Obituaries

Sister Evelyn Strei, OSB

Sister Evelyn Strei, age 96, died peacefully on June 12, 2025 at Villa St Vincent Nursing Home, Crookston, MN.
Sister Evelyn was born was born March 24, 1929, in Big Stone City, South Dakota, the sixth of twelve children of Joseph and Cecilia (Karels) Strei. She was baptized Louise Jean and called Lou Jean by her family.

Lou Jean attended Saint Joseph’s Grade School in Rosen, MN. She recalled that when she was in eighth grade, her pastor, Father Geisenkoetter, took the girls to visit the Mount in Crookston. She wrote, “I was impressed by the prayerful atmosphere and the community spirit.” She received her high school education at Mount Saint Benedict Academy.

Sister Evelyn recalled reading the vocation pamphlet “Follow me” when she was a high school junior. As a senior, Lou Jean entered the Mount Saint Benedict Monastery on January 3, 1948. She received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Evelyn on July 4, 1948. She took her first vows on July 5, 1949. She made her final monastic profession on July 11, 1952.

Sister Evelyn received a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Catherine’s University in Saint Paul and a master’s degree in theology from Mount Angel Seminary in Mount Angel, OR.

Sister Evelyn was known as an excellent primary teacher. She taught at Sacred Heart in East Grand Forks, Saint Joseph’s in Red Lake Falls, Saint Philip’s in Bemidji, Saint Jude’s in Mahtomedi, Saint Francis Xavier in Benson, Saint Joseph’s in Moorhead, Saint Jude’s in Osseo, and Cathedral in Crookston. After 27 years in the classroom, Sister Evelyn became a parish minister in Saint Dominic’s in Northfield, MN, Saint Boniface’s in Hastings, MN and Saint Elizabeth’s in Dilworth, MN. Sister Evelyn also served in spirituality ministries at Manna House of Prayer in Concordia, KS, and Mount Saint Benedict Center. She also served in an ecumenical Benedictine community at Saint Benedict Center in Madison, WI. In addition to these ministries, Sister assisted in the archives at Mount Saint Benedict in her later years.

Most important in her life were the annual retreats which included a thirty-day retreat, private directed retreats and hermit retreats. Sister Evelyn found nature her guide into creation spirituality. She loved reading, walking outdoors, art appreciation and travel.
Reflecting on her years in the monastic community, Sister Evelyn wrote. “I saw my life as a journey going from place to place serving God’s people. Over the years, I have come to realize that the monastic journey is an inner journey of the heart, daily seeing the marvelous works of a faithful God in community and all of creation. “

Sister Evelyn is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph Peter Strei and Cecelia Strei, brothers Thomas, Joseph, Kenneth, and Rev. Jerome Strei, and by sisters Cleora Strei, Phyllis Muller, Rosemary Kelzer, Eunice Schmieg, and Eileen Christopherson. She is survived by brothers Donald and Gerald, by many nieces and nephews and by the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 30, 2025 at Sacred Heart Chapel, Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, 620 Summit Avenue, Crookston, MN. The prayer service is at 11:00 a.m. The Mass of Christian Burial is at 2:00 p.m.
Arrangements by Stenhoel-Houske Funeral Home, Crookston, MN.

Sister Janice Miller, CSJ

Sister Janice Miller, CSJ entered eternal life on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Mt. St. Mary Convent, Wichita, Kansas. Sister Janice was born November 29, 1929, to George and Gertrude (Garrigan) Miller in Kilkenny, Minnesota. The second of six children, she is survived by her Sisters Donna Murphy, Ethel Kotchevar and Catherine Collins as well as numerous nieces and nephews, along with the members of the Congregation of St. Joseph. Sr. Janice was preceded in death by her parents George and Gertrude Miller, her sister Mayone Byron and her brother Harry Miller.

Sr. Janice attended Elementary School in Kilkenny, Minnesota staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph and graduated from Waterville Public High School. She then enrolled in the University of Minnesota Teachers College in Mankato, Minnesota followed by teaching in the LeSueur Public Elementary School System for two years.

Sr. Janice entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in Crookston, Minnesota on September 8, 1950, and pronounced First Vows as Sr. George Anne in 1952. She continued teaching in the Crookston Diocese and in the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minnesota while obtaining her Master’s Degree from Notre Dame University. In 1970 she returned to her baptismal name (Janice) and returned to the Crookston Diocese as Diocesan Youth Director and religion teacher at Mount St. Benedict.

In 1980 Sr. Janice served in Parish Pastoral Ministry in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Following her three years in Thief River Falls, Sr. Janice helped establish a new Congregational Novitiate in San Antonio, Texas in collaboration with ten other congregations of women and men. She returned to parish ministry in Northwestern Minnesota in 1988.

Sr. Janice was then assigned by Bishop Balke as Pastoral Administrator of two parishes that were without a resident priest. In 1994 Sr. Janice left Minnesota and became a member of the Medaille Congregational Leadership Team with offices in Cincinnati, Ohio. She returned to the Crookston Diocese in 1998 to resume Pastoral Administration Ministry in Bagley and Two Inlets, Minnesota.
Sr. Janice retired to Woodbury, Minnesota Senior Village in 2005. There she engaged in volunteer pastoral ministry in neighboring hospitals and nursing homes. Her final move in 2010 was from Woodbury to Mt. St. Mary Convent in Wichita, Kansas where she engaged in prayer ministry and resided until her death.

Homecoming will be at Mount St. Mary Resurrection Chapel on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. with Wake to follow at 6:00 p.m. Mass of Resurrection will be held Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. with internment following in Sisters of St. Joseph Cemetery.

Sister Ann Marie Geray, OSB

Sister Anne Marie Geray, age 96, died peacefully on March 7, 2025 at Villa St. Vincent, Crookston, MN.
She was born on August 10, 1928 in Beaulieu, MN, the second of six children of Alphonse M. Geray and Anne Catherine (Kirsch) Geray. At baptism she was given the name Janet Mary.

She attended Flowing Well Grade School in Mahnomen, MN and Mahnomen High School. She earned a bachelor of science degree in home economics from the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN and became the secretary/office manager for the county extension agent for Clay and Mahnomen Counties.

Janet entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery on August 15, 1955. She received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Anne Marie on July 2, 1956, made temporary vows the next year and perpetual vows on July 11, 1960.

Sister Anne Marie was life-long learner. She attended selected courses at the College of St. Scholastica, St. John’s University and the University of Minnesota Crookston. In 1966, she earned a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from the College of St. Thomas.

Sister Anne Marie contributed in many ways over the years. She was an elementary teacher in Lefor, ND, a high school teacher and counselor at Mount St. Benedict Academy, and a religious education coordinator in several parishes. She said her favorite assignment was as director of Mount St. Benedict Center who promoted outreach programs, the Ministry School for Religious Education and introduced Elderhostel programs. She twice organized and directed a Benedictine Renewal Program at the Mount. She was instrumental in establishing the oblate program for Mount Saint Benedict Monastery and served as director for a number of years. From 2005 to 2011 she served the community as its subprioress.

Sister enjoyed crafts, collecting things and making something “artsy” things with them. She like to read, sew, hike and grow things. She photographed and documented the construction of the 2015 Mount building.

Sister Anne Marie had a low-key and graceful way of making the lives of her sisters easier and enjoyable. “Well,” she said, “I always felt like I fit in.”

Preceding her in death are her parents, Alphonse M. Geray and Anne Catherine (Kirsch) Geray, her step-mother, Marie Geray and brothers John and James. She is survived by brothers Walter and George Geray, a sister, Rosalyn Bauer (Mrs. Marcus Bauer), many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of St. Benedict of Crookston.

Funeral services for Sister Anne Marie Geray will be held Wednesday, March 19 in Sacred Heart

Chapel, Mount Saint Benedict, Crookston, MN.

Prayer Service: 11:00 a.m.

Mass of Christian Burial: 2:00 p.m. Celebrant: Bishop Andrew Cozzens.

Internment in Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery in late spring.

Arrangements by Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home, Crookston, Minnesota.

Sister Luella (Cyrilla) Walsh, OSB

Sister Luella (Cyrilla) Walsh passed away at the age of 97 on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Benedictine Monastery of the Good Shepherd, Rio Grande City, Texas.
She was born on Nov. 13, 1927, in Greenbush, Minnesota, the second of 11 children of James Patrick Walsh and Helen Theresa (Witzman) Walsh. Her parents named her Luella Theresa Walsh at her baptism.
She attended Rural School, District # 18 in Badger, MN, for her elementary education. She went on to graduate from Badger, MN, High School. Sister Luella’s family supported her desire to become a sister. Her mother’s oldest sister was a member of the Sisters of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, MN, and her mother prayed that one of her daughters would become a sister.
Luella entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery on January 6, 1945; When Luella became a novice on July 11, 1945, she received the name Sister Cyrilla (later resumed her baptismal name of Sister Luella Walsh). She made her first profession on July 11, 1946, and her final profession on July 16, 1949.
Sister Luella received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of Saint Catherine, in Saint. Paul, MN, a master’s certificate in religious education from the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, MN, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Valley Baptist Hospital, in Harlingen, TX, and Certification with National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC).
Sister Luella’s ministry took many twists and turn. From 1946‐1971; she taught elementary school classes in Saint Michael’s; Mahnomen; Cathedral; Crookston; Saint Francis; Moorhead; Saint Bernard’s; Thief River Falls; Saint Joseph’s Rosen; Holy Rosary; Detroit Lakes; Saint Joseph’s; Red Lake Falls; Assumption; Barnesville. She then turned her attention to teaching in public schools: Asherton Independent School in Asherton; TX; and public schools of Harlingen, TX.
She began clinical pastoral education at Harlingen/Weslaco, TX. and in 1987 began serving as a hospital chaplain at Knapp Hospital in Weslaco, TX. From 1989 to 1994, she worked with the Joachim and Ann (Elderly Program) at Sacred Heart Church in Escobares, TX.
In 1995, Sister Luella along with companion Sisters Nancy Boushey and Fran Solum petitioned the Crookston Benedictines to establish Good Shepherd Monastery near Rio Grande City, TX. while sharing dual membership with Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Crookston. The three sisters decided to withdraw from jobs outside the monastery and devote their entire lives to full-time monastic life. Sister Luella’s recent ministry included directing a thriving oblate community, welcoming for retreatants, and serving as sacristan.
She is preceded in death by parents James Patrick and Helen Theresa, siblings, Charles, Sarah, Mary, James, Allan, George, Pauline, Helen, Nephew Warren Monsrud, several brothers & sisters-in-law. She is survived by her sister Jeanette Eklund, and Leonard (Ellen) Walsh, sister-in-law, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Mount Saint Benedict, Crookston, Minnesota.
The funeral Mass and burial were held January 10 at the Benedictine Monastery of the Good Shepherd with Bishop Flores presiding.
Funeral arrangements were made by Sanchez Funeral Home, Rio Grande City, Texas.

Sister Carol Jean Schroeder, OSB

Sister Carol Jean Schroeder, age 95, died on December 3, 2024 at Villa St. Vincent, Crookston, Minnesota. She was born on July 8, 1929, in Farming, MN, the seventh of eight children of William Schroeder and Elizabeth Behnen Schroeder. They named her Angela Elizabeth at her baptism.
Angela received her elementary education at Popple Grove School in Becker County, MN, and her secondary education at Park Rapids High School, Park Rapids, MN.
Angela entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery on September 1, 1949. On April 10, 1950, she received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Carol Jean. She made her first monastic profession on July 12, 1951, and her final profession on July 12, 1944.
Sister Carol Jean attributed her vocation in her words “to relatives, primarily my home and ultimately my pastor. My mother and father had a deep respect for religious life.”
Sister Carol Jean received her degree from Minnesota State University in Moorhead, MN, and also studied at Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, and Saint Thomas University, Saint Paul, MN.
Sister Carol Jean made impressive use of each of her gifts as a secretary, office manager, and accountant. She served in the business office of St. Mary’s Hospital, Detroit Lakes, MN and for eleven years as treasurer at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. She became the Assistant Administrator of St. Francis Residence, Crookston as it transitioned to become Villa St. Vincent/The Summit eldercare facility.
Over the years, Sister Carol Jean served as secretary to the Director of Education for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul/Minneapolis, secretary to the Director of the Sisters’ National Vocation Conference in Chicago, and secretary to the Director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in Silver Spring, MD. The Director of the Sisters’ National Vocation Conference commented that Sister Carol Jean was the best secretary she ever had.
Sister Carol Jean had a gift for making tatted rosaries which graced the arm of many brides on their wedding day.
Sister Carol Jean was preceded in death by her parents William Schroeder and Elizabeth Behnen Schroeder, and siblings: Mrs. Ambrose Maehren (Lydia), Albert Schroeder, Veronica Pasek, Joseph Schroeder, Edward Schroeder, and Martha Gartner. Her brother Alex, many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of Saint Benedict survive her.

