Obituaries

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Give a donation in honor of Sister Paulette Shaw

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Sister Paulette Shaw CSA, baptized Marilyn Ann, died on September 3, 2025, at Nazareth Center, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  

Marilyn was born July 27, 1935, in Columbus, Ohio, the second of thirteen children of Herschael Armstead and Mildred G. Lordier Shaw. Marilyn grew up with her six brothers and six sisters in Muncie, Indiana, and attended St. Lawrence Elementary School staffed by the Sisters of St. Agnes. Beginning in sixth grade, she felt a strong yearning to serve God and God’s people. She researched several congregations of women religious as her desire to be a sister became stronger. After her high school graduation in 1953, she chose to enter St. Agnes Convent. She made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Paulette on August 15, 1956, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Although Sister Paulette began taking courses in education and natural studies at Marian College, she was soon asked by CSA to pursue a nursing program instead. She considered this request a true blessing which allowed her to work with adults throughout her life: doctors, nurses, and patients.  Sister received her nursing diploma from St. Agnes School of Nursing in 1959. She went on to complete her BS in Nursing Education and Health Sciences from Marian College in 1966, opening the way for her to serve both as a nurse and a nursing instructor in many settings throughout her years in active ministry.

While a student nurse, Sister Paulette worked at St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (1956-1960).  She then served as a pediatric head nurse and nursing supervisor at St. Clare Hospital, Monroe, Wisconsin (1960-1965).  During her initial years of nursing, she volunteered to serve in the foreign missions of the congregation. Thinking she would not be chosen, she found fulfillment and joy serving at St. Clare Hospital in her various roles. Her request to serve in CSA’s foreign missions was granted in 1965 when she was assigned with three other nurses to Quito, Ecuador. Sister prepared for her new ministry by enrolling in language and cultural classes at the Intercultural Institute at the Catholic University in Ponce, Puerto Rico, followed by working for seven months at the Clínica Santa Inés in Waspam, Nicaragua.

Beginning in 1966, Sister lovingly served the people of Ecuador for six years in several roles: a nurse in rural clinics, a director of nursing for a Catholic hospital, a nursing consultant for the World Health Organization, and an instructor of nurses, aides, and medical technicians. She also was regularly invited to participate in the Bishops’ Conference of Ecuador and to interact with priests, religious, and laity from all parts of Latin America studying at the Instituto Pastoral de América Latina. Sister also served on several national and diocesan committees studying and implementing ways of evangelizing in a country with all its variations of climate and hundreds of ethnic groups.

Suffering from altitude sickness, Sister returned to the United States in 1972 to live and minister with her CSA Sisters in Arizona. She worked among the poor and vulnerable as a hospital nurse and as an outreach coordinator for the elderly. Beginning in 1976, she became a pastoral minister at St. Augustine Cathedral Parish in Tucson where she engaged in community organizing and in a variety of parish and outreach roles for twenty-eight years. After retiring from full-time ministry, Sister remained in Tucson and was active in volunteer ministries. She returned to Fond du Lac in 2015 to join her CSA sisters at Nazareth Court & Center while receiving loving care until the time of her death. Her yearnings from childhood to serve God and those in need were fulfilled through her missionary heart shared in a life of devoted service.

Sister Paulette was preceded in death by her parents; her brother James; her sisters Eva Mae Hunter, Nancy Doerner, and Virginia McGahey.

She is survived by her brothers Tony, Joseph, Mike (Marirose), Richard, and Phillip (Marla); her sisters Janice (Gary) Good, Dolores Shaw, and Paulette (James) Anderson; her sister-in-law, Diana Shaw; her nieces and nephews and their families, and the Sisters of St. Agnes with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

All services for Sister Paulette will be held on Thursday, September 11, 2025.

Visitation will be from 9:00 – 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 Nazareth Center Chapel.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for Sister Paulette at 2:00 p.m. at St. Francis Home Chapel, 33 Everett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with Father Tom Zelinski presiding. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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

The Sisters of St. Agnes and the Shaw family are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and Center and Hospice Hope for their care of Sister Paulette.

