Sister Martin completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Mt. St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas, specializing in Home Economics. At Loretto Heights College in Denver she later studied theology.

Her first 28 years in ministry were in education. She taught in many elementary schools: St. Joseph’s, St. Hilary’s, and St. Symphorosa’s in Chicago; Mother of God in Waukegan, Illinois; St. Lambert’s in Skokie, Illinois; St. Mary’s and St. Leander’s in Pueblo, Colorado. Her secondary school assignment was at St. Scholastica Academy in Cañon City, Colorado where she taught home economics and history. She also taught summer school classes in Alamosa and Westcliffe, Colorado, and was a craft instructor at Camp San Benito teaching leather craft.

In 1970, Sister Mary Martin was assigned as kitchen manager at the monastery. She took courses in Food Service Management at Loop College in Chicago to better serve in that position. Later she became the community seamstress and served in that role until she retired.

She was keenly interested in being of service outside the community. Answering an ad in the newspaper, she became a volunteer bookkeeper for UNICEF and later served on their board. Along with other Sisters she worked to set up housing for displaced Vietnamese families and taught them how to shop in Chicago. For many years she worked as an election judge and received a citation for public service from the Board of Elections. During her last active years, she crocheted afghans for use in the Day Care facility at Howard Area Community Center.

In the fall of 2005, failing health demanded that she take up residence in the infirmary. Sister Mary Martin died peacefully there on March 15, 2010. She is survived by her sister Loretta Gallagher, and her many nieces and nephews who now, along with her Benedictine Sisters, mourn her.

Sister Jeanne earned her PhB degree at DePaul University in Chicago and served in the field of education as an elementary teacher and principal for seventeen years, until she was asked to become director of the novitiate. In 1967 she was assigned to St. Scholastica Academy, Cañon City where she worked at building public relations and assisted in setting up their first advisory council.

She returned to Chicago in 1969 where she served in the area of development/alumnae relations at Saint Scholastica Academy, Chicago for six years. During this period she helped to set up the school’s initial development office and public relations program. The first President’s Council met in September, 1970.

In 1976 Sister Jeanne began a sabbatical and entered Professional Training for Pastoral Ministry at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, where she earned a masters degree. Sensing a call to serve and a desire to share Benedictine hospitality and peace with the sick, the elderly, the lonely, and the dying, she accepted a position at St. Mary’s Parish in Pueblo, Colorado. She was the first person in the Diocese of Pueblo to be hired in Ministry to the Aged. She went on to complete the required three units of clinical pastoral education, one of which was focused on ministry to Alzheimer’s patients and their families. She devoted the next fifteen years to direct service to the elderly, mainly in Pueblo, while also educating others through workshops, conferences, a course on Death and Dying at the University of Southern Colorado and articles in many publications. She was a delegate to the Governor’s Conference in Aging in 1978, Liaison for Aging from the Diocese of Pueblo to the University of Southern Colorado, and a member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. At the St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City, Colorado, she helped to establish an Adult Day Care Center, and she assumed the duties of chaplain at various times in both St. Mary Corwin and Parkview Hospitals in Pueblo.

Sister Jeanne’s prime ministry as a Benedictine was her commitment to her community. Her sensitivity and compassion, her fidelity to common prayer, her genuine love and interest in each Sister will long be remembered. Even in her years as a resident in the infirmary, she served as minister of communion, as reader for liturgy and as visitor to the sick. She read to the visually impaired and wrote letters for those needing help to stay in contact with their families. As an active member of the On-Going Formation committee, Benedictines for Peace, Communications Board, and the Prioress’s Council of Elders she gave valuable input. She had a love for reading, learned to use the computer, and stayed abreast of current events and social justice issues.

Sister Jeanne enjoyed cooking, baking and gardening. In her final years, she spent time offering clerical help in monastery administration offices. Her death came suddenly on November 19, 2009. She is mourned by her brothers, Marvin and Carl (Madeleine), her sister-in-law, Marilee Hegarty (wife of her late brother James), many nieces, nephews and their families, and the Benedictine Sisters of her community.

When assigned to parish schools, Sister Joyce frequently was given responsibility for keeping house accounts, planning menus, working in the church sacristy, and serving as catechist for children who attended public schools.  Her training in library science was put to good use, particularly at St. Symphorosa parish where she set up libraries in all three of its school buildings.