Prayer Service: 11:00 a.m., December 12 in Sacred Heart Chapel, Mount Saint Benedict, Crookston, MN.
Mass of Christian Burial: December 12, 2:00 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel, Mount Saint Benedict, Crookston, MN. Celebrant: Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Honorary Casket Bearers: Sisters of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
Internment: Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery, spring 2025.
Arrangements by Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home, Crookston, MN.

Sister Marietta Geray, OSB

Sister Marietta Geray, age 93, died peacefully on November 28, 2024 at St. Benedict’s Care Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Sister Marietta Geray was born on September 11, 1931, in Beaulieu, the second of the eleven children of Joseph Frederick Geray and Mary Margaret (Kaster) Geray. At her baptism, her parents named her Hyacinth Rosa Geray.
She began her education at Ahmann School, the country school near her home. For high school, she attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy.
In 1950 she entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, and on January 8, 1951, received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Marietta. She made her final monastic profession on July 11, 1955.
Sister Marietta received a bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Theresa in Winona and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH.
Sister Marietta served as an elementary school teacher in Cathedral School, Crookston; Assumption School, Barnesville; St. Philip’s School, Bemidji; and Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes, MN. She then worked with high school students as a German teacher and a prefect at Mount Saint Benedict Academy, and as a German and religion teacher and assistant principal at Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks.
Following this part of her teaching ministry, Sister Marietta enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. She taught ethics to students at the university and served as an administrative assistant in the religion department. After leaving the university, Sister Marietta lectured in ethics at the University of Minnesota Crookston, the Moorhead Technical College and the University of Mary (Fargo Center).
In 2011 Sister Marietta moved to Benedict Village in Saint Cloud, where she resided until her last illness.
Beginning in 2011, Sister Marietta moved to Benedict Village (Independent Living) in Saint Cloud, MN. While as a resident of Benedict Village, Sister Marietta established a handbell/chime choir which remains active to this day. She regularly assisted with the liturgy there. When consulted, she facilitated spiritual growth for the Benedict Village community members. Avid computer user and researcher up until the end. She gathered information and participated in online discussion groups outside of her residence.
Sister Marietta was very devoted to the care of her sister, Vivian, while Vivian was a resident of St Cloud. She cherished her deep connections with her sister, Marie, and many of her nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, by sisters Rita Olson, Magdalen Symonds, Aria Ronayne, Viviana Beuning and Geraldine Lukas. She is survived by siblings Marie (Gerald) Plante, Veronica Placek, Sandra (Alquin) Tschida, Joseph Geray, Jr.. Reinald Geray, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
Funeral services in St. Cloud: date, time and location pending.
Memorial Service and Interment at Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery: Spring 2025 date pending.
Arrangements by Daniel Funeral Home, St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Sister Bernadette Koztrzewski, OSB

Sister Bernadette Kostrzewski, age 92, died on November 15, 2024 at Villa St. Vincent Nursing Home, Crookston, MN.
Sister Bernadette entered this world as Rosalie, the youngest of eleven children. She was born on February 18, 1932. Both of her parents, William and Anna (Sczcpanski) Kostrzewski, were born in Poland and came to the United States with their families as young children. The family lived on a farm near Stephen, MN, and Rosalie and her four sisters and six brothers attended Golden Glow, District 55E country school near Stephen, MN. She remembered walking to school with at least one of her older sisters watching over her. As a farmer’s daughter, she looked back at milking and herding the cows and cleaning the barn.
For high school, Sister Bernadette first went to the Cathedral High School and then to Mount Saint Benedict Academy. After getting to know some of the sisters and working with them, she decided to enter Mount Saint Benedict Monastery in 1952. Sister Bernadette was received into the novitiate on July 2, 1952, when she received the Benedictine habit (clothing) and name Sister Bernadette. Two things impressed her during her formation days: Sister Bernadette admired the older sisters for how hard they worked to build the foundation of the community so that others may profit from it. And she remembered working in the garden as a novice with Sister Benigna. She made final monastic profession on July 11, 1956.
Sister Bernadette attended Saint Gabriel’s School of Nursing Diploma Program, Little Falls, MN. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing from South Dakota State University’s College of Nursing, Brookings, SD. Sister Bernadette served as a registered nurse at Saint John’s Hospital, Red Lake Falls; Saint Francis Hospital, Crookston; Saint John’s Hospital, Browerville; Saint Mary’s Hospital, Detroit Lakes; Mahnomen County Hospital, Mahnomen, and RiverView Healthcare, Crookston. After twenty-two years at RiverView Healthcare serving as a nurse and as clinical supervisor of RiverView’s ICU/ICCU Unit for a time, she retired from nursing in 2000.
But she didn’t retire from work. Sister took care of medication requests and used her sewing skills to produce various beautiful items for the gift shop. In her spare time, she enjoyed working on a jigsaw puzzle.
Sister Bernadette shared her thoughts: “Nursing was a rewarding ministry, and it was a privilege to be involved in the lives of many people from birth to death.
She stated “Now living at the Mount allows me to participate more fully in monastic life through community prayer and activities.”
Sister Bernadette was preceded in death by her parents William and Anna Kostrzewski and Siblings: George Kostrzewski, Dominic Kostrzewski, Florian Kostrzewski, Andrew Kostrzewski, John Kostrzewski, Roman Kostrzewski, Emily Valley, Marian Kostrzewski, Dolores Kostrzewski; and Irene Lee.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

Prayer Service: 11:00 a.m.. November 25, 2024 in Sacred Heart Chapel, Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
Mass of Christian Burial: 2:00 p.m., November 25, 2024 in Sacred Heart Chapel, Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. Celebrant: Bishop Andrew Cozzens. Honorary Casket Bearers: Sisters of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
Interment: Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery, Crookston, Minnesota.
Arrangements by Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home, Crookston, Minnesota.

Rev. Joseph DeCrans

Father Joseph DeCrans
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Father Joseph John DeCrans on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at the age of 76. Father DeCrans was born on February 25, 1948, in Hallock, MN, to Alfonse and Helen DeCrans.
He graduated from Park Rapids High School in 1966 and attended Crosier Seminary in Onamia, MN for two years before enlisting in the US Marine Corps, proudly serving for many years before answering a higher calling and becoming ordained into the priesthood on May 18, 1984, at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Park Rapids, MN.
Father DeCrans dedicated his life to serving his community through his ministry, leading congregations across several churches. He earned his BA from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and his Master of Divinity from St. Paul Seminary. He served as Parochial Vicar in Crookston, MN with missions in Fisher, MN before becoming Pastor at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Brooks, MN with missions at St. Anthony in Terrebonne, MN and St. Vincent de Paul in Plummer, MN in 1989. In 1991, he became Pastor at St. Bernard’s in Thief River Falls, MN with missions at St. Clement in Grygla, MN and St. Ann in Goodridge, MN. In 1996, he became Pastor at Sacred Heart in Frazee, MN with missions at St. Mary of the Lakes in Lake Eunice, MN and Assumption Catholic Church, Callaway, MN and finally in 2008, he became Pastor at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ada, MN with missions at St. Williams in Twin Valley, MN and Holy Family in Halstad, MN. He retired from the priesthood in 2016 and resided at St. Joseph’s in Ada for five years before moving to Riverview Place in Fargo.
His passion for fishing, sports, and good food, especially ice cream, was well-known to those who knew him. Father DeCrans was a beloved figure in the communities he served, known for his kindness, compassion, and unwavering dedication to his faith.
He is survived by his siblings; Sister Maura DeCrans, Jack (Mayren) DeCrans, Bob (Mary) DeCrans, Father Bill DeCrans, Jim (Marilyn) DeCrans, Tom DeCrans, Dan (Michelle) DeCrans, Carol (Dave) Becker, Jeanne (Jeff) Garber, Bernadette (Dan) Stephenson, Rose (Dana) Wolf, Teresa (Dave) Vaske and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; Alfonse and Helen DeCrans; sister-in-law, Kathy DeCrans and niece, Helen DeCrans
Wake Service: 7:00 P.M. Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Moorhead, MN with visitation starting at 5:00 P.M.
Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Moorhead with visitation starting at 10:00 A.M.
Burial with Military Honors: 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Moorhead, MN.

Sister Norma Jean Edie, OSB

Sister Norma Jean Edie, OSB, died on Feb.10, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.
Born Sept. 10, 1933, in Saint Michael’s Hospital, Grand Forks, ND, Sister Norma Jean was the fourth of five children of Albert M. Edie and Claire Elizabeth (Murphy) Edie. She was given the name of Norma Jean at her baptism.
In grade school, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet taught her at St. Mary’s School, Grand Forks. She attended St. James School, Grand Forks, as a ninth-grader and finished her secondary education at Mount Saint Benedict Academy.
Norma Jean entered Mount Saint Benedict community during her senior year on January 6, 1952. She became a novice on July 3, 1952, when she received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Callista.
She made temporary vows on July 11, 1953, and her final monastic profession on July 11, 1956. Later she resumed her baptismal name and was known thereafter as Sister Norma Jean.
On the 60th anniversary of her profession of vows, Sister Norma Jean said, “Gratitude is the only way I could begin to summarize 60 marvelous years as part of the Mount Saint Benedict monastic, fully Benedictine community! In reflecting on my life at the Mount, I feel that God guided me straight here all the way.”
Sister Norma Jean earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a concentration in art from Viterbo College. She was a classroom teacher for 26 years and then supervised activities for the sisters in the monastery care center from 1980 to 2000.
During those years she also companioned Sister Justina Violette at night at Care and Share, a shelter for the homeless. She painted several murals for the shelter.
Sister Cathi Merck, prioress, assigned her to answer the many requests for pro-life billboards, floats for Crookston’s Ox Cart Day parades, and other community needs.
Sister Norma Jean said, “In my grade school years, I discovered I had a reputation for being artistic. My favorite pastime was drawing. There were no formal art classes at that time, but I got a feel for blending oil paints when Sister Veronica let me help paint some outdoor Christmas figures.”
Her largest paintings are of The Last Supper, one for the dining room wall at Care and Share and another for Good Shepherd Monastery in Rio Grande City, Texas.
Sister Norma Jean’s creative endeavors encompassed many mediums: painting, carving whimsical gnome and fairy houses, creating imaginative creatures for Halloween, rosemaling, and making clever, one-of-a kind greeting cards. She received the 2011 Northwest Artist Award from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council.
“I feel a deep gratitude that I did respond with a ‘Yes’ to God’s inner promptings that led me here,” Sister Norma Jean said about her life at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. “Throughout life, with my foibles, strengths, and weakness, in times of crisis and surety, health and sickness, fears and hopes, I feel everything has been and will be God’s plan for me.”
Sister Norma Jean Edie is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers James and Michael and sisters Mary Clair Watson and Joanne Myers.
Surviving her are her nieces and nephews and the sisters of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Crookston.
A prayer service celebrating Sister Norma Jean’s life is Feb. 16, at 11 a.m. with the Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Both services take place at Sacred Heart Chapel of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
The Mass will be live-recorded for later viewing on www.stenshoelhouske.com.
Gifts in honor of Sister Norma Jean Edie may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minnesota 56716.