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

Sister Carole Gurdak died on September 1, 2025. Her obituary and service details are forthcoming.

Give a donation in honor of Sister Carole Gurdak

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Give a donation in honor of Sister Clare Lawlor

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Sister Clare Lawlor, CSA, died peacefully July 9, 2025, at Nazareth Center, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Clare was born September 14, 1950, in White Plains, New York, to Walter Edward and Irene Kerr Lawlor. She met the Sisters of St. Agnes while attending Sacred Heart Elementary School, Yonkers, New York, and through her older sister, Sister Gilmary Lawlor, CSA. Growing up in the 1960s, Clare was keenly aware of the impact of the Vietnam War and related social issues of the day. During high school, she decided that she wanted to be an educator, an activist, and join the Peace Corps. She chose to attend Marian College, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. After her first year at Marian, Clare saw that the CSA Sisters were engaging in the types of peace and justice advocacy that she could do in the Peace Corps. She entered St. Agnes Convent in September 1969. She made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes on June 19, 1972, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Sister Clare’s hopes of being an educator and an activist evolved as she lived out her life in ministry and community as a Sister of St. Agnes. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Marian College in 1972. For the next eleven years, Sister Clare was a gifted and creative elementary teacher at parish schools in Wisconsin and Illinois. Working with her students, she realized that the difficulty some had with learning was due not to their level of intelligence; it was due to what was happening in their lives. In 1983, she left the classroom and enrolled in graduate school at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, focusing on children and adolescents. Earning her Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in 1990, she became a licensed clinical psychologist providing clinical services in Illinois at Maryville Academy, Des Plaines, a residential treatment facility for children and adolescents, and at The Children’s Place Association, Chicago, an inpatient, respite foster care agency for HIV affected children and families.

From 1995 – 2005, Sister Clare was a professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology serving in various roles on the doctoral faculty including chair of 20 dissertations and an appointment as co-Director of Clinical Training. During this time, she and Sister Julie Ann Krahl, her CSA living companion, provided foster care for four children.

In 2005, Sister Clare joined the faculty in the Psychology Department at Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois. She attained the status of tenured full professor, serving in numerous teaching, supervision, and administrative roles and culminating in her appointment as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. At Lewis she seriously pursued her artistic interests taking art courses at the University.  Her creativity and natural abilities were showcased in several art shows including Marian University in 2018 and Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Fond du Lac, in 2023.

In 2015, Sister Clare and Sister Julie Ann joined the NETWORK Nuns on the Bus Tours begun by Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, to give national visibility to the efforts of women religious in promoting the principles of Catholic Social Justice Teaching. Their daily rallies, community agency visits, and public town halls were designed especially to impact the political arena by educating voters and advocating for legislation and policies to advance the common good. They continued to participate in tours in 2016 and 2018. This experience was life-changing for Sister Clare and led her to retire from her administrative position at Lewis University and return to Fond du Lac to provide advocacy and direct mental health services to the vulnerable.

Beginning in 2017, Sister Clare worked for ten months as a Clinical Psychologist in the Behavioral Outpatient Department at Agnesian HealthCare. In 2019 Sister Clare worked with Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, providing basic services for incoming refugees and asylum seekers. She then began to volunteer with St. Vincent de Paul in Fond du Lac in the Getting Ahead Program by creating “Art in a Cart,” an art-based alternative mental health program for residents of the Katharine Drexel Homeless Shelter. Sister also served on the CSA Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee.

Sister Clare’s efforts were cut short when she began facing serious health issues in 2021. She continued serving as she was able until she needed greater care for herself. She joined her CSA sisters at Nazareth Court & Center on March 24, 2025. She participated as she could with the sisters and shared her artistic talents by providing art classes. She received the support of her sisters and the devoted care of the nursing staff until the time of her death.

