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Obituaries

Pray For Them

Sr. M. Valentine Maraczewska

EDUCATOR, PRINCIPAL

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth M. Valentine Maraczewska, 91, a longtime teacher and school principal, died Sept. 4 at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

Chicago native, her long career as an educator took her to Catholic schools in Chicago and Neenah, Wis., teaching fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades. The founding principal of St. Emily School in Mt. Prospect, Sister Valentine also served as principal of Holy Family Academy, Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Camillus schools, all in Chicago. After Sister Valentine retired from the archdiocesan school system, she served 18 years on the staff of St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center, Chicago.

She is survived by her brother, Father Edward Maraczewski.

Sr. Joseph Patrice Shea

TEACHER

Sister of Providence Joseph Patrice (Patricia) Shea, 84, died Sept. 4.

Born in Galesburg, Ill., she taught in Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina and California for 49 years, then worked on the staff of a retreat center. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Athanasius School in Evanston from 1956-59.

he is survived by a sister, Ruthmarie Leone.

Sr. Evangelita Hughes

EDUCATOR

BVM Sister Evangelita Hughes, 87, died Sept.10, in Dubuque, Iowa.

She graduated from Holy Family Elementary and High School, Glendale, Cal., and entered the BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1938. Sister Evangelita taught at Our Lady Help of Christians, 1941-48; Annunciation, 1948-49; and Mary Queen of Heaven, Cicero, 1967-68. She was also an educator in Iowa, California and Hawaii.

Sister Evangelita was born March 31, 1920 in Mason City, Iowa to Patrick and Bridget Boyle Hughes.

Sr. Ann Veronica Wall

TEACHER

Sister of Providence Ann Veronica (Gertrude Olive) Wall, 97, died Sept. 1.

Born in Massachusetts, Sister Ann Veronica entered the Sisters of Providence in 1931 and taught 49 years at schools in Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Maryland and Massachusetts.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows (1934), Maternity BVM (1959-60) and St. Mel-Holy Ghost (1960-63).

Sr. Marie Ralph Braun

CULINARY ARTIST, HEALTH CARE WORKER

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Marie Ralph Braun died Sept. 1 in Sinsinawa, Wis.

In the archdiocese, Sister Marie Ralph was a culinary artist at St. Barnabas Convent, 1957-1961; St. Basil Convent, 1961-1964; St. Cajetan Convent, 1964-1965; St. Giles Convent, Oak Park, 1965-1968; St. Thomas More Convent, 1968-1971; and Queen of Peace Convent, Burbank, 1980-1984.

Sister Marie Ralph ministered at Little Company of Mary Hospital, Evergreen Park, as an operating room aide, 1972-1973, and in the home health care field until 1980. She served at St. Barnabas School, Evergreen Park, as a volunteer, 1973-1980, and as an office aide, 1985-1997.

Sister Marie Ralph is survived by one sister, Helen Liss.

Sr. Mary Agnese Bowden

NURSE

Franciscan Sister Mary Agnese Bowden, 94, died July 24.

She was baptized as Ada Agnes, and attended Cornell Public and St. Francis de Paula Schools before graduating from Mercy High School in 1932.

She entered the congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent, Clinton, Iowa, in 1934.

Sister Agnese attended Mount St. Clare College, Clinton, and taught eighth grade for one year before entering nurse’s training. She did post-graduate work at Mercy Hospital, Chicago. She held nursing certification for Iowa and Illinois, and was a Fellow Member of the American Nursing Home Administrators.

Sister Agnese ministered in nursing for 50 years at hospitals and nursing homes in Iowa and Illinois. She served at Mercy Hospital in Chicago from 1977 until retiring from active ministry in 1988 and moving to Mount St. Clare Convent.

Sr. M. Benita Zarnowska

TEACHER

Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth M. Benita Zarnowska, 89, long-time elementary teacher, died Sept. 14 at Nazarethville in Des Plaines.

A Chicago native, Sister Benita entered the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1933 from St. Joseph Parish on Hermitage Ave. She graduated from the Holy Family Academy extension in Des Plaines and taught in Catholic elementary schools in Chicago, Harvey and South Bend, Ind., from 1935 to 1983. She is remembered as the sister who explained the children’s lessons with stories.

Sister Benita continued to teach at St. Josaphat, St. Michael and Immaculate Heart of Mary, and St. Hedwig parishes in Chicago. In 1993, she moved to St. Ann Parish, where she tutored students until 1997 when she retired.

Sr. Marie Saffert

TEACHER, COUNCILOR

Sister of Christian Charity Marie Saffert, 94, died Sept. 26 in Evanston.

A Minnesota native, she entered the congregation in 1931. She taught at St. Gregory Grade School from 1935-37 and St. Gregory High School from 1944- 1952.

An assignment to an SCC school in Rome followed. Returning in 1966, Sister Marie worked for a year at Maria Immaculata Academy and Mallinckrodt College as a substitute teacher. She taught at Notre Dame School in Clarendon Hills from 1967-1969 and St. Alphonsus in Prospect Heights from 1975-78.

In 1978 Sister Marie was sent again to Rome as a general councilor. In 1983, Sister Marie was transferred to the motherhouse in Wilmette. Sister Marie retired in 1993, and moved to Sacred Heart Convent where she spent the next four years occasionally tutoring students.