Sister Francella Gust, OSB

Sister Francella Gust, 90, died on February 2, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.
Born at home on October 10, 1932, in Tabor, Sister Francella was the 10th of eleven children born to John Jacob Gust and Frances Ann (Kotrba) Gust. At baptism she was given the name Frances.
The Gust family belonged to Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Tabor. Frances became acquainted with the Benedictine sisters when they came to her parish to teach summer religious education classes.
Frances attended District 64 country grade school. No matter the season, she and her siblings often walked the two and a half miles to school. For high school, Frances attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy, Crookston.
During her senior year of high school, Frances entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. She received the Benedictine habit and the name of Sister Francella on July 10, 1950, pronounced temporary vows on July 11, 1951, and made her final monastic profession on July 11, 1954.
Sister Francella graduated from the Saint Cloud School of Nursing in 1959. Over 31 years, she successfully served as a staff nurse or as a nursing supervisor at Saint Francis Hospital in Crookston, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes and Villa Saint Vincent.
She then pursued training in clinical pastoral education from Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and served in pastoral care at Villa Saint Vincent in Crookston for 33 years until her retirement in 2016.
Sister Francella found celebration of feasts and the companionship of the sisters to be particularly life-giving. She leant her good soprano voice and full heart to liturgical prayer.
She enjoyed small group living where, she found the freedom to express and to receive love and concern. In her retirement, Sister Francella liked watching good movies and plying various crafts, especially crocheting, decoupaging, and embroidering.
Sister Francella was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Frank, Rudolph, Paul, Louis, Anthony, Eugene, Richard, Gerard, and her sister Alice (Gust) Canterbury.
Surviving her are her brother Edward, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
A prayer service celebrating Sister Francella’s life will be held on Feb. 8, at 11 a.m. with the Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Both services will be held at Sacred Heart Chapel of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
The Mass will be live-recorded for later viewing on www.stenshoelhouske.com.
Gifts in honor of Sister Francella Gust may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minnesota 56716

Sister Adeline Karels, OSB

Sister Adeline Karels, OSB, age 92, died Nov. 6, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.

Sister Adeline Karels was the second of five children of Marcus and Katherine (Kelzer) Karels. Though her parents baptized her Joanne Kathryn, she was called Annie.

Annie attended Saint Joseph’s School in Rosen, where she admired Sister Bernarda, her eighth-grade teacher. Next, she attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy, where she again esteemed her teachers.

At the age of 18, she entered the Sisters of Saint Benedict. She received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Adeline on July 4, 1948. A year later on July 3, 1949, she made her first vows, with her monastic profession made on July 11, 1952.

A few years later her sister, Sister Marmion, joined her as a member of the Sisters of Saint Benedict. Sister Marmion was not only as Sister Adeline’s sister but also as her best friend.

Sister Adeline served in the healthcare ministry for most of her adult life. She received her nurse’s training at Mount Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota, and her anesthesia training at Saint Cloud Hospital School of Anesthesia.

Sister Adeline worked as a registered nurse at Saint Francis Hospital in Crookston. After receiving her anesthesia training, she served at Saint John’s Hospital in Browerville, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Detroit Lakes, and the Out-patient Surgery Center, Willmar.

Upon retiring as an anesthetist, Sister Adeline found a second ministry, making and decorating candles for sale in the Mount Saint Benedict candle department. After the candle department closed, she served as sacristan for the sisters’ chapel.

Sister Adeline said that the things she appreciated about monastic life at the Mount were the quiet atmosphere, the Liturgy of the Hours, times for reflection, family-style living and community celebrations.

Sister Adeline believed she received the hundredfold promised by Jesus to those who follow him. (Mark 10:30)

Sister Adeline was preceded in death by her parents, Marcus John Karels and Katherine Karels, and her siblings Eugene and Charles (Patricia) Karels. She is survived by Sister Marmion Karels and Richard (Arlene) Karels, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

On Friday, November 11, a prayer service celebrating Sister Adeline’s life is scheduled for 11 a.m. with the Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Both services will be held at Sacred Heart Chapel of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.

The Mass will be live-streamed for viewing on www.stenshoelhouske.com.

Gifts in honor of Sister Adeline may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minnesota 56716.

Sister Rosella Dentz, OSB

Sister Rosella Dentz, OSB, age 98, died on Sept. 30, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.

Sister Rosella, the first of five children of Albert Julius Dentz and Adelia Clare (Laubach) Dentz, was born September 5, 1924, into a loving, close, and strict Catholic family. She was baptized Rosella Julianna Dentz, in Saint Michael’s, Mahnomen.

Rosella attended Saint Michael’s grade school until the school burned. She graduated from Cathedral High School in Crookston while living at Mount Saint Benedict.

Rosella found it challenging to leave home, but she wanted to be a sister. The Benedictines who taught her in grade school inspired her. She wrote, “I loved the sisters very much, and this love was nurtured by my parents.”

Rosella entered the Mount Saint Benedict community on Jan. 1, 1942, and made her final monastic profession on July 11, 1947. “When I made my final vows, I thought I was close to heaven. I felt free and that now I could stay in the convent. I wasn’t going to be sent home,” she wrote. “What appeals to me now as a Crookston Benedictine is the family spirit which is so cheerful. I also like the spirit of prayerfulness. The Benedictine life is so ordinary.”

When asked what she considered her most significant accomplishment, she replied. “My greatest accomplishment in the community is trying to be a good teacher, especially of first grade.

Thinking back on her life, she wrote, “I am most grateful for the good parents God gave me and for my vocation.”

Sister Rosella graduated from Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, with a bachelor’s degree and taught for many years in Red Lake Falls, Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Barnesville, Mahnomen, as well as in Asherton, Texas. She usually taught the lower grades, and former students fondly remember her warmth and playfulness and the gerbils she kept in her classroom. After retiring from classroom teaching, she participated in the Foster Grandparent program in Mahnomen.

“It was exciting to go on my first mission, which was Saint Joseph’s School in Red Lake Falls,” Sister Rosella said. “It became almost a second home to me. I was there for 10 years. I taught grades one to three, but the first grade was my favorite grade to teach. I loved the little ones; they were so close to God.”

Sister Rosella was very close to her family, and after retirement, she and her sister Mary Ann cared for their mother for many years. Her nieces, Julie Pierce and Sheila Nudell, visited her regularly at the Villa and stayed around the clock with her during her last 10 days. Sister Rosella was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings Albert Jr., Gerald (June), Dolores (Gaylen) Nudell, and Mary Ann. She is survived by her sister-in-law June, her nieces and nephews and their children, and the Sisters of Saint Benedict.

Sister Rosella will be remembered at a prayer service and the Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Services are at Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict, 620 Summit Avenue, Crookston. The Mass will be livestreamed from www.stenshoelhouske.com.

Gifts in honor of Sister Rosella may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minnesota 56716.

Rev. Jerry Rogers

Father Jerry Rogers is originally from Saint Petronille Parish in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He graduated from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary High School in Lockport, Illinois. He earned his college degree from Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota on May 21, 1976, after attending the Theological College at Catholic University.

He began his priestly ministry as an associate at Sacred Heart Church in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. He eventually became pastor of Sacred Heart, where he was extremely involved in campus ministry in both the grade school and high school, and he built a development office to support the struggling school. From there, he went to Zambia, Africa for three years to complete his life-long dream of being a missionary. After completing his work in Africa, he returned to the Diocese of Crookston to serve as the pastor at Holy Rosary Parish in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota for 15 years.

For more than a decade he was a beloved pastor and advocate of the St. Mary's Mission in Red Lake, Minnesota. St. Mary's is a parish and Catholic school located at the heart of Red Lake Nation, one of the two closed reservations in the United States, meaning the area has been able to maintain legal status as a sovereign nation. The reservation is communally owned by the Chippewa.

He worked tirelessly to evangelize and spread the truth of our Catholic Faith. He retired from the Mission in 2022 and was named Administrator of Saint Philip the Apostle Parish in Addison, Illinois. Father was delighted to return "home" to his family in Illinois and loved serving the people of Saint Philip the Apostle Parish.

The Visitation for Father Jerome D. Rogers will take place in Saint Philip the Apostle Church, Addison on Friday, September 23rd from 2-8pm. A Vigil Service will be celebrated at 7pm in the church.

Bishop Ronald Hicks will celebrate the funeral Mass on Saturday, September 24th at 10am at Saint Philip. Burial will take place after the Mass of Christian Burial at Assumption Cemetery in Winfield, Illinois.

A memorial Mass for Father Jerry will take place at St. Philip Catholic Church, Bemidji, Minnesota, on Saturday, October 1st at 10:30am.

Sister Paschal Martin, OSB

Sister Paschal Martin, OSB, 99, died on September 15, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston, Minnesota.

Lyda Martin was born in Oslo, Minnesota, on June 27, 1923. Her father, John J. Martin, of German descent, came from Canada; her mother, Laura Iverson, was of Norwegian descent.

Lyda, the youngest of fourteen children, went to a country elementary school and then attended Oslo High School. She arrived at Mount Saint Benedict in 1943, received the name Sister Paschal as a novice, and made her final profession on July 17, 1947.

Sister Paschal received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Saint Catherine in Saint Paul. Later she did graduate work at Mount Angel in Oregon.

Her fourteen years as an elementary teacher were spent at Thief River Falls, Moorhead, Rosen, Mahtomedi, East Grand Forks, and Benson. She also taught religious education classes and worked with the migrant summer school program doing catechetical work. She mentioned that she enjoyed working with liturgy and helping with junior and senior high school retreats.

In 1977, Sister Paschal was serving as Coordinator of Religious Education at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Seattle, Washington, when Father Richard Stohr asked her to live in Matthew House, a new venture sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Located next to the Washington State Reformatory, it became a safe, nurturing place where wives, girlfriends, and children could stay while finding more permanent accommodations.

The word about Matthew House spread swiftly among the inmates, and a steady stream of families arrived at all hours, looking for a meal and help to find a place to stay. Besides providing food, clothing, and child care, Sister Paschal became a sympathetic confidante to the women.

It bothered her that inmates ate three square meals daily while many of their families went hungry. She said, “Whatever the prisoners have done, you can’t punish the children and women because their husbands have gotten into trouble.”

While focusing on nurturing inmates’ families, she counseled prisoners during a weekly Friday night visit in the prison chapel. She could offer only sympathy and common-sense advice, but the inmates appreciated her efforts.

After years of ministering to prisoners and their families, she returned to Mount Saint Benedict due to failing eyesight. She moved to the Summit Apartments and then Villa Saint Vincent, a long-term care facility.

Sister Paschal was preceded in death by her parents John J. Martin and Laura M. Iverson Martin; and siblings, including sisters Edna Paulson, Effie Michalski, Esther Jones, Dorothy Lafthus, Victoria, Leila Michalski, Maude Johnson, and Agnes Anvinson and brothers Fritz, Edward, Glen, John, and Casper Martin.

She is survived by many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

Sister Paschal will be remembered on Sept. 19 at a prayer service at 11 a.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Services will be at Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict, 620 Summit Avenue, Crookston.

Gifts in honor of Sister Paschal may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minnesota 56716.

The Mass will be livestreamed from www.stenshoelhouske.com.

Sister Lorraine Kraft, OSB

Sister Lorraine Kraft, OSB, died on July 22, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.

Born on May 10, 1933, near Fisher, Sister Lorraine was the third of 15 children and the oldest daughter of Elizabeth (Wald) and Joseph Kraft. When she was a young child, the family moved to Pontiac, Mich., where she started school at Saint Michael’s.

They then moved to Karlsruhe, N.D., and back to the Fisher area. Lorraine attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy for high school, and during her senior year in 1951, she entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.

Benedictine life attracted Sister Lorraine because she “was inspired by the sisters’ prayer life and their loving example of kindness and support.”

Sister Lorraine appreciated her German-Russian heritage and took joy in cooking some of the ethnic foods she learned from her mother. One of her greatest joys was traveling with Sisters Cathi Merck and Anita Whalen and their family to Alsace-Lorraine and Ukraine to trace their family heritage, which, coincidentally, was the same as hers.

Sister Lorraine earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Saint Benedict’s College in Saint Joseph, and a master’s degree in elementary school administration from Moorhead State University. For most of Sister Lorraine’s life, she served as a teacher and principal in Catholic schools.