After leaving teaching in 1990, Sister Joyce worked for the Chicago Public Library. She was children’s librarian at the Austin-Irving Branch until she officially retired in 1996. Since that time she was in charge of the monastery library, did clerical work for various administration offices, and worked as a volunteer at St. Francis Hospital.

Sister Joyce will be remembered for her generous spirit and fidelity to community life, but also for her sense of humor, her interest in each Sister, her assistance to guests, her timely conversations, and the hours she spent playing games and being company for senior Sisters.

Sister Joyce died on November 10, 2009, after a brief illness. She is mourned by her sister, Mary Ellen Rybicki, her niece, Suzanne Dowell, her nephew, John Simmons, and the Benedictine Sisters of her community.

Sister Mildred Scheetz, OSB
Born to Eternal Life - October 14, 2009

Mildred Scheetz was born March 31, 1918, in Delta, Colorado, daughter of Edward J. and Martha Dorie Scheetz. The couple, with their two daughters and six sons were members of Saint Michael Parish in Delta. Mildred attended the parish school where she came to know the Benedictine Sisters. At fifteen, she entered their community in Chicago. She received the habit on July 11, 1934, and began her novitiate year. In 1939 she professed perpetual vows. After being given the religious name Sister Dominica, she began to use her baptismal name again after the renewal following the Second Vatican Council.

Her career as an elementary teacher lasted 53 years and found her serving in twelve parishes. In the Chicago area: St. Symphorosa, Queen of All Saints, St. George, St. Joseph, St. John Nepomucene, St. Lambert, and Mother of God (Waukegan, Illinois.) In southern Colorado, she was stationed at St. Michael, Cañon City, St. Michael, Delta, St. Joseph, Salida, St. Mary and St. Leander, Pueblo. During many summers she taught religion classes to children in Colorado towns where there was no Catholic school. She also served at St. Scholastica Academy, Cañon City. Sister Mildred loved working with small children. During her years as an educator, she generally taught primary grades and at some schools she also served as principal. After retiring from teaching, Sister Mildred lived at St. Mary Parish, Pueblo, Colorado for several years .

Sister Mildred, for much of her life, suffered crippling rheumatoid arthritis which necessitated several surgeries as doctors attempted to correct some of her bone deformities. She endured these patiently, always in hopes she could continue to be of service. In gratitude for her years of service to the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Pueblo, she was honored at a special service on December 3, 2002. Along with four other Sisters, she received from Bishop Arthur Tafoya a papal award, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal.

Her final years in community were spent as a resident in St. Joseph Court, the Benedictine Sisters’ infirmary at St. Scholastica Monastery. Having always loved reciting the Divine Office with the community, she continued to participate in that as long as she was able. She read and reread her favorite “spiritual reading” books and liked to quote passages to those who stopped to chat with her. She also enjoyed telling jokes and teasing.

Sister Mildred died on October 14, 2009, at St. Scholastica Monastery. She is survived by her brother Ray Scheetz, of Grand Junction, Colorado, a niece, Anne Scheetz, M.D. of Chicago, and many other nieces and nephews and their children. She is mourned by her family and all the Sisters of her Benedictine community.

In Memory of Sister Olivia Schaefer, OSB

Elsie Elizabeth Schaefer was born in Chicago on September 21, 1913, the daughter of Adam and Anna Noska Schaefer. She was baptized in St. George Church and later attended elementary grades in the parish school. Elsie was one of five children. Her siblings were Mary, Ann, Ed, and Tom.

At age eighteen, on September 7, 1932, Elsie joined the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago at St. Scholastica Monastery. The following summer, on July 11, 1933, she received the habit and was given the name Sister Olivia. She professed her triennial vows in summer of 1934 and began to actively engage in the internal ministries of the community.

In Memory of Sister Ada Rico, OSB

Aloysia (Lois) Rico, daughter of Henry and Mary Ondrias Hrica, was born on April 4, 1918. In 1934, she entered St. Scholastica Monastery in Chicago, where an older sister, Sister Gemma, was already a member. Their beloved aunt, Sister Frances Hrica, was a Benedictine of this community also.

When she received the habit on July 11, 1935, Lois was given the religious name Sister Ada. She professed triennial vows on August 16, 1936, and perpetual vows on that same date in 1939. Her Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1986 and her Diamond Jubilee in 1996.

Sister Ada attended DePaul University in Chicago, earning a Bachelor of Philosophy degree. In her teaching career, she was particularly known for her work as a reading specialist. After many years as a successful primary teacher, she became actively involved in the Chicago Archdiocesan Reading Program and served as a Master Teacher in remedial reading.