Sister Clare was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Sister Gilmary Lawlor, CSA.

Sister is survived by her brothers Christopher (Sally) Lawlor and Mark Lawlor; 
her nephews, grandnephews, and families; and by the Sisters of St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

Cremation has taken place.

All services for Sister Clare will be held on Tuesday, July 29, 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 Nazareth Center Chapel, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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

Burial of cremains will follow in St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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 Lawlor family are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and Center and Hospice Hope for their care of Sister Clare.

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

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Give a donation in honor of Sister 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.
 

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Give a donation in honor of Sister Marise Meis>

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Sister Marise Meis, CSA, baptized Mary Agnes, died peacefully July 3, 2025, at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Mary Agnes was born September 23, 1939, in Russell, Kansas, to Servillian (Bill) and Irene Weigel Meis. She was the second oldest of a family of eight children, two boys and six girls. Inspired by the Sisters of St. Agnes during her grade school and early high school years, she entered St. Agnes Convent in 1955 at the age of fifteen with her older sister, Shirley, now remembered as Sister Mary Rose Meis, CSA.  Mary completed her high school education at St. Agnes High School and continued in formation for religious life. She made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Marise on August 15, 1959, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. 

Sister Marise began her life of ministry as an elementary teacher at St. Patrick’s School in Fond du Lac, and at Holy Family School, Bronx, New York, while earning her BS in Education from Marian College, Fond du Lac.  During her years in the Bronx, Sister enrolled in Spanish classes sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York to better serve the growing Spanish speaking population of the city. Her increasing proficiency in Spanish, and the influence of her instructors, led her to volunteer when CSA leadership invited sisters to consider being part of the congregation’s expanded missionary efforts in Latin America. In 1965, CSA leadership accepted Sister Marise’s volunteer request. She then began her journey as a devoted missionary who, for fifty-seven years (1965-2022,) spent her life “teaching, catechizing, and trying to sow the seed of faith” among the people she served in Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Honduras. She came back to the USA for brief periods during these years, yet she always returned immersing herself among the people she had come to love. 

Supported by courses in intercultural studies and Spanish at the Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Sister Marise spent her first month as a missionary in Managua, Nicaragua.  She was then assigned to teach 1st grade at the Cardinal Spellman Bilingual School for Boys, Quito, Ecuador (1966-1967). She returned to Nicaragua where she served most of her missionary years in parish communities and local universities along the Atlantic Coast, specifically in Rosita and Puerto Cabezas. She taught classes in English as a second language to elementary, high school, and university level students. She served as a catechist and pastoral presence in parishes and mission villages. She helped form a generation of catechists who continue to serve as Ministers of the Word especially in rural areas where priestly presence is minimal. From 1998 – 2001, Sister was an instructor in a special language program in La Ceiba, Honduras. 

Sister Marise also served in leadership roles among her CSA sisters in Latin America including eight years as their regional coordinator and in the formation program for young women preparing for religious life. She was the contact person for Holy Family Parish, Fond du Lac, while they were a sister parish with Santa Rosa de Lima Parish in Rosita, Nicaragua. She is beloved among the people for her joyful presence, her untiring dedication to ministry, and her respect for their culture and customs which formed a lasting bond between them that remains to this day. 

In June of 2022, Sister Marise returned to Fond du Lac to receive care for her declining health at Nazareth Court & Center. She was subsequently admitted to St. Francis Home where she received loving care until the time of her death. The people of Nicaragua mourn her loss, together with her family and her CSA sisters. 
Preceding Sister Marise in death were her parents and her sisters, Yvonne Rodriguez, Geraldine Henning, and Sister Mary Rose Meis, CSA.
Sister is survived by her sisters Katherine (Jeff) Plank, Christine Hadley; her brothers Father Peter Meis, OFM Cap, Michael Meis; her brother-in-law, Richard Henning; her nieces, nephews and their families, and the Sisters of St. Agnes with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

Cremation has taken place.

