawl for warmth, and a highlight to be sure was her Marian year trip to Europe in 1988.

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Sister Miriam Rita Goga

S. Miriam Ritas career began in 1941 and spanned 56 years as a teacher, librarian and medical records administrator.

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Sister Maurine Sofranko

Sister was a woman of many talents not the least of which was gardener and horticulturalist. She often spoke of the miniature purple iris that she brought from her mother's garden. How appropriate for Sister Maurine to begin her new life in springtime as everything around us is coming to life. The chirping birds are a reminder of how vigilant she was in feeding them and how adamant she was in keeping the squirrels away even to the point of greasing the pole to the birdfeeder so the squirrels could not climb it.

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Sister Mary Antonette "Toni" Geiger

Sr. Toni's early ministry was teaching primary grades in all of the CHM schools in Montana with special emphasis on art and music.

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Sister Claire Marie Patik

Sr. Claire Marie answered a request from her missionary priest brother to come to Papua, New Guinea and minister to the people there. This fulfilled a childhood dream nurtured since grade school. Sister was responsible not only for teaching but writing and printing textbooks for her students.

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Sister Mary Martina (Jennie) Mataya

Sister was an excellent science teacher and often received recognition of such.

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Sister Mary St. John (Emma) Ven Horst

Sister St. John was a whirlwind of energy who brought together the first string ensemble at Ottumwa Heights College...

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Sister Marie Wight

Besides being a teacher, she also served as a creative principal. Her last 20 years were spent in the foothills of Lewistown, MT ministering to her beloved elderly and caring for her many animals

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Sister Frances Marie (Ellen) Melroy

After teaching for five years, she took nurse's training at St. Joseph Hospital, Ottumwa, where she was pediatric nurse, clinical instructor and supervisor of nurses for almost 20 years. There, she invented a special oxygen mask and nipple for children with cleft palates.

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Sister Mary Jerome (Theresa) Gordon

She taught upper grades and commercial subjects in high school, then in later years, was librarian. Sister Jerome had a remarkable sense of humor, loved people, disliked routine and enjoyed travel.

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Sister Mary Berchmans Hazard

In addition to over 60 years of teaching including 24 years as political science instructor at Ottumwa Heights College, she also taught summer school nearly every year for 40 years, two of which were spent teaching African American children in Mississippi.

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Sister Mary Vincent (Mary) Hayes

When she was 29-years-old, she joined the Irish women who came as missionaries to Great Falls, Montana upon the invitation of Mother Mary Francis Mangan.

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Sister Mary Stephen (Clara) Hanson

She taught grade and high school for 50 years. Her hobbies were embroidery, reading and doing challenging puzzles. Sister had a sense of humor and a great spirit of prayer

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Sister Mary Matilda Herber

During her active years, and more so upon retirement, she gathered gifts and took them to nursing homes and needy people.

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Sister Mary Antoinette (Anna) Walsh

Sister was the first of three Walsh sisters to join the Congregation of the Humility of Mary. Throughout her life she was a teacher in public and parochial schools staffed by CHMs.

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