Her ministry brought her to many of the community’s missions in Illinois, Colorado and Arizona. She taught in Colorado at St. Anthony’s in Pueblo and St. Michael’s in Cañon City. She was a member of the faculty of Sacred Heart School in Tucson, Arizona, when the Chicago Benedictines served in that area.

One of her assignments was to St. Hilary’s in Chicago where, in the late 1950s a number of children enrolled in a program for the blind, spent part of their day in her classroom. She also taught at St. Joseph’s and St. Symphorosa’s in Chicago and at St. Lambert’s in Skokie, Illinois.

Most of her years as a teacher were spent in the primary department of Queen of All Saints Basilica School in Chicago. It was here that she also taught remedial programs.

Especially in her years at St. Symphorosa Parish, Sister Ada took an active role in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Program in the Archdiocese. She trained teachers of religion who held classes for students attending public schools. For twelve years she served as District Catechist.

After 51 years of teaching, Sister Ada retired and willingly accepted various assignments doing household chores at the monastery. One of her special charges was brewing coffee several times a day for the Sisters and the employees.

Sister Ada was gentle and hospitable by nature. She seemed always ready to share conversations about how she experienced God’s presence in her life and to listen with interest to others. Her smile continued to greet people even in the last days of her life.

Sister Ada died on September 24, 2008 and the Mass of Resurrection was offered for her on September 26th. Sister Ada is survived by her brother, Edward, a nephew, William, and the Benedictine Sisters of her community.

In the 1940’s and 1950’s, when class sizes were frequently over 40, she modeled excellence and creativity as a kindergarten teacher. For thirteen years she engaged in what she later described as her most memorable teaching experience, providing a creative and broad kindergarten curriculum at Queen of All Saints Parish School in Chicago. She was beloved by youngsters and parents alike. The openness and receptivity of her young students always delighted, amazed, and energized her for the challenges of the task. In the early 1950s she set up a similar program at Mother of God Parish School in Waukegan, Illinois.

Moving from teaching tots to instructing teens, Sister Susanne joined the faculty of St. Scholastica Academy in 1957, to teach biology. After four years she was asked to return to Queen of All Saints, this time as principal and local superior. She served generously in both of these roles for two years, and then five more years as principal.

Returning to St. Scholastica Academy in 1968, she again joined the science department, team-teaching biology, and worked in conjunction with the Fine Arts Department. She was particularly noted for her expert instruction in calligraphy. Her extra-curricular tasks included assisting the drama department with props and costumes and helping faculty members with bulletin boards that enhanced classroom atmosphere.

In addition to responsibilities in the Academy, in 1979 she accepted the role of kitchen manager for the monastery for three years . An excellent cook and baker herself, she was able to plan menus, oversee purchasing, and help provide the community attractively presented and nutritious meals.

In 1989 she retired, but until her health failed, Sister Susanne served her Sisters not only occasionally as an expert in the kitchen, but also as a seamstress, hairdresser, color and design consultant, and resident artist.

Sister Susanne was an artist by nature as well as training, a woman sensitive and aware of the color, line, shape and design with which God has graced the world. She designed and did the lettering for Christmas cards, jubilee invitations, banners, and prayer cards.

Her sharp mind and quick wit helped her maintain perspective and her sense of organization and balance were evidenced in her calm demeanor. She could be counted on to be frank and direct in conversation.

On February 8, 2008, Sister Susanne died peacefully at St. Scholastica Monastery. The last of her immediate family, she is mourned by nieces and nephews and her Benedictine Sisters.

A Mass of Resurrection was celebrated on February 11.

In Memory of Sister Christine Kulovitz, OSB

Sister Christina Kulovitz died on January 17, 2008, in the infirmary of St. Scholastica Monastery. She was 95 years old and had been in the community for over 72 years. Born in Atzgersdorf, Austria, she was the eldest child in a family that emigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago where they were members of St. George Parish (39th and Wentworth).

Serving in internal ministries of the monastery through most of her active years, Sister Christina evidenced a remarkable ability to learn new skills and assume varied responsibilities. Over the years, in addition to some early years as a housekeeper, her assignments varied from heading the Altar Bread Department to managing the monastery kitchen to serving as sacristan. She was an avid reader, a skilled seamstress, and a lover of poetry.