She started teaching in Slayton, where the Sisters of Saint Benedict staffed a catechetical school. Sister Lorraine also served as either teacher or principal in the following schools: Saint Joseph’s, Moorhead; Saint Francis, Moorhead; Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks; Assumption, Barnesville; Saint Philip’s, Bemidji; Saint Joseph’s, Rosen; Saint Vincent’s, Osseo; Saint Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls; and Crookston Catholic Elementary School.

In 1980, she served in Bogotà, Colombia as director of Colegio Santa Maria’s — an all-girls school with close to 1,000 students from primary grades through high school. This experience provided several unique challenges for Sister Lorraine.

First, she did not speak Spanish and had to learn and use it quickly. Second, learning to live in a different culture presented some difficulties, but overall it was exciting and interesting.

Third, she had to become acquainted with the Ministry of Education’s various requirements and ensure the school complied with them. Sister Lorraine had many fond memories of her time at Colegio Santa Maria. Though she left in 1983, Sister Lorraine was invited back twice as a school guest.

After Sister Lorraine returned to the United States, she earned a master of arts degree in religious education from the School of Theology, Saint John’s University, Collegeville. She became the Director of Religious Education at Holy Spirit Parish in Fargo, N.D., and then the pastoral associate of Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Argyle.

In 1999, Sister Lorraine returned to the Mount as the Director of Mount Saint Benedict Center, a position she held until she became the liturgy assistant in 2012.

Sister Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents Elizabeth and Joseph Kraft, and by siblings Leonard Kraft, William Kraft, John Kraft, Elizabeth Joanne Page, Jerome Kraft and brothers-in-law Bill Page, Bill Henry, and Jerry Pigarelli. She is survived by siblings Rose Schmitz, Mary Ann Christopherson, Kenneth Kraft, Kathleen Henry, Karen Atkinson, Rita Pigarelli, Angie Kraft, James Kraft, Ronald Kraft — and by many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

Sister Lorraine will be remembered at a prayer service on Wednesday, July 27, at 11 a.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m. Services will be at Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston.

Visitation begins after the prayer service and lasts until just before the funeral Mass. The Mass of Christian Burial will be livestreamed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.

Gifts in honor of Sister Lorraine may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minn., 56716.

Sister Agatha Hermann, OSB

Sister Agatha Hermann, OSB, age 93, died May 18, at Villa Saint Vincent in Crookston. The fourth child in a family of five, she was born July 1, 1928, on a farm near Georgetown, and was baptized with the name Angela.

Angela was the third person in her family to pursue religious life following two of her sisters into Mount Saint Benedict.

After attending a two-room school in Georgetown, Angela enrolled at Mount Saint Benedict Academy for high school. She graduated in 1946, and on the Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15, she entered the monastery.

Angela received both the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Agatha when she became a novice. Sister Agatha made first profession in 1948 and final profession in 1951.

Shortly after her first profession in 1948, she began her ministry as an elementary teacher, teaching fourth grade. Sister Agatha loved those early years and later enjoyed the challenge of teaching teenagers in junior high at Saint Joseph’s School in Moorhead.

Her passion was teaching mathematics and social studies. During her career, Sister Agatha taught at Saint Joseph, Moorhead; Saint Joseph, Red Lake Falls; Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes; Saint Francis de Sales, Moorhead; Saint Jude, Mahtomedi; and Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks.

Her summers were spent teaching religious education in rural parishes. In addition, Sister Agatha spent several summers with the migrant school in Moorhead. After 53 years of teaching and administration, she retired from the education profession and then worked as a volunteer in Pastoral Care at Villa Saint Vincent.

Sister Agatha enjoyed reading and puzzles, and from her youth, delighted in being outdoors and gardening. Her retirement freed Sister Agatha to pray, be present to the sisters, and take part in community life – a fruitful conclusion to a life well-spent.

Sister Agatha was preceded in death by her parents Andrew A. and Delia (Denery) Hermann and her siblings: Andrew L. Hermann, Sister Petronilla Hermann, Sister Olivia Hermann, and Helen (Jack) Lutgens. She is survived by many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict.

A prayer service celebrating Sister Agatha's life was held May 23. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.

Sister Brian Wild, OSB

Sister Brian Wild, age 91, died on May 8, 2022, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.

On November 12, 1930, Sister Brian was born in Fargo, North Dakota, the sixth of eight children of Edward George Wild, Sr. and Dorothy Daggett Wild. She was given the name Barbara Louise Wild at her baptism.

She obtained a bachelor of science degree in secondary education in 1957 from Mayville State Teacher’s College, Mayville, ND, and taught in the Moorhead Public School System.

Barbara entered the Benedictine community on August 15, 1961, and she received the Benedictine habit and the name of Sister Brian on July 2, 1962. Sister Brian made temporary vows on July 11, 1963, and final monastic profession on July 11, 1968.

Sister Brian served as a mathematics instructor and a part-time librarian at Mount Saint Benedict Academy in Crookston, a physics and mathematics teacher at Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks, a mathematics teacher at Shanley High School in Fargo, ND, and a fifth-grade teacher at Saint Joseph’s School in Moorhead. In 1990, Sister Brian moved to the Mount and took up the responsibility for purchasing, maintenance, and security. In addition, if a sister wanted anything, she could go into Sister Brian’s office and receive anything sisters had turned in to her: watches, tools, office supplies, and numerous other items, including all kinds of batteries. It is impossible to surpass the organization of minutiae in Sister Brian’s office. And, she knew the location of everything!

Sister Brian loved the challenge of jigsaw puzzles, and she could often be seen putting one together. She was also an avid card player.

Sister Brian is preceded in death by her parents: Edward George Wild Sr. and Dorothy Daggett Wild, and siblings: Edward George Wild, Jr., Peter Wild, Rev. David Wild, Robert Wild, Joyce Mattson (Melvin), and Dorothy Johnson (Emery). She is survived by Sister Moira Wild, OSB of Saint Benedict’s Monastery in Saint Joseph, MN, many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

A prayer service celebrating Sister Brian’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 19. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. The Mass of Christian Burial will be livestreamed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.

Sister Joan LaCoursiere, OSB

Sister Joan LaCoursiere (Hiltrudis), age 100, died on January 29 at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston. The Benedictine Sisters elected Sister Joan as their seventh prioress of Mount Saint Benedict from 1985-1989.

Sister Joan LaCoursiere was born in Terrebonne to Paul and Sophie (Violette) LaCoursiere in a family of two brothers and five sisters. Her family life was steeped in French-Canadian culture and the Catholic faith. Sister Joan learned manual labor on the family farm, especially as a shepherdess with her sister, Elma.

She followed her sister, Sister Cuthbert, into the monastic community at Mount Saint Benedict. When she received the Benedictine habit as a novice, she became known as Sister Hiltrudis. Later, when the sisters returned to their baptismal names she took the name “Sister Joan.”

When asked what brought her to Mount Saint Benedict, Sister Joan said, “I was about five-years-old when Sister Cuthbert, my sister, spent two weeks vacationing on our farm near Dorothy. I admired and loved her very much, and I wanted to emulate her. . . . Had it not been for Sister Cuthbert, I would not have considered coming to Mount Saint Benedict.”

After her novitiate Sister Joan was assigned to be a teacher. She taught in Mahnomen; Lefor, ND; Crookston and East Grand Forks. In Crookston, she was principal at the Cathedral and assistant principal at Mount Saint Benedict High School.

In East Grand Forks, she was the principal at Sacred Heart High School. Students loved Sister Joan, and she said, “One of the joys of teaching is to have students return to visit and express appreciation.”

After many years in education, Sister Joan undertook another ministry — pastoral coordinator in Fertile and Mentor. She enjoyed teaching scripture, visiting homes, counseling, and providing spiritual direction to those who asked for it.

As prioress of the community, Sister Joan faced many challenges, including diminishing membership and the need to close ministries. Nevertheless, she drew from prayer the strength to make peaceful and patient responses to people and events she encountered. She is remembered affectionately by her sisters as having supported them through this period and encouraging new life in the community.

When her term ended, Sister Joan went to work at Care and Share, a homeless shelter where she taught scripture and established the Adult Learning Center. After retiring from this ministry, Sister Joan became the pastoral care coordinator for aging sisters at the Mount.

When Sister Joan left this ministry, she became the guest mistress for the Mount. Eventually, she moved to the Summit and the Villa, a long-term care facility.

Sister Joan said, “As I reflect on my monastic life, I believe that I am most grateful to God and the Community for the opportunities I’ve been given to grow in my monastic life, not only educationally, but most of all spiritually.” Sister Joan was loved and respected by the Sisters of Saint Benedict.

“The sister who most influenced my life is Sister Marcella. . . (who) found in me talents and potential for growth which I never knew existed,” said Sister Joan.

Sister Joan wrote, “The Gospel text which appeals to me is Mark 4:45-51— The Storm at Sea. No matter what storms come into my life, I need only to go to Him. . . and He will always take time to listen, and above all bring me His PEACE.”

Sister Joan’s deepest desire was to “give my all to the community as long as I can and to be able to say at the end of my life with Saint Paul: ‘I have run the race! I have kept the faith!’ Now I am awaiting eternal happiness with God and his angels and saints.”

Sister Joan is preceded in death by her parents, Paul Joseph and Sophie Marie Violette LaCoursiere, and siblings: Sister Cuthbert, Emery, Viola, Lorena, Elma Mildred, Victor, and Beulah LaCoursiere. She is survived by many nieces and nephews, her care companion, Sister Karen Violette, and the Sisters of Saint Benedict, Crookston.

The private Mass of Christian Burial celebrating Sister Joan’s life will be held on Feb. 3, 2022, at 2 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery with the Most Reverend Andrew Cozzens presiding and the Very Reverend Timothy McGee as homilist. The funeral will be livestreamed from Sister Joan’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com. Just click on the prompt to watch.

Gifts in memory of Sister Joan may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation.

Sister Joan Lanctot, CSJ

Sister Joan Lanctot, CSJ, (Madeline) 90, died Dec. 28, 2021, in the Benedictine Living Community of Crookston, Minnesota.

Sister Joan was born June 24, 1931, in the family home located between Crookston and Gentilly. For one of her anniversaries, she wrote: “My Baptismal name is Madeline Jean. I was born on June 24th on the birth of John the Baptist. My middle name Jean is French and Joan is an English name. My Uncle John Lanctot had the same birthday as mine but he was very much older than me!”

Madeline, the “middle child” of parents Eddie Lanctot and Delia Brule of Crookston Township, was always careful with details like having an older brother and one younger brother. Her earliest education was at a country school and her high school years were spent at St. Joseph’s Academy in Crookston.

From 1948-52 she attended the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota where she studied to be a teacher. The pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Minneapolis hired Madeline as the first-grade teacher in the new school staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph from Crookston.

Although Madeline had said she had no plans to become a Sister, she was soon influenced by the kindness and zeal of the Sisters with whom she taught, and she entered the religious community in September 1952. Madeline received the Habit and religious name of Mary Joan in 1953. She made her First Vows in March 1954 and Final Vows in August 1959. She also completed her college work and received a bachelor’s degree in education in 1959.

Sister Joan spent 18 years teaching mainly first and second grades at St. Anne’s in Somerset, Wisconsin; St. Joseph’s in West St. Paul, Minnesota; St. Richard’s in Richfield, Minnesota; St. Joan of Arc, Minneapolis, Minnesota; St. Peter’s Park Rapids, Minnesota; and St. Joseph’s Academy in Crookston. She also ministered in parishes in the Baudette and Williams area and at St. Mary’s Mission in Dunseith, North Dakota. Often, she served as superior of her local religious community.

Her next move was to St. Paul, Minnesota, and a new ministry named “Sisters Care” started by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. This ministry was designed to assist elderly people to remain living in their homes.

After four years of living there, Sister Joan was led back to her roots in Gentilly and to care for her aging mother. This combination of training and experience enabled Delia to remain in her own home and for Sister Joan to take on part-time employment for 10 years as a home health aide for Polk County Public Health.

In 2001, Delia moved to The SUMMIT and then to the Villa in 2005 while Sister Joan never stopped attending to her mother’s needs. She cared for Delia as Delia had cared for her own mother, Caroline Brule. Everyone expected that “Sister Joanie” would outlive them, both in age and in number of years of care of the “elderly.”