All services for Sister Marise will be held on Monday, July 14, 2025.

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

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be offered at 2:00 p.m. in St. Francis Home Chapel, 33 Everett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with Bishop Paul Schmitz, OFM Cap., presiding. 
Burial of cremains will follow in St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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 Meis 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 Marise.

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

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Give a donation in honor of Sister Barbara Jean Rosswurm

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Sister Barbara Jean Rosswurm, CSA, formerly known as Sister Glenn Marie, died peacefully June 5, 2025, at St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Barbara Jean was born August 2, 1937, in New Haven, Indiana, the daughter of Glenn and Lucille Krick Rosswurm. She and her eight siblings treasured the memories of growing up together and remained a closely knit family. Inspired by her elementary teachers, the Sisters of St. Agnes, Barbara Jean entered St. Agnes Convent after 8th grade with the support of her parents who taught her not just to have faith, but to live it. She graduated from St. Agnes High School in 1954 and chose to continue in formation for religious life. She made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Glenn Marie on August 15, 1956, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Sister earned her BS in Education from Marian College, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and received certificates in Apostolic Spirituality and Religious Education throughout her years as a teacher, Director of Religious Education, and pastoral minister.  Her first ministry assignment as a House Parent at Holy Family Orphanage, Marquette, Michigan, enkindled within her a deep love and compassion for vulnerable children and their families. She went on to teach elementary grade classes and religious education classes for 15 years in Catholic Schools in New York, Pennsylvania, and at St. Louis Elementary School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (1968-1973).

Beginning in 1973, Sister Barbara Jean accepted positions as the Director of Religious Education in parishes in Kansas, Indiana, and Florida.  She was greatly respected and beloved in these parishes for her leadership and ability to shape genuinely inspiring and effective religious education programs. While serving as the DRE at St. Joseph’s Parish in Hays, Kansas, Sister recognized the need for children who were developmentally disabled to be included in the parish community. She learned of the REACH program (Religious Education and Activities for the Community Handicapped) and implemented this program very successfully in the parish. She initiated the REACH program at St. Joseph Parish in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and at the parishes she served in Florida. She was honored for her determined and compassionate commitment to shaping this program for each parish she served.

Sister suffered from severe arthritis for many years of her life which led her to seek the warmer climate of Florida to ease some of the pain (1983 – 2018).  Along with her DRE ministry in several parishes, she also spent time in pastoral roles including being named an Advocate for the Diocese of Palm Beach for marriage annulments. Upon retirement from full-time ministry, she volunteered in several outreach programs. One of her favorite activities was at Connor’s Place in West Palm Beach, Florida, a shelter dedicated to the care of substance-exposed and HIV-infected babies. She would hold the infants closely as they experienced withdrawal symptoms, talk softly, sing and hum to them. Her dedication earned her the respect of the other volunteers and shelter staff leading her to be named Volunteer of the Year in 1993.

In January of 2018, Sister returned to Fond du Lac to join her community of sisters at the CSA retirement facility, Nazareth Court and Center. She faithfully participated in the life of the community and received loving care until the time of her death.

Sister Barbara Jean was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Stanley, Edwin, and Richard, her sisters Dorothy Nichter, Lois Emenhiser, Rosemary Rosswurm, and Nancy Hauser.

Sister is survived by her sister Linda (Jim) Eastman, her sister-in-law Mary Ann Rosswurm, her nieces, nephews, their families, and by the Sisters of St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

Services for Sister Barbara Jean will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 – 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 Nazareth Center Chapel, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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

Burial will follow at St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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 Rosswurm family are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and Center, St. Agnes Hospital 5 West, and Hospice Hope for their care of Sister Barbara Jean.