Sister Christina had a quick mind and a thirst for knowledge. In her mid-seventies she enrolled at Truman College to begin learning Spanish and computer skills. Though not a professional educator, she served as support staff at St. Scholastica Academy, Cañon City, Colorado, and taught for a time at St. Symphorosa Parish many years ago.

The Mass of Resurrection for Sister Christina was celebrated on January 20 and she was interred in All Saints Cemetery.

In Memory of Sister Celine Beck, OSB

Kathryn Mary Beck, daughter of Joseph Edward and Jennie Agnes Stock Beck, was born July 5, 1924. She grew up in Cañon City, Colorado where she later attended St. Scholastica Academy.

Following graduation, she worked for two years and then entered St. Scholastica Monastery. After completing her postulancy, she was received into the novitiate and given the name Sister Celine. The following year, on July 26, 1947, she professed triennial vows and on that same date in 1950, her perpetual vows.

She attended DePaul University pursuing a Bachelor of Philosophy degree with a major in Education. As a primary grade teacher, she served over twenty years in schools within the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Pueblo. She taught at St. Hilary, St. Symphorosa and Queen of All Saints schools in Chicago. In Colorado, she taught at St. Leander and St. Mary schools in Pueblo; and St. Joseph School in Salida.

Following major heart surgery, Sister Celine retired from the teaching profession in 1968 and moved to St. Scholastica Academy in Cañon City. She was then able to be close to her family and, at the time of her mother’s last illness, she assisted her sister, Margaret, with her care. Sister Celine remained involved in education by serving as support staff at the Academy. Later, when asked to serve as the Academy’s archivist, she saw to it that there was a print and photographic record of the treasured artifacts that were part of the school’s century long history. In spite of failing eyesight she took interesting pictures of people at the Academy, activities, special events, buildings and grounds. When the school closed in 2001, she was able to share many interesting facts and anecdotes related to the school and its students.

Sister Celine retired in January, 2004 and returned to Chicago. Her interest in the ministries and activities of the Sisters, as well as her ability to get to the heart of a situation, were helpful in her adjustment. Eager to remain abreast of news and serious about her spiritual life, she filled her hours listening to tapes and “talking books”.

On her Diamond Jubilee, July 11, 2007, Sister Celine renewed her vows. After several weeks of illness, he died peacefully on October 27, 2007. Her Mass of Resurrection and interment was held in Cañon City, Colorado on November 26, 2007. She is survived by her brother, Thomas Beck, and two nephews, George Austin and Daniel Austin, sons of her sister, the late Margaret Austin Beck; and her Benedictine Sisters.

On July 11, 1934, she received the Benedictine habit and began her novitiate. She received the religious name Sister Mary Bernard though she was known by her baptismal name again after the period of renewal following Vatican Council II. She professed triennial vows in 1935 and perpetual vows in 1938. Her Golden Jubilee was observed in 1985, Diamond in 1995 and 70th anniversary in 2005.

Sister Bernadette pursued her college education at DePaul University where she received a Bachelor of Philosophy Degree and later, she earned a certificate in theology at St. Xavier College. She also completed the program at the Catholic Charismatic Bible Institute, located at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas. She earned additional credits in education at Mundelein College and Chicago City College and she attended workshops at Mt. St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas and the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle Campus.

Her teaching career brought her to positions on the faculties of several elementary schools in Chicago: St. Hilary, St. Joseph, Queen of All Saints, and St. George where she also served as principal. Other grade school assignments included Mother of God (Waukegan, Illinois), St. Lambert (Skokie, Illinois) and Sacred Heart (Tucson, Arizona).  When working on the secondary level, Sister Bernadette’s major field was social studies. At St. Scholastica Academy in Chicago, she taught American History, Anthropology, and World History, and her assignment included many summer school courses in history. She did some teaching, including religion courses, at St. Scholastica Academy in Cañon City, Colorado, and served as an administrative assistant in that school’s office.

Sister Bernadette was very active in the Charismatic Movement and with her sisters she attended Pentecostal gatherings in Notre Dame, Indiana, Detroit, Michigan, and Texas. She participated in weekly prayer meetings whenever possible.  Very proud to be a Eucharistic Minister, she conducted Communion Services at Westwood Nursing Home.

A memorable event in her life was a trip to the Holy Land and to Rome in 1973.  A lover of dance, Sister Bernadette was also known for her vivacious personality and for her habit of breaking into song. Into her very last years when she became frail, Sister Bernadette was always one of the most cheerful residents of the infirmary, brightening up and ready to converse when greeted.

