THE RECONNECT
A newsletter for former Clinton Franciscans - Fall 2016
Reunion Weekend with the Clinton Franciscans
Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Sisters of St. Francis
We were elated to celebrate our 150th anniversary with many former sisters, alumni and friends at the reunion
weekend held in Clinton Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2. We were grateful to reminiscence on
our times from the past, as well as catch up with what’s going on in the present. We appreciated all those who
traveled any distance – short or long – to spend time with us. Thank you for making our anniversary celebration one
to remember!
Donna (Lock) McGehee, formerly
Sister Donna 1967, with Sister Teresa
Kunkel at the Friday evening social.
Sister Maria Zeimen stands with Joan
(Ruebush) Frohne, formerly Sister
Miriam 1960, and Geraldine
(McCabe) Pate, formerly Sister
Francine 1960, as they show off their
new special edition t-shirts.
Sisters of St. Francis
Ann (Vaessen) Butler, formerly Sister Kristen
1965, and Kathy (McKenna) Curran,
formerly Sister Shannon 1963, share a laugh.
Sally Flanagan, formerly Sister
Leo Marie 1954, with Kathleen
Gutierrez, formerly Sister Juanita
1959, and Pat Moran, formerly
Sister Jude Mary 1958.
Pat (Donahue) Knabel,
formerly Sister Patricia
1967, with a double take
of Sister Pauline Logsdon.
Sister Jackie Herrmann, Sister Gael
Gensler, Janet (Theiss) Wright,
formerly Sister Gilbert 1963, Joelyn
(Huber) Olen, formerly Sister Joelyn
1963, and Peg O’Herron, formerly
Sister Noreen 1964.
843 13th Avenue North, Clinton, Iowa 52732
563-242-7611
Page 2
Donna (Sondgeroth) Cleavelin,
formerly Sister Donna 1976, with
Sister Kathleen Holland in front
of The Canticle on Saturday.
Luanne Schinzel, formerly
Sister Luanne 1957, with
Sister Gael Gensler and
friend, Trudy Portewig.
Sister Francis Burke, Sister Janet Ryan, Sister
Pauline Logsdon and Sandy Jacobs, formerly
Sister Robert Ann 1965.
Joan (Olberding) Godbersen, formerly
Sister Rose Anthony 1964, Sister LaVern
Olberding, Sojourner Julie Fawley, and
Barbara (Batista) Stoffel, formerly Sister
Angeline 1961, at Saturday’s dinner.
The musicians during Mass on Sunday included Sister Joyce
Zarnik, Sister Ruth E. Westmoreland, Ellen (Mishur) ZethmayrLolakos, formerly Sister Miriam Rose 1961, Sister Marjorie
Wisor, Sister Judy McKenna, Sister Teresa Kunkel, Ellen (Theiss)
Flores, formerly Sister Pius 1953, Sister Joan Theiss and
Sister Sarah Martz.
We welcome you to submit your reunion
weekend highlights, or any news you’d like to
share, for the spring edition of the Reconnect.
You can mail them to the address on the
bottom of the front page, or email Amanda at
[email protected].
Sister Marilyn Huegerich, Eleanore (Birmingham)
Kilcoyne, formerly Sister Mary James 1948, Father
John Haugen, Sister Jan Cebula and Sister
Kathleen Holland pose for a photo. Father
Haugen is the nephew of Eleanore and served as
the presider at Sunday’s Mass.
“And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.”
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In memoriam
Sister Bertha (Rupert) Zeiser - 1911 to 2016
Sister Bertha Zeiser, age 105, passed away June 14, 2016. Sister Bertha was born February 25,
1911 in Browns, IA, the eldest of four children of Frank and Loretta (Fier) Zeiser. She was
baptized Bertha Marie on March 5, 1911. Bertha attended St. Joseph Elementary School in
Browns, and graduated from Mount St. Clare Academy in 1928.
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent,
Clinton, IA, on July 7, 1929, and received the name Mary Rupert at her reception on April 22,
1930, later resuming her baptismal name. She made her first profession of vows on June 20,
1932, and her final profession on June 19, 1935. Her novitiate classmates were Sisters
Catherine Coupé, Laurita Morehead, Mark Hayne, Aloysius Leonard, Helene McConohy,
Monica Rice, Imogene Thoma, Mary Lacy, André Gehant, Thomasella Walsh, Aidan Ryan, and Leonard Temple.