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

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Give a donation in honor of Sister Mary Catherine

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Sister Mary Catherine Grief, baptized Mary Martha, and formerly known as Sister Catherine Labouré, died peacefully May 19, 2025, at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Mary Martha was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on September 5, 1931, to Ernest Leo and Evelyn Ann Mieling Grief.  From an early age, she felt a call to be a religious sister. Meeting the Sisters of St. Agnes while attending Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, deepened her desire to pursue religious life. In September 1950, one year after her high school graduation, Mary Martha entered St. Agnes Convent.  She made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Catherine Labouré on August 15, 1953, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Sister legally changed her name to Mary Catherine years later, combining her given and religious names.

Throughout her years in ministry, Sister Mary Catherine lived in a variety of settings, caring for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of people as a registered nurse, as a nursing instructor, and as a pastoral minister. Sister Mary Catherine received a BS in Nursing and Nursing Education from Marian College, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She earned her MS in Nursing from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She began her healing ministry by serving as a registered nurse at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac (1956–1961). In 1961 she became a nursing instructor at St. Agnes School of Nursing, Fond du Lac, and continued in this role at Marian College, Fond du Lac (1964–1969). In 1969, Sister moved to Kansas to serve as the Director of the LPN Program, Instructor of Maternal and Infant Health, and Nurse Educator at Colby Community College (1969–1978). 

Following her years in Colby, she spent time in various roles in healthcare in Kansas, California, and Wisconsin while being drawn from active nursing to serve the spiritual needs of children, youth, and adults. In 1981, she accepted the position as youth minister at Sacred Heart Parish in Colby, Kansas. For the next thirty years she found great joy as a pastoral associate, social worker and hospice care provider in parishes, prisons, and social service agencies in Kansas, North Carolina, and Florida. Beloved among these experiences, were the seventeen years she served as Coordinator of Ministry to the Sick and Homebound at St. Joseph Parish, Hays, Kansas. 

Sister Mary Catherine returned to Fond du Lac in 2011, lived at the CSA motherhouse, and volunteered at St. Francis Home. In April 2019, Sister joined the CSA retirement community at Nazareth Court and Center, Fond du Lac. As her health declined, she became a resident of St. Francis Home where she received loving care until the time of her death. 

Sister Mary Catherine was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Madeline Ann Grief, and her beloved brother and sister-in-law Leo and Maris Grief.

Sister is survived by her nieces, nephews, their families, and by the Sisters of St. Agnes with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

Services for Sister Mary Catherine will be held on Friday, May 30, 2025.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Nazareth Court and Center, 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 Grief 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 Mary Catherine. 

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

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Give a donation in honor of Sister Laverne Miller

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Download the booklet for the Mass of Christian Burial as a PDF.

Sister Laverne Miller, CSA, baptized Marlene Agnes, died peacefully May 7, 2025, at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Marlene was born in Decatur, Indiana, on June 21, 1936, to Casper John and Margaret Cecilia Omlor Miller. She grew up on her family farm with her three brothers and two sisters. Marlene entered St. Agnes Convent after graduation from Decatur Catholic High School in 1954.  She made her profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Laverne on August 15, 1957, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  

Sister Laverne was introduced to ministry in healthcare while spending one year of her novitiate working as a dietary aide at St. Clare Hospital in Monroe, Wisconsin. After her profession of vows, she was a student in the X-ray Department of St. Clare Hospital and at The Quisling Clinic in Madison, Wisconsin, becoming a registered radiology technologist on May 7, 1960.  She ministered as a radiologist for forty-six years serving at St. Clare Hospital, Monroe, at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and for thirty-two years at St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. During her time at St. Agnes Hospital, she also worked part-time as an ultrasound technician at Ripon Memorial Hospital, Ripon, Wisconsin. As the field of radiology advanced and expanded, Sister Laverne continually updated her knowledge and skills to meet ever-changing needs and methods. She worked long hours and was often on call during weekends, always welcoming and supportive to her patients and the staff. Again adapting her focus in healthcare, Sister Laverne spent her final eight years in full-time ministry on staff in the cardio-vascular lab at St. Agnes Hospital.