 Sister Bernadette died peacefully on April 2, 2007. She is survived by her sister, Lucy Henry, many nieces and nephews of several generations, and the Sisters of her Benedictine community.

In Memory of Sister Viola Trenhaile, O.S.B.

Sister Viola (Mary Alma) Trenhaile, a member of our Community for 74 years, died on March 12, 2006. Born in 1913 in Lamar, Colorado, to George and Minnie McElveney Trenhaile, Mary Alma had four sisters, Vivian, Eva, Elizabeth and Frances, and five brothers, George, John, Theodore, William and Cecil. After her father died, her mother remarried and three stepchildren joined the Trenhailes; Edna, Earl, and Glen Lovejoy. Later, Elsie Rose, Mary Alma’s half-sister, was born.

The family moved to Cañon City, Colorado where Mary Alma attended St. Michael’s school and was taught by the Benedictine Sisters. Over the years she came to know and admire their life and, at age 14, she left for Chicago to enter the aspirancy of St. Scholastica Monastery. She was enrolled in St. Scholastica Academy and at the beginning of her senior year, became a postulant. After graduation she was invested in the habit and received the religious name, Sister Viola.

Sister Viola earned a bachelor’s degree at DePaul University in Chicago and later received a Certificate in Theology from Xavier College. She taught at St. George and St. Hilary schools in Chicago and Mother of God in Waukegan. Other assignments included Sacred Heart school in Tucson, Arizona and St. Scholastica Academy in Cañon City, Colorado.

In the early 1960’s, after completing a Masters degree at Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sister Viola served as Reading Consultant for the Archdiocese of Chicago. She also taught an extension course for De Paul University, was co-author of a handbook of Information on the Carl H. Delacato Neurological Approach to Reading Problems, and helped compile the booklet, “Word Attack Skills”. Later, she became school supervisor for the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago and served as President of the Archdiocesan Supervisors Organization. In 1972, Sister Viola was employed by the Chicago Public School System, teaching in the Title One Program at Jenner School in Chicago's Cabrini Green community. Following that she taught English as a Second Language at St. Scholastica Academy.

After official retirement, Sister Viola served in various ways in community life. Her love for people was evidenced in her visits to the sick and her enthusiastic interest in and support of the younger members and their ministries. She enjoyed cooking and baking and continued to be an avid reader. Sister Viola’s ministry was rooted in deep faith. Her prayer was inclusive of all in need, particularly those neglected and forgotten; the homeless, the imprisoned, the elderly and abused. Sister Viola is survived by her sister, Elsie Rose, many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of her community.

In Memory of Sister Jean Marie Matern, O.S.B

Sister Jean Marie (Minette Anne) Matern, 94, died peacefully on December 4, 2005, the day of her 75^th anniversary of entrance into the monastery. She entered St. Scholastica Monastery in 1930 where two of her older sisters, Sisters Walburg and Constance were already members of the community. Both of them, along with seven other siblings, have preceded her in death.

An accomplished musician, Sister Jean Marie studied at the Busch Conservatory of music before becoming a Benedictine. She used her skills as organist and pianist, accompanying the choir in the recitation of the Divine Office and at Eucharistic liturgies.

After her profession in 1932, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree at DePaul University, with concentrations in the physical sciences and mathematics. Later, at Loyola University, she was awarded a Master’s degree in Education with Guidance and Counseling as her major field. She taught math and science at St. Scholastica Academy in Chicago and was also a guidance counselor. For many years she worked at St. Scholastica Academy in Cañon City, Colorado, where she herself had graduated in 1929.

Sister Jean Marie’s administrative skills were recognized and she held several positions of leadership within her Benedictine community both in Chicago and in Colorado. She served as sub prioress during two administrations. In 1959 she was appointed local superior for the Sisters residing in Cañon City. During her term the first major building program was initiated and a Residence Hall constructed. She was elected prioress in 1965 in the period following the Second Vatican Council.

Convinced that the culture and needs of the times ought always to be addressed by contemporary monastic communities, Sister Jean Marie herself was an example of how that might be done. When the community sponsored two Vietnamese refugee families, she with others played a role in meeting their needs. Along with other members of the community’s chapter of Benedictines for Peace, she participated in a study of non-violence. In the 1990s, she volunteered for a time at Misericordia, assisting with the care of babies born drug addicted.

Her brother Raymond Matern, his wife, Willis, and many nieces and nephews and their children, as well as the Sisters of her community survive her.

In Memory of Sister Catherine Lynch, O.S.B.