Sister Bertha earned an A.A. degree from Mount St. Clare College in 1931; a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in
mathematics from DePaul University, Chicago, IL; and an M.A. in mathematics from Catholic University,
Washington, D.C. She held Secondary Professional Teaching and Administration Certificates for Iowa and
Nebraska, and was a member of the National Association for Secondary School Principals and the American
Mathematical Society.
Sister Bertha was a high school math and religion teacher, serving as principal for 14 years. She taught at Mount
St. Clare Academy for a total of 33 years. Earlier, Sister Bertha taught grade school at St. Francis de Paula,
Chicago, IL, and high school at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Fonda, IA; St. John, Victor, IA; and St. Ann,
Lexington, NE. She also served as director of the congregation’s temporary professed sisters from 1962-1965.
After retiring from full-time classroom teaching in 1980, she assisted the Clinton Community College English as a
Second Language Program for five years, working with adult Southeast Asian refugees. Her last mission was in
Reedley, CA, where she served as receptionist at St. Anthony Parish, 1985-1995.
Sister Bertha retired in 1995 and tutored a L’Arche Clinton core member until the fall of 2010. She moved to The
Alverno in March, 2012, where she resided until her death on June 14, 2016.
She is survived by several cousins, three generations of nieces and nephews, and by her Clinton Franciscan Sisters
with whom she shared life for 87 years.
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Sister Marie de Lourdes Davenport - 1924 to 2016
Sister Marie de Lourdes (Bertha Louise) was born on May 14, 1924, in Peoria, Illinois, the
only child of Jesse D. and Frances E. (Miller) Davenport. A convert to Catholicism, she was
baptized at St. Paul Church, Burlington, Iowa, on June 15, 1944.
Bertha attended elementary and high school in Roseville, Illinois, graduating in 1943. After
graduation, she entered Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, Burlington, Iowa. She received
her Diploma in Nursing in 1946, and her R.N. in 1947. She held nursing certification for
Iowa and Illinois.
Bertha attended Mount St. Clare College after entering the congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis at Clinton,
Iowa, on September 8, 1948. She received the name Marie de Lourdes at her reception June 20, 1949. She made
her first profession on August 12, 1951, and her final profession on August 13, 1954. Her novitiate classmates
were Sisters Mary Paul Hummer, Karlene Hughes, Rosalie Noder, Michelle Cale and Eleanore Birmingham
Kilcoyne.
Sister Marie de Lourdes ministered in the health care field for 28 years. In Clinton, she served at the former
Mount Alverno Home for the Aged in 1951-1952. For fifteen years, she served as a general duty nurse in health
care facilities then owned and staffed by the Clinton Franciscan congregation: St. Francis Hospital, Grinnell, Iowa;
Mercy Hospital, Burlington, Iowa; and St. Francis Hospital, Macomb, Illinois. In 1967, she was assigned to
Freeport, Grand Bahama, in the Bahama Islands where she served in public health nursing until retiring from
active nursing duty in 1979. She returned to Mount St. Clare Convent and served for more than 20 years as driver
for Sisters living in Clinton.
She moved with her Franciscan sisters to their new residence, The Canticle, in 1997 and retired there in 2003
where she greeted people and answered the telephone in the reception office. In her spare time she enjoyed
reading, playing games, and putting together jigsaw puzzles.
Sister Marie de Lourdes died at the Alverno on August 31, 2016, after a short illness. She was preceded in death by
her parents and is survived by the members of her Clinton Franciscan Family.
ADVENT RETREAT
Deepen your understanding of what living mercy means in everyday situations
at our Advent Retreat on Saturday, December 3 at The Canticle from
8:30am - 3:00pm. Please register by November 28. Suggested $25 donation
includes lunch. Overnight accommodations are available at The Canticle.
Sister Nancy Miller, Spirituality Director for the Franciscan Peace Center, will
facilitate this retreat. She collaborates with Martha’s Committee members
Sisters William McCue, Eileen Golby, Kathy Sadler, Joan Theiss, Teresa
Kunkel and Sojourner Gabriela Egging.
“We are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us. Pardoning offenses
becomes the clearest expression of merciful love, and for us Christians it is an imperative from
which we cannot excuse ourselves.” - Pope Francis
SHIRTS AVAILABLE
Interested in a 150th Anniversary logo
polo shirt? Extras are available on a
first come, first serve basis for $15.00.
Men’s
L - Light Blue
L - Aqua Blue
L - Aqua Blue
Women’s
L - Lavender
XL - Light Blue
XXL - Light Blue