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Obituaries

Pray For Them

Sr. Hortense Marie Ponthieux

TEACHER, SACRISTAN

Daughter of Charity Sister Hortense Marie (Marie Hortense) Ponthieux, 98, died in Evansville, Ind., Nov. 13.

A Louisiana native, Sister Hortense Marie was one of 13 children. She entered the Daughters of Charity in 1928.

She was a teacher for much of her ministry, serving in Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri, as well as Chicago.

She taught at St. Patrick School from 1955 until it closed in 1970, then served as sacristan at St. Patrick until her retirement in 1997, when she moved to Evansville.

Sister Hortense Marie is survived by a brother, Cleveland, of New Orleans, and nieces and nephews.

Sister Patricia Riley

TEACHER

Adrian Dominican Sister Patricia (Anne Charlotte) Riley, 88, died Nov. 25 in Adrian, Mich.

Sister Patricia ministered as a teacher in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky in addition to Illinois, and later worked as a retreat coordinator, receptionist, pastoral minister and coordinator of social concerns.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she taught at St. Kilian (1949- 50); St. Laurence (1950-53); and Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette (1959-62, 1968-70).

Sister Patricia is survived by nieces and nephews.

Sr. Florence Metz

TEACHER

School Sister of St. Francis Florence (Medulapha) Metz, 89, died Nov. 26 in Milwaukee.

Sister Florence lived her religious ministry as a teacher and house manager in Illinois, New York and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Florence taught at St. Peter School, Skokie (1940-46) and at St. Cyprian School, River Grove (1957-58).

Sister Florence is survived by her sisters Victoria Meyer and Anna Marie Neitzel and nieces and nephews.

Sr. Marie Colette Ryan

FIRST-GRADE TEACHER

Sinsinawa Domincan Sister Marie Colette Ryan, 81, died Nov. 28 in Sinsinawa, Wis.

She taught first grade for 59 years, serving in Illinois, California, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and New Jersey.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Marie Colette taught at Epiphany (1948-59) and St. Cajetan (1970-78).

She is survived by five sisters, including Dominican Sisters Sabina Ryan and Nora Ryan, Imelda McMillin, Mary Rehan, and Virginia Garner; four brothers, including Thomas Ryan, Jesuit Father James Ryan, George Ryan, and John Ryan; and nieces and nephews.

Sr. Leonta Mainz

HOMEMAKER

School Sister of St. Francis Leonta Mainz, 89, died Dec. 5 in Milwaukee.

Sister Leonta was a homemaker and as a support staff person in Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Leonta served as a homemaker at St. Matthias Convent (1950-58); at St. Joseph Convent, Waukegan (1958-61); and St. Joseph Convent, Summit (1961-63).

Sister Leonta is survived by her sister Romilda Hawley, nieces, nephews, friends, and the School Sisters of St. Francis.

Mrs. Irene Hurley

MOTHER OF PRIEST

Mrs. Irene T. Hurley, born Irene Hullinger, died Dec. 6. She is survived by her children, Nancy Reynolds, Father John (“Jack”) Hurley, James, William and Debra Bularzik.

Sr. Ethelrita Nitzki

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR

Daughter of Charity Sister Ethelrita (Ethel Rita) Nitzki, 74, died Dec. 7 in Evansville, Ind.

Sister Ethelrita was a Chicago native who entered the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis in 1958.

Sister Ethelrita worked in the health services of the community in the business office, working in hospitals in Alabama, Indiana and Texas.

After completing a degree in business administration in 1970, Sister Ethelrita worked in the congregation’s offices, served as the provincial treasurer and was assigned to several hospital business offices. She retired to a ministry of prayer in 2003.

She is survived by her brother, Raymond, and her sister, Marie Wingels.

Fr. Edward Wald

MISSIONARY, EDUCATOR

Divine Word Father Edward Wald, 86, died Dec. 9 in Techny.

He followed his older brother, John, in becoming a Divine Word Missionary. Father John Wald died in May.

For more than two decades, he taught scores of future Divine Word brothers and priests at seminaries in Massachusettes, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In 1971, when the working farms were no longer needed, Father Wald spent six months studying at the Society of the Divine Word Tertiate at Nemi, Italy, near Rome.

He served in a variety of ministries upon returning to the United States. Father Wald is survived by his brother Alex and two sisters, Mary Bujnovsky and Ann Ziegler.