Sister Joan is survived by “older brother” Vernon (Hazel) of San Antonio, Texas, “younger brother” Ed (Linda) of Payson, Arizona, six nephews and many great-nieces and great-nephews and members of her religious community. She was predeceased by her parents Eddie and Delia Lanctot and, also by two paternal aunts, Sister Jeanne (Eva) and Sister Agnes of the Blessed Sacrament (Aurore), both members of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Crookston.

Visitation and a prayer service including sharing of memories is scheduled for Thursday, January 6, 2022, at 10 a.m. in the Villa Chapel in Crookston followed by the Mass of Resurrection at 11 a.m. Burial will take place in the spring.

Memorials may be directed to the Congregation of St. Joseph or the Villa Foundation. The funeral will be livestreamed from Joan's obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com. Go to the website 10 minutes before the scheduled start and click on the prompt to view. A recording of the funeral will be available for at least one year.

Sister Joanne Marie Johnson, CSJ

Sister Joanne Marie Johnson CSJ, 86, passed away Tuesday morning, November 16, 2021, in the Benedictine Living Community of Crookston.

Sister Joanne Marie Johnson was born August 17, 1935 to Clarence and Ursula (Farrell) of Minneapolis, MN. She attended elementary school and St. Anthony High School in Minneapolis. The untimely deaths of her mother Ursula and sister Dorothy Johnson Dillon meant that Joanne took on household duties as well as childcare for her two nephews while still a student.

Sister Joanne entered the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Crookston on August 15, 1956. She became acquainted with the community through her uncle, Father Mark Farrell, pastor of the new parish of St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis whose school was staffed by Sisters from Crookston. Joanne received the Habit in May 1957 at St. Joseph’s Provincial House, Marywood Road and given the religious name of Sister Mary Clarence. (She often remarked later that the only other “Sister Mary Clarence” she knew was the role played by Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act!) Sister Joanne pronounced her First Vows in 1959 and Final Vows in 1964. She returned to the use of her baptismal name during the time of her missionary work with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Recife, Brazil from 1966-1970.

Her academic work at Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wisconsin resulted in an BME degree in Music Education and later she received a Masters of Ministry degree from Seattle University. Summers often found her pursuing the study of languages, especially French and Portuguese.

Her resiliency and good nature enabled Sister Joanne to willingly accept God’s will for her in the many and varied ministries to which she was called. In addition to her missionary years in Brazil, she served the Diocese of Crookston in small parishes as Pastoral Associate, music teacher, Parish Administrator, Religious Education Coordinator, and Director of Evangelization for a group of parishes. Sister Joanne was an important member of the parish team of St. Mary’s and St. Louis Parishes in Dunseith, ND. She also served her Congregation as a member of leadership teams.

Sister Joanne’s music ministry was severely curtailed in 2000 when a stroke caused a paralysis-like condition of her singing voice and ability to continue playing organ and piano. She has lived at Summit in Crookston and then in more recent years, at the Villa.

Survivors include Ken Johnson, (brother) and family of Minneapolis, MN, Dennis Dillon (nephew) and Joan also of Minneapolis, and cousins Roberta Spaeth of St. Michael, MN, and Carolyn Kile of Sebeka, MN and by the members of her religious community. She was predeceased by her parents Clarence and Ursula Farrell Johnson, sister Dorothy Johnson Dillon, brother Robert Johnson and sister-in-law Nancy Johnson.

Sister Joanne’s life will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 with a Prayer Service and Sharing of Memories at 1:30pm in the Villa Chapel. The Mass of Resurrection is scheduled for 3:00pm in the Chapel and will be followed by the burial in Calvary Cemetery. The services will be livestreamed by going to Sister Joanne’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com 10 minutes before the scheduled start of each service and clicking on the prompt to view. Memorials may be considered for the Congregation of St. Joseph, the Villa Foundation, or Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Online registry and messages of condolence may be made at www.stenshoelhouske.com

Msgr. Gerald Noesen

Rev. Msgr. Gerald L. Noesen, 90, of Crookston, passed away peacefully November 2, at Benedictine Living Community—Villa St. Vincent.

Visitation will be on Nov. 8, from 2-4 p.m. with a prayer service starting at 4 p.m. Funeral services will be Nov. 9, at 11 a.m. all at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery immediately following the funeral. Masks are required and social distancing will be observed.

Both the prayer service and the Mass will be livestreamed and can be viewed by logging on to www.crookstoncathedral.com up to 10 minutes before the respective start times and clicking on funerals and burials.

Msgr. Noesen was born in Crookston, the youngest of eight children, to Louis and Teresa Noesen on Dec. 22, 1929. He attended Cathedral Grade and High Schools in Crookston. He then attended St. John’s University receiving a B.A. in Philosophy in 1951 and continued his seminary studies there and was ordained for the Diocese of Crookston by Bishop Francis J. Schenk at the Cathedral on June 4, 1955. He continued his education at the Loyola Communications Institute in New Orleans (1974) and did a sabbatical at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California (1986).

During his 65 years in service to the Diocese he has served as associate pastor at St. Ann, Blackduck, with mission parishes at Shooks, Kelliher, Pennington and Washkish; St. Joseph, Red Lake Falls; St. Peter, Park Rapids, with mission parishes at LaPorte and Guthrie; pastor of St. Mary, Badger with missions at Benwood and Leo; St. Joseph, Red Lake Falls; St. Joseph, Fertile, with mission at Twin Valley and chaplain of the Provincial House of the Sisters of St. Joseph; and, finally, at St. Joseph, Fertile, with mission at Mentor. He also served the Diocese as assistant director of Laketrails Diocesan Camp at Oak Island on Lake of the Woods for many years; director of the Office of Radio and Television; a term as president of the Priests’ Council, Diocesan Consultor, and Dean of the Western Deanery.

He retired from active ministry in July 1999 enjoying his retirement home on Maple Lake and later an apartment in Crookston. He routinely took weekend assistance for clergy who needed substitute help because of illness or vacation time. He entertained on his electric keyboard for 28 years on Friday evenings at the Irishman’s Shanty in Crookston delighting the clientele with his jazzy renditions of the golden oldies. He was an avid biker and was proud to say that he had traveled on his motorcycle to all the states in the nation except Hawaii. He also traveled to Europe visiting the ancestral towns of the Callaghan (Ireland) and Noesen (Luxemburg) families.

Fr. Jerry had a lively and attractive personality, appreciated by both young and old. He was a great hockey fan and coach, camper and canoeist, down-hill skier and water boarder. He loved nature, and even in his final months when his mental capacities were beginning to fade, he would still comment on the beauty of sun-drenched water and trees and the fascinating variety of birds. He commented that God’s favorite colors must be blue and green. He was ever the faithful priest and pastor, a sympathetic listener, and fervent preacher, especially for pro-life causes.

He is survived by his sister Betty (John) Fitzsimmons of Roseville, and many nieces and nephews, cousins, and extended family. He was preceded in death by his sisters: Winifred Laurent, Adelaide (John) LaBonte, Eileen (William) Miller, and his brothers: Joseph (Lila, Bea), Harold (Mary), Robert (died at age 2).

The Bishops and priests of the Diocese and his family wish to thank the staff at Riverview Health and the Villa for their attentive and loving care of him these past two-plus years.

Memorials are preferred to the Diocese of Crookston Seminarian Education Burse held by the Catholic Community Foundation, Cathedral of the Immaculate conception, or the charity of your choice, and may be sent c/o Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 702 Summit Avenue, Crookston, MN 56716.

Online registry: www.stenshoelhouske.com

Msgr. Michael Patnode

Rev. Msgr. Michael Patnode, 73, of Bemidji, passed away peacefully Monday, October 26, 2020 in his home.

Visitation will be on Sunday, November 1, from 1:00-3:30pm with the rosary for those interested starting at 3:30 pm and a prayer service starting at 4:00 p.m. Funeral services will be Monday, November 2, at 11:00 am all at St. Philip’s Church in Bemidji. Interment will be at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Bemidji. Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji is assisting the family. With COVID-19 protocols in mind, the Mass will be livestreamed at stphilipsbemidji.org.

He was born in Crookston, in Polk County, the third of five children to Paul and Eleanor Patnode on December 4, 1946. Michael went to St. Philip’s grade school in Bemidji. He then attended Crosier Seminary in Onamia, Minnesota, for six years and afterwards St. Paul Seminary for six years obtaining a B.A. in Philosophy and pursued theology studies. In 1987, Michael received his Masters in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

He was ordained Father Michael Patnode by the Most Reverend Kenneth J. Povish, Bishop of Crookston at St. Philip’s Church in Bemidji on June 18, 1972. On June 22, 1972, Father Patnode was appointed administrator of the parish of St. Joseph at Brooks and on July 21, 1972 he was assigned associate pastor of Sacred Heart parish in East Grand Forks for four years.

In his 45 years as a priest, Msgr. Mike served in over half of the diocesan parishes throughout his years of active ministry. Mike’s final assignments included 12 years at St. Philip’s Bemidji (along with St. Charles, Pennington, and Sacred Heart – Wilton), followed by 12 years at St. Francis de Sales, Moorhead (along with Georgetown).

In 2017 Msgr. Patnode retired from St. Francis de Sales and moved to his hometown Bemidji, MN. He built a home where he immersed himself in his favorite hobbies of gardening, tending flowers, birdwatching, reading, cooking, volunteering at the Bemidji Community Food Shelf and entertaining his family and friends. He loved canoeing in the Boundary Waters and took many trips into the wilderness with various groups. He also enjoyed traveling the world including Israel, Italy, and France and spent a summer studying Spanish in Mexico so he could offer mass in Spanish.

He substituted often in area parishes. In 2019, Msgr. Patnode was called to St. Philip’s Parish as a senior associate.

To say these few things about his priesthood does not capture the man, the full extent of the fruitfulness of his work, his life, his love for people, his dedication, his obedience, his love for the Church. He was a rich conversationalist, a humorist, a man of prayer, a priest, and a child of God. For all that is not mentioned here, thanks be to God. We love him.

He is survived by his sister, Dianne Seyler; brother, Charles (Jean) Patnode; sister-in-law Marilyn Patnode and brother-in-law Harlan (Linda) Johnson. Nieces and nephews: Jennifer (Brad) Trask, Kristine (Luke) Miska and sons Paysen and Rowan; David Patnode; Annie Patnode; Jenna Spaulding, Sarah Patnode(Rob Merrill) and sons Atlas and Max; Amy (Bob) Wangerin; Rudy (Rachel) Patnode and sons Clain, Grady and Leo.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother: Robert Patnode; sister: Mary Patnode; grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Memorials are preferred to the Paul and Eleanor Patnode St. Philip’s School Scholarship Fund, or the Keough Patnode Burse for Seminarians, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Deacon William "Bill" Beutler

William “Bill” Beutler lived a full and abundant life in Christ. He passed away at the age of 72 in his home in Moorhead on Sept. 2, under the care of hospice. Bill was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer in May of 2019, which he responded to as he did everything, by entrusting himself completely to the will of God.

He grew up in South Dakota on the family farm with his parents and five siblings. After high school graduation he moved to Moorhead. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Administration from Moorhead State College, where he was active in the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Upon graduation he served in the Army for two years before returning to Moorhead, where he met Sandy Peterson. They were married at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Moorhead in May of 1976. Bill and Sandy welcomed three children and took great joy in raising their family. Bill worked as a contractor and eventually a Project Manager/Estimator at Simonson Lumber in Fargo. Bill and Sandy had a marriage that was grounded in faith and it was evident in the way that they cared for one another and their children. Their love for each other has been a great witness to their kids, one for which they will be eternally grateful. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Also close to Bill’s heart was serving on the board for the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, which he did for a 7-year term. He also served on the board for Churches United for the Homeless for 12 years. He was happy to see the two organizations come together as one as that had been his hope while serving with both ministries. In 2013 he was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church, which allowed him to continue to serve others and give of himself as he had done throughout his life. During his battle with cancer, he chose to surrender to God and to suffer well, uniting himself with Jesus.