Sister Catherine Lynch died on Nov. 24, 2005, at age 88. Born Mary Veronica on July 30, 1917, Sister Catherine hailed from Mazomanie, Wisconsin, the daughter of Gerald and Mary Elizabeth Murphy Lynch. She grew up with four brothers, Lionel, Gerald, Aubrey, and Marian (Brother Philip, F.S.C.). Mary, her only sister, died in infancy.

Though already discerning her vocation to religious life after graduating from St. Scholastica Academy in Chicago, she worked for Illinois Bell in Evanston for one year before she accepted a position at St. Scholastica Academy in Cañon City, Colorado, where she served as a chaperone for boarding students.

Mary Veronica entered the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago on September 15, 1937 and received the Benedictine habit and religious name Sister Catherine on July 11, 1938. Her first profession was August 16, 1939 and her final commitment August 16, 1942. Sister earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at DePaul University in Chicago. Later at Loyola University in Chicago she was awarded a Master’s degree in Administration with Guidance and Counseling as her major field. The start of Sister Catherine’s long career in education was begun with her assignment to teach at St. Hilary Parish School in Chicago in 1939. In 1945 she joined the faculty of St. Scholastica Academy (SSA) where she taught Theology, English and Speech for many years before becoming the school’s guidance counselor. In 1965, she became principal of SSA. From 1972 until 1978, Sister served as the first President of the academy. After leaving that post she did extensive work in development for the Benedictine community, particularly in raising money for the construction of the infirmary in 1980. Later she became Director of Oblates at the monastery, serving as a spiritual guide for members of that group.Sister Catherine had a way with words that could inspire, challenge, persuade or entertain. Her wit and wisdom, creativity and cordiality endeared her to people of all ages.

Many nieces and nephews, their families, and the Benedictine Sisters of her community survive Sister Catherine and request prayers for her.

The following summer she was invested with the Benedictine habit and given the name Sister Carolyn. She professed triennial vows in 1927 and perpetual vows in 1930. Sister Carolyn’s career as an educator was spent entirely with children in elementary school. Her first assignment was to Mother of God Parish in Waukegan, Illinois, a parish predominantly Slovenian. Chicago schools where she taught were St. Joseph and St. Symphorosa. Throughout her long years, Sister Carolyn endeared herself as a woman committed to the work of God and to service to all God’s people. Wherever she lived she embraced a simple lifestyle and was a cheerful and optimistic person. She was hard working, enjoyed a good time and engaging in pranks.

Sister Carolyn is survived by her sister, Helen Davis, her brother-in-law, Bill Davis, her sister-in-law, Lorraine Glach, and her devoted nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and her Benedictine Sisters.

In Memory of Sister Laura Walker, O.S.B.

Sister Laura Walker, O.S.B., died on April 28, 2005. She was a cherished friend of many whose lives she touched with her wisdom, love and understanding. Sister Laura was born Sara Margaret Walker on August 13, 1911 in Phoenix, Arizona. After moving to Chicago, her parents enrolled her in St. Scholastica High School where she found the life she wanted for herself. She entered the Benedictine Sisters on September 6, 1931 and received the name Sister Laura as she began her novitiate in 1932. She made triennial vows in 1933 and perpetual vows August 16, 1936.

Sister Laura earned two degrees from Loyola University and one from DePaul University. She taught English, French and Latin at St. Scholastica High School and was appointed the eighth principal of the school in 1944. She also served at St. Scholastica Academy in Canon City, Colorado. where she later led a campaign to build a new residence hall. In the summer of 1953, the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago elected Sister Laura Prioress and she served two terms. During that time, she initiated plans for the construction of the Fine Arts Building at St. Scholastica. Sister Laura will always be remembered for her keen mind, broad interests, humorous insights, idealism and commitment to community. She is survived by her brother Stan, her sister-in-law Dorothy, her nephew, Donald Walker, her niece Janice Kay Schmitz and the Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery.

In Memory of Sister Fabian Garrett, O.S.B.

Sister Fabian Garrett, 91 years old, died on March 5, 2005. She celebrated her 70 year anniversary of vows in 2004 and was avidly involved in community affairs after her retirement in the late 1970s, until vision and physical limitations resulted in her living in St. Joseph Court Infirmary during the past few years. Sister Fabian worked as a teacher and principal, and served as an administrator for St. Joseph Monastery in Tulsa, Okla. and later as plant manager at St. Scholastica Monastery.