Before working at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Milwaukee, Sister Laverne spent four months (February—May 1970) volunteering nights as a nursing assistant at Henry Boyle Catholic Home for the Aged in Fond du Lac. This experience prepared her for her choice to volunteer at St. Francis Home in Fond du Lac following her retirement from full-time ministry in August 2003.  Sister Laverne was a beloved presence at St. Francis Home caring for the chapel and the gift shop. She prepared the chapel for daily Mass, funerals, and special celebrations. At times, she could be found assisting with the painting of walls throughout the St. Francis Home campus. Other times she was in the gift shop, managing sales and inventory. She responded to the needs of the residents and staff with a gentle, joyful, and caring presence that will be remembered by all who knew her. 

Needing care for herself, Sister Laverne joined her CSA sisters at Nazareth Court and Center in August 2014. She was placed in the care of St. Francis Home in September 2020. 
Sister Laverne was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Leo (Elizabeth) Miller and William (Clara) Miller; her sisters Margaret Jane Miller and Joan (Lowell) Hawbaker, her sister-in-law, Roseanne Vodde Miller.

She is survived by her brother Maurice Miller, her nieces and nephews and their families, and the Sisters of St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

All services for Sister Laverne will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Visitation will be held from 9:00 – 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 Nazareth Center Chapel, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be offered at 2:00 p.m. in St. Francis Home Chapel, 33 Everett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with Father Tom Zelinski, OFM Cap., presiding. 
Burial will follow at St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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

The Sisters of St. Agnes and the Miller family are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and Center, St. Francis Home, and Hospice Hope for their care of Sister Laverne in the last years of her life.

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

Download Sister's obituary as a PDF.  
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Give a donation in honor of Sister Kathleen Ries

Download the prayer service booklet as a PDF.
Download the booklet for the Mass of Christian Burial as a PDF.

Sister Kathleen Ries, formerly Sister Eugenio, died peacefully May 4, 2025, at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. 

Kathleen was born April 28, 1941, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to Leo and Anne Gilipsky Ries. Her father was a mink rancher. Kathleen, her five brothers, and her sister share many memories of what they learned about life doing daily chores with their dad. Kathleen attended St. Peter Claver Grade School in Sheboygan staffed by the Sisters of St. Agnes. After spending her freshman year at St. Mary’s Academy in St. Francis, Wisconsin, she made the decision to enter St. Agnes Convent, graduating from St. Agnes High School in 1958. She continued in formation for religious life and made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Eugenio on August 15, 1960, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Sister Kathleen was truly grateful for the variety of places she lived, the people who became part of her life, her ministry experiences among diverse cultures, and the support of her family. She spent her life as an educator and as an advocate for social justice and ecological issues in various settings.  She earned her BS in Elementary Education and Social Studies from Marian College, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and her MA in Education from Marygrove College, Detroit, Michigan. She was a lifelong learner earning additional credits in education, community organizing, theology, and clinical pastoral education throughout her years in active ministry.  

Sister was an elementary school teacher and principal in parish schools in Wisconsin, New York, Indiana, and Mississippi from 1961 – 1994.  After a year of sabbatical, she worked for three years in church-based community organizing in Southern Louisiana. She then offered a year of service assisting at the CSA motherhouse in Fond du Lac. Moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she served as director of the St. Rose After School Program, taught and directed ESL classes for the Milwaukee Achiever Program, and worked as an administrative assistant at Marquette University. 

Responding to the needs of Native American students, she served as principal of St. Michael Indian High School, St. Michaels, Arizona, from 2003 – 2006. From Arizona, Sister Kathleen moved to The Leo House in New York City where she served initially as the bookkeeper and later as the minister of hospitality for this Catholic guest house in the heart of the city. During this time, she became the CSA representative for UNANIMA International, a United Nations Non-Governmental Organization, formed by a coalition of seventeen congregations of women religious that advocated against the trafficking of women and children, addressed the needs of the world’s poor, the effects of climate change, and peacemaking. As president of the board of UNANIMA, she attended a world summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 focused on issues of sustainability and the eradication of poverty. 