He is survived by his wife, Sandy, three children Jay (Amy) Beutler, Monica (Jordan) Buchhorn, and Ashley Beutler (boyfriend Isaac Simburger). He is also survived by his grandchildren Peter, Philip, and John Beutler and Cora, Regina, Fulton, Edmund, Hildegard, and baby (due in December) Buchhorn. Bill is also survived by his siblings Lou (Ron) Nealis, Paul (Mary) Beutler, Luci (Jerry) Sparby, and Ray (Sharon) Beutler; and brothers- and sisters-in-law Paul Haaf, Denny and Diane Kragnes, Doug and Donna Pfeifer, and Bruce and Deb Hicks as well as many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Percy and Rosetta Beutler, as well as his father- and mother-in-law, Harold and Edna Peterson. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Marli Haaf, and his grandchildren, William, Francis and Rebecca Beutler, and Levi Buchhorn.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Moorhead at 1 p.m. on Sept. 5. His Prayer Service will be held 7 p.m. on Sept. 4, with visitation beginning at 5 p.m., also at St. Joseph’s. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Moorhead.

Sister Vivian Miron, CSJ

Sister Vivian Miron, CSJ, age 85, of Crookston, MN, passed away Tuesday, August 11, at Villa St. Vincent in Crookston.

Sister Vivian Lillian Miron was born December 17, 1934, in Hugo, Minnesota to Mesael and Julia (Brisson) Miron. She was the youngest of their nine children. Her education began in a one-room school and continued at St. Joseph’s Academy in Crookston, where she graduated in May 1952. She wrote, “That is when I felt the call to religious life.”

In September 1952, Sister Vivian entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in Crookston and the following March received the habit and the religious name of Sister Mary Julianna. She made her First Profession of Vows in 1954 and Final Profession in 1959. After Vatican II, Sister returned to her baptismal name of Vivian.

In June 1958, Sister Vivian was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the College of St. Catherine and St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in St. Paul, Minnesota. She later earned certificates in nursing administration and gerontological nursing, and a license for administration in a 50-bed rural hospital. Her ministry in nursing and administration took her to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids, Minnesota; Trinity Hospital in Baudette, Minnesota; Villa St. Vincent Nursing Home in Crookston; Presentation Care Center in Rolette, North Dakota; Santa Rosa Medical Center and Woodland Health Center and Holy Cross Clinic in San Antonio, Texas.

Sister Vivian has also served her religious community as administrator, regional and general councilor, in Nicaraguan ministry, and as community coordinator and assistant administrator of Marywood Residence in Crookston.

One of her papers entitled “7 Most Magnificent Skills I Used” offers insight into how she managed to carry multiple responsibilities and provide innovative approaches to training of nurses and nursing supervisors.

“I used my skills to organize, plan and evaluate. I trained personnel, encouraged them and help them believe in themselves and develop their abilities,” she wrote.

Sister Vivian “retired” to a less busy life in 2010 when she became a tenant at The Summit in Crookston. For the next few years, she led the CSJ community in group prayer. As her health diminished, so did her energy to continue correspondence and phone calls to friends and family. She practiced her Solitaire skills frequently during the day and wore out at least two decks of cards.

In addition to the Sisters and Associates of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Sister Vivian is survived by her sister Mabel (Adam) Mikrot of North St. Paul, Minnesota, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and sisters Martha Peltier and Bernadette Mikrot and brothers, Clifford, Gilbert, Thomas, Marcel and Daniel Miron.

The Mass of Resurrection was celebrated on Wednesday, August 19, at 3:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston, with Father Vincent Miller presiding. Memorials may be offered to the Congregation of St. Joseph and the Villa Foundation.

Sister Clariet Perreault, CSJ

Sister Clariet G. Perreault, age 89, of Crookston, passed away Wednesday, August 5, at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Sister Clariet Perreault was born November 18, 1930, in Terrebonne, Minnesota, to George Arthur and Antoinette Marie (Remick) Perreault who named her Georgette Clariet.

She attended Badger Grade School and graduated from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, in 1945. The Certificate of Award indicates that she had a perfect attendance record.

Because she was the only girl in her immediate family with 5 brothers and young uncles, she wrote in her log that she “was a tomboy so was not afraid to try anything” and that “this characteristic stayed with her every day of her life.”

On September 7, 1949, Sister Clariet entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in Crookston, and was given the religious name of Sister Mary George in March 1950 when she received the Holy Habit. She professed her First Vows in 1951 and Final Vows in 1954. Later she chose to be known as Sister Clariet.

Her 37 years in the health care field were shaped by her academic studies which included the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. She obtained a degree in medical technology and went on to use it in related works: hospital work at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and Trinity Hospital in Baudette, Minnesota; research for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Grand Forks, North Dakota, as a Certified Veterinary Technologist and in the veterinary clinic in Gonvik, Minnesota; and involved as a telemarketer for the Ronald McDonald House charities project in Fargo, North Dakota.

Sister Clariet responded to the needs of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Crookston as archivist, sacristan, and community driver. She became known for her sewing abilities and willingness to tackle any project which recently included producing face masks and stuffed bears. This was her way of being a true Sister of St. Joseph by “rolling up her sleeves and going to work at the task at hand.” (Her own words.)

In addition to the Sisters and Associates of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Sister Clariet is survived by her brothers, Ralph (Deb) of Red Lake Falls, Minnesota; Stephen of Fargo, North Dakota; Michael (Mary) of Kirkland, Washington; and many nieces and nephews. Sister Clariet was predeceased by her parents and brothers James Joseph and Francis Perreault.

The Mass of Resurrection was celebrated on Wednesday, August 12 at 2:00 p.m. at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston. Father Vincent Miller was the Celebrant. Interment will take place immediately after the Mass at Calvary Cemetery in Crookston.

Memorials may be offered to the Congregation of St. Joseph and the Villa Foundation.

An online Guestbook is located at www.stenshoelhouske.com.

Arrangements were entrusted to Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home of Crookston.

Sister Shawn Carruth, OSB

Sister Shawn Carruth, 77, Prioress of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery in Crookston, MN, died unexpectedly Thursday, March 26, 2020, at RiverView Health, where she was taken after suffering a stroke while in her room.

Mary Louise Carruth was the eldest of the three children of Frances (O’Leary) and Milton Carruth. She grew up in Benson, MN, where she attended Saint Francis School. It seems that the inclination to become a sister began early in Mary Louise’s life. When Mary Louise was a junior high school student, her pastor told her that she would become a sister.

Mary Louise attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy, and after graduation, she entered the Crookston Benedictines. A few months later, she received the Benedictine habit along with a new name, Sister Shawn.

Sister Shawn loved three things: studying, teaching, and being a member of the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

Sister Shawn’s love of learning and language began at an early age when she taught herself Latin while she was still in junior high school! She was able to do this because the Mass was said in Latin, and the prayer books had Latin and the English translation. She learned vocabulary, conjugation of verbs, and uses of other parts of speech.

Sister Shawn loved to study. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and secondary education from Saint Catherine’s University in Saint Paul, MN, a Master of Arts degree in theology from the School of Theology, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, MN, and a Ph.D. in religion with a concentration in New Testament from the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA.

Sister Shawn worked as an active member of the Q Project, a reconstruction of a common written source used by the writers of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. She served as the managing editor of several volumes that resulted from the study. Sister Shawn wrote not only on topics related to the New Testament but also on many related to monasticism. Sister Shawn said that she felt most like herself when she was studying for hours on end. Her scholarly articles can be found not only in volumes published in the United States but also in Australia. Sister Shawn satisfied her love of language by learning French, Spanish, German, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Coptic.

Sister Shawn loved to teach. In her early years as a Benedictine sister, she taught in elementary schools in Bemidji, Red Lake Falls, and Mahtomedi. From 1972 to 1980, she taught French and religion at Mount Saint Benedict High School and also served as the director of ongoing formation for the monastic community. Before she even finished her dissertation, she accepted a teaching position at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.

She taught in the religion department and also accompanied students on several study semesters abroad. Due to her acquaintance with international scholars, students were amazed at her acquaintance with people from other countries. She told the story of a trip to Europe when the plane had an overnight layover in Reykjavik, Iceland. Sister Shawn had a friend who lived in Reykjavik, and the students were astounded. She also told the story of being with a group of students in Rome and meeting one of her friends on the way to lunch at McDonald’s. The students asked her if she knew someone in every country of the world. When Sister Shawn left Concordia in 2013, she received the honor of Professor Emerita. Sister Shawn was a member of several honor societies, notably Pi Delta Phi (for French), Phi Beta Kappa, Kappa Gamma Pi (for graduates of women’s colleges). She also won several awards for teaching and scholarship.

Sister Shawn also spent ten summers working with a summer renewal program in Rome for English-speaking Benedictine women. Sister Shawn also was involved with many Benedictine communities of men and women in the United States and even as far away as Australia! She was regarded highly by Benedictine and Scripture scholars in Europe, Australia, and the United States.

Most of all, Sister Shawn loved being a member of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. Sister Shawn recalled one time that she had met a sister who was also a college professor and, ‘First, a college professor,’ is how she introduced herself. This impressed upon Sister Shawn that FIRST, she would always be a sister and, secondly, a college professor.

Sister Shawn was asked the question, “What has brought you fulfillment in monastic life?”

She replied, “The expectations of monastic life: prayer, quiet, service . . . All of that I respond to. And the overall presumption that we’re all seeking God . . . that is what each of us is here for.” Sister Shawn loved all aspects of monastic life, but she especially loved the Liturgy of the Hours, prayer in common with the sisters. On many occasions, Sister Shawn shared her gift of scholarship with the sisters by giving talks on scripture and monastic topics

In January 2016, Sister Shawn became the prioress of the Sisters of Saint Benedict in Crookston, Minnesota. Sister Shawn had said that she never wanted to be involved in administration, but now she was fully involved. During her tenure as prioress, Sister Shawn walked with many sisters through illness, and for some, to their final destination with God.

Sister Shawn is preceded in death by her parents Francis and Milton Carruth. She is survived by her sister Kathleen (Ron) Holtan, her brother Richard (Patty) Carruth and the members of her Benedictine family.

The Mass for Christian Burial for Sister Shawn will be held at a later date after the restrictions mandated due to the COVID-19 virus have been lifted. Please remember Sister Shawn in your prayers.

Gifts in memory of Sister Shawn are preferred to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 520 Summit Ave, Crookston, MN 56716.

Editor's note: Final line added 3/30/20

Sister Dorothea Kripps, OSB

Benedictine Sister Dorothea Kripps, 104, died Jan. 9, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.

Dorothea Kripps, the first of three children born to Anton and Anne (Avenson) Kripps, was born in Park Rapids on June 27, 1915. She attended both elementary and high school there and was the class valedictorian. Sister Dorothea’s musical talent led to her being the parish organist at a young age. She was inspired to be a sister through her service as the organist. Each summer the pastor sent the choir girls to the Mount to witness the monastic receptions and professions. Mother Eustacia, always looking for women who might be called to Benedictine life, would go out of her way to greet them and talk with them.

Mother Eustacia’s hospitality and interest made an impression on Dorothea and influenced her to join the monastic community on August 16, 1934. Sister Dorothea was invested in the Benedictine habit on Feb. 10, 1935. She made her first monastic profession on Feb. 11, 1936, and her final profession on July 11, 1939.

Sister Dorothea attended Corbett College, Crookston; Alverno College, Milwaukee; St. John’s University, Collegeville, and the Sherwood Institute of Music in Chicago and other schools. From 1936-1976 Sister Dorothea taught music, played the organ, and directed choirs in Crookston, Bemidji, Mahnomen, Moorhead, and Benson. After 30 years in music ministry, she retired due to hearing loss. She then took classes in home nursing to become a certified nurse assistant and used her newly acquired skills at Villa Saint Vincent from 1976-1991. Both staff and residents appreciated Sister Dorothea for her kindness.

Sister Dorothea retired to the Mount, where she pursued her hobbies of stringing rosary beads, sewing, knitting, and being of assistance where needed in Good Shepherd Hall. Even in her old age, she remained a courteous and generous conversationalist, putting the other person at ease, and affirming each in turn.

Sister Dorothea was preceded in death by her parents Anna (Avenson) and Anton Kripps and siblings Basil Kripps and Elizabeth Rieden. She is survived by several relatives and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

Reception of the body of Sister Dorothea will be on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. with visitation from 5:30 until a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. The funeral will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. All services will be at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, 620 Summit Ave. Crookston, MN 56716. Interment will be in the Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery.

Gifts in memory of Sister Dorothea may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation.

Editor's note: On Jan. 13, the day of the funeral was corrected from Monday to Wednesday.

Sister Laurian Lasha, OSB

Benedictine Sister Laurian Lasha, age 90, died Jan. 2, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.

Mary Jane Phyllis Lasha was born in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, the last of five children born to Emery and Josephine (Morin) Lasha. When Phyllis was just a few months old, her parents moved to a farm near Red Lake Falls. She attended country school for seven years. When she was ready for eighth grade, her parents returned to Red Lake Falls, where she attended Saint Joseph School. She went two years at Lafayette High School before transferring to Mount Saint Benedict Academy in Crookston for her junior year.

During those two final years of high school, Phyllis was attracted to the Sisters of Saint Benedict and asked to join the community in 1946. Given the name of Sister Laurian when she entered the novitiate, she made her final profession in July 1951.

Sister Laurian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. In her early religious life, she had attended the Diocesan Teachers College in Saint Paul and had taken summer extension courses from the College of Saint Teresa, Winona, Minnesota.

Sister Laurian's teaching career began in Rosen, Minnesota, followed by years in Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Osseo, Barnesville, Crookston, and Red Lake Falls. She served as principal in Rosen, Cathedral Elementary in Crookston and Red Lake Falls. After earning her degree in library of science, she served as the librarian in Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks. During those years, she also taught algebra and journalism. She spent many years teaching summer vacation school as well as two summers with the migrant program and one as a nurses’ aide in Detroit Lakes.

In 1987 Sister Laurian began working in the public library in Crookston and became director of the library for 10 years preceding her retirement in 2000. She always said she didn't retire; she just changed jobs. Among the jobs she had while residing at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery was coordinating the meetings of a local peace group (Pax Christi), working as a receptionist, and maintaining the monastery archives. These were all assignments that she enjoyed.

Sister Laurian will be remembered for her unwavering commitment to her community, her passion for peace work, and her extraordinary attention to detail. Who else has the name of every student she has ever taught?

Preceding Sister Laurian in death were her parents, two sisters and two brothers and their spouses: Noella (Lawrence) Audette, Robert (Lorena) Lasha, Clement (Bernice) Lasha, and Doris (Leonard) Goulet. She is survived by several nieces and nephews, other relatives, and the members of her religious community.

Reception of the body of Sister Laurian will be at 5 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, with visitation until the 7 p.m. prayer service. Sister Laurian’s funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 6. All services will be held at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, 620 Summit Avenue, Crookston, MN 56716.

Memorials in honor of Sister Laurian Lasha may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation.

Deacon John Eisbrener

Deacon John Eisbrener, 92, of Trail, MN passed away peacefully on Nov. 5 at his residence with his loving family at his side.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8 at St. Bernard, Thief River Falls, with Father Rick Lambert presiding. Burial will be at St. Bernard’s Catholic Cemetery, Thief River Falls.

Visitation will be 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a 7 p.m. prayer service on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls and one hour prior to the service on Friday at St. Bernard’s Church. Military honors will be provided by the Ecklund-Holmstrom American Legion Post 117, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2793 and United States Navy Honor Guard.

Deacon John Michael Eisbrener was born March 30, 1927 on the farm at Trail, Minnesota to John and Agnes (Serocki) Eisbrener. John was baptized into the Catholic faith at St. Gertrude Catholic Church, Rhoda, Minnesota. He was confirmed by Bishop J. Peschges of the Crookston Diocese at Rhoda. He graduated from Lincoln High School, Thief River Falls in 1944 and attended Thief River Falls Teacher Training finishing the spring of 1945.

John joined the United States Navy in 1945 and served aboard the Battle Ship New Jersey during the occupation of Japan. He was discharged July 12, 1946.

The school year 1946-1947, he taught Oak Park School from 1947-48, he then taught at Solberg School and 1948-49, he taught Little Oak School all in Pennington County. The summer of 1949, he worked for Al Johnson Construction Company as bookkeeper while they were dredging the Red Lake River. In the fall of 1949, John entered Bemidji State Teacher’s College in Bemidji.

He was united in marriage to Darlene Marlys Hruby, June 9, 1951. John received his bachelor’s degree in November of 1951 and began teaching sixth grade in the Old Washington School, Thief River Falls, in December 1951. In July 1953, John was appointed Elementary Principal of Washington School. He received his Master of Education Degree, from University of North Dakota, Grand Forks in August of 1956. John was active in the Junior Chamber of Commerce, serving as Treasure, Secretary and President. He was also active in the American Legion, being elected Commander in 1962. In the summer of 1963, John moved his family to Plainview, Minnesota, where he accepted the position of Elementary Principal. In the summer of 1966, the family moved again, this time to Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota where John accepted the position of Director of Elementary Education. While in Inver Grove Heights, John was instrumental in getting a charter for a new American Legion Post. He served as Post Commander for two years and post adjutant for six years. During this time he also served as Department Oratorical Chairman for four years.

John retired in 1981 after 33 years in education. After retiring, he tried hobby farming for a couple of years, drove a mail route out of Goodridge, Minnesota, a courier route for Northern State Bank and worked for the Agriculture Department as a bin inspector. In 1993, John entered a program for deacon formation for the Catholic Church and was ordained a Deacon on June 30, 1996. The Bishop assigned John to St. Bernard’s Church, Thief River Falls. In the fall of 1998, the Bishop re-assigned John to the parishes of St. Ann’s in Blackduck, Minnesota, St. Patrick and St. Michael in Northome as Pastoral Administrator. In 2001, he submitted his resignation to full time ministry and was re-assigned back to St. Bernard in Thief River Falls, where he remained until his demise.

John is survived by his wife Darlene of more than 60 years, six children and their spouses: Michael (Clara) Eisbrener, Medellin, Columbia, Virginia (Steve) Royse, Mason City, Iowa, JoAnn Foust, Nebraska City, Nebraska, Mary Jo Derusha, South St. Paul, Minnesota, Fred (Terri) Eisbrener, Trail, Minnesota and Jeff (Lori) Eisbrener, Newton, Iowa; grandchildren: John (Alicia) Eisbrener, Madison, Wisconsin, Camilo Giraldo, Medellin, Columbia, Brian (Jessica) Royse, Mason City, Iowa, Dean (Melody) Royse, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ben Foust, Nebraska City, Nebraska, Jonathan (Sarah) Hruby, North Las Vegas, Nevada, Darla Hruby, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Colton Noble, Laramie, Wyoming, Emily (George) Weatherall, San Antonio, TX, Ellen (Sean) Derusha, South St. Paul, MN, Elaine (Jared) Erickson, Eagan, MN, Evan (Maria) Peters, Woodbury, Minnesota, Matt (Jenny) Eisbrener, Morresville, North Carolina, Michael (Pam) Eisbrener, St. Petersburg, Florida, Katherine (Rob) Evans, Clive, Iowa, Ryan Constant, Newton, Iowa and Dillon Constant, Newton, Iowa; great grandchildren: Melanie Eisbrener, Nathan Eisbrener, Zackary Royse, Bryson Royse, Lincoln Royse, Walter Royse, Xavier Foust, Isabel Foust, Ashland Hruby, Kendall Hruby, Brianna Chevez, McKenzie & Carly Erickson, Olive & Quinn Weatherall, Nora Evans, Elle & Cole Peters, Grayson & Gavyn Foust, Henry Eisbrener; great-great grandson, Quentin Foust. He is also survived by a sister, Agnes (Marv) Halverson and sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws, nieces, nephews and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Rita Schultz, brother, Raymond Eisbrener and brother-in-law Matt Schultz.

Family condolences may be sent to Johnson Funeral Service by clicking HERE.

Editor's Note: Updated with full obituary at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 6.

Sister Rosalia Fink, OSB

Benedictine Sister Rosalia Fink, 87, died on October 22, 2019 at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.
Caroline Catherine Fink was born in Britton, SD, of Julius and Emelia Fink. She was known as Carrie to her family. She attended Saint Michael’s School and Mahnomen High School.

Caroline and her sister, Joan, entered the Sisters of Saint Benedict in 1948. When they became novices and received the Benedictine habit, Caroline received the name Sister Rosalia, and Joan was named Sister Clarissa. They made their first monastic profession on July 4, 1949, and their final profession on July 11, 1953.

Sister Rosalia received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from the College of Saint Theresa in Winona, MN, and another bachelor’s degree in business education from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Sister Rosalia’s first teaching assignment was at Sacred Heart Grade School in East Grand Forks. She also taught elementary grades at the Cathedral in Crookston; Saint Jude’s in Mahtomedi, Saint Bernard’s in Thief River Falls, Saint Michael’s in Mahnomen, Saint Thomas in Asherton, TX, Saint Vincent’s in Osseo and secondary education in Asherton, TX, where she was the principal of the public high school, and Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks. In addition to teaching typing, accounting and business law for 14 years, she directed the cheerleaders and pom-pom girls. She rode over a hundred pep buses to out-of-town games in addition to attending all the home games. Sister Rosalia was known as an excellent educator, and she received a certificate as one of the outstanding educators of America in 1970.

After Sister Rosalia left Sacred Heart High School, she became the office manager for the business department at Mount Saint Benedict. In 1990, Sister Rosalia joined the staff of the Community Action Council of South Texas in Rio Grande City. While at CACST, she worked with almost 500 employees to help oversee care for the abused.

Sister Rosalia returned to Mount Saint Benedict in 2006, where she worked with the Community Supported Garden for three years.

Sister Rosalia felt called to return to Rio Grande City to establish a shelter for abused women. She was assisted by Sister Jeannine Spain. People from the locality formed a committee and named the project the South Texas Empowerment of Women Center.

From the beginning, the District Attorney tried to help by giving them property that had been confiscated from the drug cartel. The night before they were to begin cleaning the buildings, a small building was set afire, and the location was deemed too unsafe to occupy, so Sister Rosalia was back to square one. Another donor gave three acres for the shelter. Some people thought that transitional housing should be built first but Sister Rosalia saw the need for providing shelter for abused women and children. More than 90 people were served in the first year. Upon completion of the shelter the transitional housing unit was begun.

After the shelter opened its doors in 2016, and Sister Rosalia felt confident of its future, she returned to Mount Saint Benedict.

Sister Rosalia is preceded in death by her parents Julius and Emelia Fink, brothers Joseph and Peter, and sisters Barbara (Kersting) and Sister Clarissa. She is survived by many nieces and nephews and the members of her monastic community.

Reception of the body of Sister Rosalia will be on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. with visitation from 5:30 until a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. The funeral will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28, 2019. All services will be at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, 620 Summit Ave. Crookston, MN 56716. Interment will be in the Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery.

Gifts in memory of Sister Rosalia may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation.

Msgr. Donald H. Krebs

Msgr. Donald Krebs, 89, of Moorhead, MN, died Wednesday, September 11, 2019, in Essentia Health, Fargo, ND. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Dorothy (Krebs) Greene.

Donald Henry Krebs was born on November 24, 1929, in Bemidji, MN, to Henry and Gondeborg (Johnson) Krebs. His early education was at St. Philip’s School and Bemidji High School. After he graduated cum laude at the University of Notre Dame, he entered St. Paul Seminary for theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Crookston, MN, June 11, 1955, at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Bemidji.

After nine years at the Cathedral Parish in Crookston, and teaching religion, music and social studies in Cathedral High School, Father Krebs served parishes in Middle River, Strandquist, East Grand Forks, and Fisher, all Minnesota. He completed his M.A. in Theology at St. John’s University in 1971. He served at St. Joseph Parish in Moorhead from 1977 to 1981, and later from 1991 until 1999. While pastor of St. Joseph’s, he substituted as instructor in the religion department at Concordia College, and did adult education in diocesan parishes.

