Marie Kees

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Marie Clara was born August 22, 1928, in St. John, Wisconsin, to Michael and Clara Popp Kees. Her father’s first wife, Theresa, died leaving three small children. Michael then married Clara and together they had ten girls and four boys creating a close-knit family of seventeen children. Beginning in eighth grade, Marie felt a call to religious life. However, her mother died when she was fourteen years old. Being the oldest daughter at home, she put aside thoughts of being a sister to take over the household responsibilities for the family, caring especially for her two-week-old sister and twenty-one-month-old brother. With the blessing of her family after six years of devoted care for them, she entered St. Agnes Convent on September 2, 1949. She made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Michael Ann on August 15, 1954, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Sister Marie shared her warm and nurturing spirit, shaped by her family circumstances, with those she served in her life as a teacher, principal, director of religious education, and pastoral minister. She prepared for her ministries by receiving a BS in Elementary Education from Marian College, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and a Masters in Education from Marygrove College, Detroit, Michigan. Throughout her years in active ministry, she earned certifications in religious education and took courses in administration, theology, scripture, ministry to the elderly, prayer, liturgy, and Spanish to enrich her ministerial presence and skills.

Sister served in Wisconsin as a teacher and as a catechist at St. Mary’s School, Fond du Lac, at Brother Dutton School, Beloit, and at St. Luke’s School, Two Rivers, from 1954-1970. She then took on the role of principal and catechist at St. Ignatius School, Houghton, Michigan (1970-1971) and at the Consolidated Catholic School in Lomira and Theresa, Wisconsin (1971-1979). From 1979-1982, Sister Marie served as the Director of Religious Education 
(Pre-School – 8th grade) at St. Bernard Parish, Watertown, Wisconsin. After offering two years of supportive services at the CSA Motherhouse (1982-1984), Sister devoted herself to pastoral ministry. She served at St. Joseph Parish, Rosemount, Minnesota (1984-1998), and at St. Maria Goretti Parish, Madison, Wisconsin, from 1998-2011, where she was a full-time pastoral minister for three years and then served for ten years as a volunteer engaging in a wide variety of parish outreach activities. She was the On-Site Coordinator for the CSA Associates from Madison and Monroe, Wisconsin. Sister Marie is fondly remembered by the many people whose lives she touched in her places of ministry as evidenced by all who have stayed connected with her through the years.

Sister Marie returned to Fond du Lac in 2011, lived at the CSA motherhouse, and volunteered where needed in CSA and in the Fond du Lac community. One of her favorite pastimes was crocheting baby caps for newborns at St. Agnes Hospital, an activity she began at St. Mary’s Hospital, Madison. In September 2019, Sister joined the CSA retirement community at Nazareth Court and Center, Fond du Lac. Recently as her health declined, she became a resident of St. Francis Home where she received loving care until the time of her death.

Sister Marie was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Adelbert, Herman, Joseph, and Leonard; her sisters Rita Mueller, Alvera Kees, Lillian Kees, Ruth Uitenbroek, Hildegard Kees, Sister Annacile Kees, LSJ, and Regina Brickner.

Sister is survived by her brothers Martin and Michael (Christine) Kees; her sisters Sister Cecile Marie Kees, CSA, Dorothy (Roland) Brandt, and Ann (Charles) Peters; her nieces, nephews, and their families; and by the Sisters of St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

Services for Sister Marie will be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. at Nazareth Court and Center, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

A Prayer Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. in the Nazareth Center Chapel, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be at 2:00 p.m. at St. Francis Home Chapel, 33 Everett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with Fr. Thomas Zelinski, OFM Cap., presiding.

Burial will take place at St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, at a time to be determined following cremation.

Memorials may be directed to the CSA Mission Advancement Office, 320 County Road K, Fond du Lac, WI 54937.

The Sisters of St. Agnes and the Kees family are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and Center, St. Francis Home, and Hospice Hope for their devoted care of Sister Marie.

Zacherl Funeral Home is serving the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes.