Sr. Mary Esther Larkin
TEACHER, PRINCIPAL
Sister of Providence Mary EstherLarkin, 92, died Dec. 1 at MotherTheodore Hall, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. Born in Indiana, she
entered the congregation in 1932.
Sister Mary Esther served as a
teacher and principal in Indiana
and Illinois for 74 years. In the
Archdiocese of Chicago, she
taught at Immaculate Conception,
Norwood Park, 1935-37, and St.
Agnes, 1940-44.
Sr. Patricia Finerty
SOCIAL WORKER, SUPERIOR
Daughter of Charity Sister Patricia Finerty, 84, died Dec. 9. Born
in Iowa, she entered the
congregation
in 1938.
Sister Patricia
served as a
social worker,
administrator
and local superior
in Kentucky,
Illinois
and Indiana.
In Chicago,
she served as
administrator
and local superior
at Marillac
Social
Center, 1970-79, and an
administrator
and local superior at St.
Vincent DePaul Center, 1987-
1993.
Sr. Catherine Hinchy
EDUCATOR
BVM Sister Catherine Hinchy,
81, died Dec. 9 at Marian Hall,
D u b u q u e ,
Iowa. Born in
Chicago, she
entered the
congregation
in 1947. Sister
C a t h e r i n e
worked as a
teacher and
principal in
the Archdiocese
of Chicago
for 44
years. She
taught at Holy
Cross, 1960-61 and 1969-73, was
principal at Blessed Sacrament,
1961-67, administrator of St.
Laurence
Retreat House, 1980-92,
and on the staff of St. Agatha, St.
Laurence, St. Philip Neri and Our
Lady of the Westside Schools,
1992-2006. She also taught in
Tennessee and Iowa.
Sr. Estelle Novak
TEACHER, ADMINISTRATOR
BVM Sister
Estelle Novak,
90, died Dec.
8 at Marian
H a l l ,
D u b u q u e ,
Iowa. Born in
Chicago, she
entered the
congregation
in 1936. A
teacher and
administrator,
Sister Estelle
taught at Holy
Cross, 1939-46, Holy Name Elementary
School, 1951-53, and St.
Vincent, 1974-76.
Sr. Dorothy May Souligny
TEACHER
Sister of Providence Dorothy May Souligny died Dec. 12 at Mother
Theodore Hall, St. Mary-of-the-
Woods, Ind. Born in Indiana, she
entered the congregation in 1956.
Sister was an educator, teaching
in high schools and colleges in
Indiana,
Illinois, and Taiwan. In the
Archdiocese of Chicago, she
served at Providence High
School, New Lenox 1977-78, Our
Lady of the Roses for Special
Children, Chicago, 1995, and
Mother Theodore Guerin High
School, River Grove, 1995-96.
Sr. Claretta Burbine
TEACHER
Sister of Providence Claretta
Burbine,
96, died Dec. 4 at Mother
Theodore Guerin Hall, St. Maryof-
the-Woods, Ind. Born in Nova
Scotia, she entered the congregation
in 1928. Sister Claretta ministered
in schools in Indiana, Illinois,
North Carolina, Maryland,
New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
In the Archdiocese of
Chicago, she taught at St. Mel,
1932-34, St. Sylvester, 1935-36,
and St. Genevieve, 1951-54.
Sr. M. Ellen O’Connor
TEACHER
Sister of Providence Margaret
Ellen O’Connor, 89, died Dec. 3
at Mother Theodore Hall, St.
Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. Born in
South Bend, Ind., she entered the
congregation in 1934. A teacher,
Sister Margaret Ellen taught
grades 5 through 8 and was a
circulation
librarian at St. Mary-ofthe-
Woods College, Ind. In the
Archdiocese of Chicago, she
taught at St. Mel, 1937-38, St.
Andrew, 1964-67, Immaculate
Conception, 1968-74, and Mother
Theodore Guerin High School,
River Grove, 1974-81.
Sr. Renata Mish
TEACHER
School Sister of St. Francis Renata
Mish, 97, died Dec. 2 at Sacred
Heart Convent in Milwaukee.
Born in Indep
e n d e n c e ,
Wis., she was
received into
the School
Sisters of St.
Francis community
June
24, 1925 and
made profession
of vows
Aug. 21,
1932. Sister
Renata lived
her religious
ministry as a teacher, principal,
caregiver for older adults and as a
volunteer. In the Archdiocese of
Chicago, Sister Renata taught at
St. Benedict, 1941–1942, and
taught and was principal at St.
Nicholas, 1942 – 1946.
James E. Baumhart
BUSINESSMAN
James E. Baumhart, 66, died Nov.
12 at Loyola University Medical
Center, Maywood. Mr. Baumhart
began his career with the Better
Business Bureau in 1964 and
worked his way up to vice president
and then president.
Mr. Baumhart was a past president
of the Catholic Charities
Adoptive Parents Guild, emeritus
director of St. Benedict High
School, former president of the
Palos Heights Garden Civic
Association,
and vice chairman of
Marist High School.
Sr. Shirley Reilly
TEACHER
Dominican Sister Shirley Reilly,
86, died Dec. 5 at the Dominican
Life Center, Adrian, Mich. Born
in Winnebago, Sister Shirley entered
the Dominican congregation
in 1940. She spent 51 years
ministering
in education in Michigan,
Illinois and Florida. In the
Archdiocese
of Chicago, she served at
Regina Dominican High School,
Wilmette, 1960-63, Bishop Quarter
Academy, Oak Park, 1963-68,
St. Edmund, Oak Park, 1968-69,
and St. Robert Bellarmine, Chicago,
1989-92.
Sr. Dolores Smolke
TEACHER
Dominican Sister Dolores Smolke, 75, died Dec. 16 at the
Dominican Life Center, Adrian,
Mich. A teacher, she spent 24
years ministering in education in
Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Puerto
Rico and the Dominican Republic.
In Chicago, she was coordinator
for prevention education at the
Y.W.C.A in Chicago for three years.