Sister’s final years in active ministry (2015-2018) were spent at Sojourner Truth House in Gary, Indiana, where she helped serve the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, hunger, and economic hardship.  

Sister Kathleen began experiencing serious health issues and returned to Fond du Lac to receive care, living at the CSA motherhouse until moving to Nazareth Court and Center in March 2020. As her health became more fragile, she was placed in the care of the St. Francis Home staff who provided lovingly for her until the time of her death.  Those who cared for her remember her kindness. Often, despite her own suffering, she could be seen holding a hand and offering comfort to another resident having a difficult time. Her heart for those in need remained strong to the end.

Preceding Sister in death were her parents and her brother Father Robert Ries.

Sister is survived by her sister Cedar (Susan) McGrath, her brothers James (Lynn) Ries, John (Paula) Ries, Charles (Leslie Lederer) Ries and Leo Joseph (Marie Kingsbury) Ries, beloved nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of St. Agnes with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

Cremation has taken place.

All services for Sister Kathleen will be held on Thursday, June 5, 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 Nazareth Center Chapel, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be offered at 2:00 p.m. in St. Francis Home Chapel, 33 Everett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with Father Carl Diederichs presiding. 

Burial of cremains will follow in St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
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 Ries family are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court & Center, St. Francis Home, and Hospice Hope for their devoted care of Sister Kathleen. 

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

Download Sister's obituary as a PDF.  
Descarga la obituario en español

Give a donation in honor of Sister Grace Buckreis

Download the prayer service booklet as a PDF.
Download the booklet for the Mass of Christian Burial as a PDF.

Sister Grace Buckreis, CSA, baptized Lucille Phyllis, and formerly known as Sister Grace Imelda, died peacefully April 25, 2025, at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Lucille was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 1936, to Frederick and Elizabeth Young Buckreis. She grew up in a family of ten children, four boys and six girls.  After her graduation from Altoona Catholic High School in 1954, Lucille entered St. Agnes Convent. She made her first profession of vows in the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes as Sister Grace Imelda on August 15, 1957, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Sister Grace received a BS in Nursing Education from Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and enhanced her professional skills throughout her nursing career by receiving Certificates in Health Mobilization, Coronary Care, and CPR.  Sister served for forty-three years in healthcare as a registered nurse. She began her nursing ministry at St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (1957- 1961), followed by fifteen years in Kansas, at St. Thomas Hospital in Colby and at St. Anthony Hospital in Hays. She returned to St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac serving on the nursing staff for another twenty-two years, 1979-2000. Sister Grace was highly respected for her nursing skills and her gentle, compassionate presence. She was honored to be chosen as one of the recipients of the first Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing presented by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh College of Nursing in May of 1993.

When her brother Joe was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, Sister retired from full-time nursing and relocated to Indiana to provide care for him while he received treatment. Upon her return to Fond du Lac in 2004, she volunteered at Nazareth Court and Center, the CSA Retirement Center.  She became the assistant to the supply manager, transported sisters to appointments, ran errands, took care of the cars, and helped wherever needed. She continued in this role until her health declined, becoming a resident of the retirement center in July 2014.

She moved to St. Francis Home in January 2019 where she received loving care until the time of her death. Her beautiful, warm smile will be remembered by all who knew her and especially by those who cared for her in her final years of life.

Sister Grace was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Thomas, Fred, Ralph, and Joseph; her sisters Nancy Myers, Betty Jean Anterberger, Ruth Ann Frederick, Mary Hoover, and Martha (Mitzi) Dailey.

Sister is survived by her nieces and nephews and their families and by the Sisters of St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed, and ministered.

All services for Sister Grace will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 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 Nazareth Center Chapel, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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

Burial will follow in St. Joseph Springs Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

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 Buckreis 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 Grace.

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