Being active in the continuing education of priests led him to serve as spiritual director for many priests’ retreats in dioceses of the United States, as well as retreats for seminarians and congregations of religious sisters. While pastor of the Crookston Cathedral Parish, 1981 to 1991, Father Krebs led in the acquiring for the parish of the Mount St. Benedict School building and in the construction of the new Cathedral Complex. He was named an honorary monsignor by the Church in 1990.

One year after retiring as pastor of St. Joseph’s in Moorhead in July of 1999, he began teaching in the formation faculty at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Milwaukee, WI, until retiring in 2008. Subsequently he provided sacramental ministry to parishes of the Dioceses of Crookston and Brownsville, Texas.

The visitation for Msgr. Krebs will be Monday, September 16, 2019, from 6 PM until 7 PM, with a Vigil Prayer Service at 7, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, Moorhead. His Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, at 11 AM, also in St. Joseph Catholic Church, Moorhead. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery, Moorhead, after donation to the University of North Dakota Medical School.

Memorials are preferred to St. Joseph’s Parish and School, Moorhead.

Arrangements by Korsmo Funeral Service, Moorhead.

Sister Petronilla Hermann, OSB

Benedictine Sister Petronilla Hermann 93, died August 16, 2019, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston, Minnesota.

Agnes Hermann was born in Georgetown, Minnesota on Nov. 30, 1925, the oldest girl of four of Andrew and Delia (Denery) Hermann. They had a brother a year older than Agnes. When Agnes was born on the feast of Saint Andrew, her parents considered naming her Andrea, but her baby brother was named Andrew, so the name Agnes was chosen instead.

Agnes attended Georgetown Elementary School (a two-room school) for eight years. Her high school years were spent at Mount St. Benedict High Academy in Crookston, Minnesota. After that, she entered the Sisters of Saint Benedict. Upon becoming a novice, she received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Petronilla. Her sisters Mary (Sister Olivia) and Angela (Sister Agatha) also became members of the community.

In 1944 the community enrolled her at Saint Cloud Hospital School of Nursing in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Upon graduation in 1947 she was assigned to active duty as a registered nurse for one year in the operating room, followed by 10 years as head nurse on the surgical floor first at Saint Vincent's Hospital, then at Saint Francis Hospital in Crookston.

In 1957 Sister Charitas Brophy, who was the hospital administrator, asked her to give up her beloved surgical nursing for one year to fill in as the director of St. Francis Hospital School of Practical Nursing. Sister Charitas was chair of the Mount Saint Benedict Personnel Committee 21 years later when Sister Petronilla requested to leave nursing. The committee granted her request.

Her years of nursing and nursing education were happy, fulfilling, and successful. As a nurse educator, she recruited a dedicated and efficient faculty, and a strong camaraderie developed.

When Saint Francis Hospital closed in 1970, so did the school of nursing, but Sister Petronilla and her staff became the core faculty hired by the public school system to direct the newly formed Agassiz Valley School of Practical Nursing. Sister Petronilla was the director of this program and was instrumental in developing a plan by which LPNs could work to become registered nurses without having to repeat classes common to both programs. When this plan was in place in 1979, Sister Petronilla felt called to retire from nursing.

After earning a Masters degree in spirituality/spiritual direction, Sister Petronilla was assigned to the formation department for one year and then to spiritual direction and to working with the spirituality component for the MSB Center Ministry Program.

Living at the Mount was a new experience for Sister Petronilla. The only other time was her novitiate year. Being able to engage in community life, especially the Liturgy of the Hours, was a gifted experience. When Sister Cathi Merck became prioress in 1999, she asked Sister Petronilla to accept the assignment of writing the intercessory prayers for the twice-daily Liturgy of the Hours. Sister Petronilla found that writing these prayers was a life-giving assignment and one that she fulfilled until 2012 when failing vision forced her retirement. Health issues were constant in Sister Petronilla's life. In 2010 she moved into Good Shepherd Hall, the community's Assisted Living Department, and she moved to Villa Saint Vincent in 2018.

Sister Petronilla enjoyed sewing. In any spare time, she was at her sewing machine, doing embroidery or crocheting. With failing eyesight, Sister Petronilla had to give up fine needlework but took up a new needlepoint craft with plastic canvas. Whenever she sent items to the Polk County Fair, she won blue or red honors for her crocheted and craft items.

Sister Petronilla was preceded in death by her parents Andrew and Delia Hermann, brother Andrew and sisters Helen Lutgens and Sister Olivia Hermann. She is survived by Sister Agatha Hermann, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.

Reception of the body of Sister Petronilla will be on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. with visitation from 5:30 until a prayer service at 7 p.m. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2019. All services will be at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, 620 Summit Ave. Crookston, MN 56716. Interment will be in the Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery.

Gifts in memory of Sister Petronilla may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation.

Sister Mary Jean Gust, OSB

Benedictine Sister Mary Jean Gust died on July 31, 2019, at Mount Saint Benedict, Crookston, Minnesota.

Sister Mary Jean was the third child of George and Julia Gust of rural East Grand Forks, Minnesota. She said that her childhood days were filled with peace. She loved school and loved to read. She also enjoyed weeding in the family garden, though not neglecting household chores. Sundays were special days of going to church and visiting with grandparents.

When sisters came to her family’s home asking for donations, they often brought a pail of Mount honey and one time brought small rosaries for the children. Mary Jean and her elder sister Margaret had the good fortune of attending high school at Sacred Heart in East Grand Forks and grew to love their teachers, the Benedictine sisters. They appreciated the dedication and interest that they had for each student. In 1946 Mary Jean was inspired to take steps to begin her life as a Sister of Saint Benedict, together with her older sister, Margaret.

Mary Jean and Margaret entered the community on June 24, 1946. They entered the novitiate and were invested with the Benedictine habit on March 19, 1947 and received their religious names. Mary Jean received the name Sister Ameliana, and Margaret became Sister Cornelia. Sister Ameliana later returned to her baptismal name, Sister Mary Jean. During her first years in the novitiate and juniorate, she grew in understanding the Divine Office and the monastic life. She didn’t really understand what meditation was about, but she did her best to practice it, even though she might fall asleep during the meditation period which she admitted was the Lord’s way of showing her she needed more rest.

Her education prepared her for teaching and administration of schools. After 18 years of teaching, she became principal at Sacred Heart Grade School, working with parents and students in a loving and supportive way. In 1978 Sister Mary Jean began serving as Director of Schools and Religious Education for the Diocese of Crookston. Under the leadership of Bishop Victor Balke, she served in that capacity for eight years. She put on thousands of miles visiting parochial schools in the rural Crookston Diocese. As such, she developed close relationships with numerous people across the far-flung diocese. She also served in the same capacity in the Fargo Diocesan Office and developed relationships there also.

A special opportunity presented itself when she was able to accompany Sister Karen Violette to Belgium to help a group of contemplative semi-cloistered Benedictine Sisters in their retreat and outreach programs. The year she spent there was blessed with spiritual and physical renewal.

When she returned from Belgium she began work at the Cathedral parish in Crookston, on staff with Deacon Denny Bivens, who introduced her to the parish needs and programs. The pastor at that time, Msgr. Roger Grundhaus, asked if she would consider going to Fertile to be a pastoral presence to the people in the parish and community and to assist him with his parish responsibilities. Sister Mary Jean was a presence not only to Catholics but to the entire community which is predominantly non-Catholic. After many years at Saint Joseph Church in Fertile, she realized that she needed to retire and return to the Mount in 2016 to tend to her failing health and live a more relaxed Benedictine monastic life.

Sister Mary Jean is preceded in death by her parents, George and Julia Gust, brothers Joseph, Robert, and Gerard and sister, Sister Cornelia Gust and sisters-in-law Rosemary, Alice and Risong. She is survived by her sister Betty Ann (Burnell) Skelton, brothers Timothy and Philip (Zenaida), sisters-in-law Susan and June Gust, many nieces and nephews and her Benedictine community.

Reception of the body of Sister Mary Jean will be on Sunday, August 11, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. with visitation from 5:30 until a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. The funeral will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 12, 2019. All services will be at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 702 Summit Ave. Crookston, MN 56716. Interment will be in the Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery.

Gifts in memory of Sister May Jean may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation.

Rev. Donald Bernard Braukmann

Fr. Donald Bernard Braukmann, 58, died on July 17, 2019 at Neilson Place, Bemidji Minnesota, after a long battle with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

Visitation will be from 5-7pm on Sunday, July 21, 2019 at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Bemidji, Minnesota, with a prayer service at 7pm. The funeral Mass for Fr. Don will be at 9:30 a.m., on Monday, July 22, 2019 also at St. Philip’s Catholic Church with visitation one hour prior to the service. A memorial service with burial will be at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at Fr. Don’s home parish in Butler, Minnesota (rural New York Mills). Arrangements were entrusted to the Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home, Bemidji.

Donald Bernard Braukmann was born on August 3, 1960 to John & Josephine (Hendrickx) Braukmann. He lived the first 18 years of his life on the family dairy farm and attended Holy Cross Catholic Church in Butler Township. It was there, in the parish he still loves, that he was Baptized, made his First Communion, was Confirmed and ordained a Deacon. He will be buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, next to his parents and those members of Holy Cross who nurtured his faith all his life.

Those who know Fr. Don know of his love for the farm, his home parish and his hometown. On this side of heaven, the area was always “home” no matter where he lived. Don graduated from New York Mills High school in 1978.

After high school graduation Fr. Don attended the University of Minnesota, Crookston (a 2 year school at the time) and became involved with events through the Diocese of Crookston, namely, Teens Encounter Christ, where his call to the priesthood came to life.

He entered St. John Vianney Seminary on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, the fall of 1980, graduating in 1982. In 1986, Fr. Don completed his studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois, and was ordained a Priest for the Diocese of Crookston at St. Henry’s Catholic Church in Perham, Minnesota, on March 15, 1986.

During his seminary years, in 1983, Fr. Don spent five months in the holy land which he said was 4 months and 28 days too long. He was a “Minnesota Boy” and was very homesick.

Over his 30 years as a priest for the Diocese of Crookston, Fr. Don first lived in Moorhead, serving St. Joseph’s Church from 1986-1990. From 1990-1996 he lived in Ada serving St. Joseph’s Church and during those six years also served St. Lawrence in Felton, Holy Family in Halstad, and St. John’s in Georgetown. From 1996-2004 he lived in Greenbush serving Blessed Sacrament Church along with St. Aloysius of Leo, St. Joseph of Middle River, St. Edward’s Karlstad and Assumption Church of Florian. From 2004-2011 he was at St. Mary’s in Warroad and served St. Philips Church of Falun, St. Joseph’s in Williams and Sacred Heart Church of Baudette during those years. From 2011 until retirement (because of ALS) on June 30, 2018, he served St. Philip’s Church, Bemidji, and St. Charles of Pennington.

Fr. Don’s passion for the pro-life cause is well known. He defended the right to life of each person from womb to tomb. He wrote a column in the Diocese of Crookston paper, “Our Northland Diocese,” for many years. Three books compiling his writing were produced during that time including: “As It Is In Heaven,” “Spoken Through the Prophets,” and “…He Took Flesh.”

Fr. Don was a faithful fan of the Minnesota Twins and even attended the second game of the World Series in 1991! The Minnesota Vikings disappointed him for years, including through four Super Bowls. To compensate, he was a New England Patriots fan once the Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs! Being with family and attending high school sporting and other events were his favorite hobbies.

Fr. Don was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Denis, all his grandparents, and all his aunts and uncles.

Remaining behind on this side of heaven are his siblings and their spouses: His sisters, Mary Ann (Albert) Jorgenson of rural Perham, MN; Karen (LeRoy) Haman of Bluffton, MN; and Janice (Dean) Huwe of rural New York Mills, MN. His brothers, Bob (Irene Sczygiel) of Detroit Lakes, MN and David (Laurine Abrahamson) of New York Mills, MN; sister-in-law Norleen (Dale) Braukmann of Duluth, MN. Fr. Don has 16 nephews and nieces, 35 great nephews and nieces and 2 great great nieces.

Memorials are preferred to Holy Cross Church Cemetery of Butler, Minnesota. Mailing address:

c/o 57189 Co. Hwy.62 New York Mills, MN 56567