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Obituaries

Pray For Them

Sr. Francha Schlinsky

MUNDELEIN COLLEGE BVM

Sister Francha Schlinsky, 98, died Jan. 6 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Sister Francha ministered in food service at Mundelein College from 1942-52. She also served at Mt. St. Gertrude, Boulder, Colo.; and Marian Hall, Dubuque, Iowa, where she was also sacristan.

Born in Cherry, Ill., she attended Cherry Public Schools and Whites National College and did clerical work before entering the BVM congregation in 1939 from Sacred Heart Parish, Chicago.

Margaret Dolan McLennon

VOLUNTEER, PHILANTHROPIST

Margaret Dolan McLennon, the 1978 Recipient of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Women’s Parish Award, died Jan. 7 at age 94.

A Chicago native, she was married for 40 years to John “Jack” McLennon, the founder and owner of the McLennon Pen Company. Together, they had seven children and for five years also raised the son of family friends, when the 10-day-old boy’s mother died.

Mrs. McLennon spent the major part of her life serving nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping young women advance their education and overcome poverty.

Mrs. McLennon was known nationwide for contributing productions of her unique fashion show to charities for fundraising purposes. “A Review and Preview of Women’s Fashion” entertained audiences for 45 years.

She is survived by her children: Peggy Curran, Sister of St. Joseph Patricia McLennon, Dolores Kennedy, John McLennon, Mary Beth Fox, Rita McLennon and William McLennon. She is also survived by her brother, James Dolan, Thomas Cronin who spent part of his childhood being raised by Margaret and Jack McLennon, 20 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren.

Deacon Claude Hensley

ORDAINED IN 1976

Deacon Claude R. Hensley, 72, of La Grange Park, died Jan. 16 at home after a long illness. He was ordained a deacon May 22, 1976, and served at Mary Queen of Heaven and St. Anthony parishes in Cicero. He is survived by his wife, Pat; children Lori Incavo, Jason Hensley and Joshua Hensley; and grandchildren Stephanie Metido, Johnny Metido, Lily Lockwood, Zack Timke, Aliscia Hensley and Joshua Hensley Jr.

Sr. Carolann Ripperger

HOMEMAKER

School Sister of St. Francis Carolann (Felixina) Ripperger, 95, died Jan. 16 in Campbellsport, Wis.

An Iowa native, she was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1920.

Sister Carolann was a homemaker in Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri and Minnesota. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Carolann served as a homemaker at St. Benedict Convent (1920-21); St. Philomena Convent (1922-23); St. Clara Convent (1928-29); Our Lady of Victory Convent (1929-30); St. Peter Convent, Skokie (1931 and 1946- 47); Our Lady of Good Counsel Convent (1947-50); St. Mary Convent, Buffalo Grove (1954- 55); St. Cyprian Convent in River Grove (1962-63); and St. Benedict LaFarge Unit in Chicago (1970-71).

Sister Carolann is survived by her sister Martha Dreyling and her brother James Ripperger.

Sr. Cecilianne Broton

TEACHER, LIBRARIAN

Sister of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis Cecilianne Broton, 91, died Jan. 17 at St. Alexius Medical Center Hospital in Hoffman Estates.

Sister Cecilianne, a native of East Chicago, Ind., entered the congregation in 1935. She taught in schools in the Chicago area and in Indiana for 20 years. She earned a degree in library science, and became a librarian and college professor. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Cecilianne served at St. Mary of Perpetual Help (1938-46); Immaculate Conception (1946-50); St. Mary of Czestochowa, Cicero (1950-52); St. Barbara (1953-59); Lourdes High School (1959-63); and Immaculata Convent, Bartlett (1985- 86).

Sister Cecilianne had been living at Clare Oaks Assisi Health Care Center in Bartlett.

Sr. Dorothy Hwopek

TEACHER, PRINCIPAL, LAWYER

Sister of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis Dorothy Hwopek, 77, died Jan. 17 at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village.

Sister Dorothy, a Chicago native, entered the congregation in 1945. She became a teacher and organist at parishes in Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, Nebraska and Delaware for the next 20 years. In 1984, she returned to Chicago and taught parttime at Daley College before being named principal at Holy Name Cathedral High School.

Sister Dorothy was elected to the provincial board of Immaculata Province in 1986. When her term ended in 1990, she enrolled in law school at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. She was the first SSJ-TOSF to become a lawyer. She had a private practice in Chicago and worked with the Cook County courts on juvenile cases. She continued her legal work for eight years until her retirement in 2000.

Sr. Esther Diaz

OLDEST DAUGHTER OF CHARITY

Sister Esther Diaz, Daughter of Charity, 108, died Jan. 19 at Seton Residence in Evansville, Ind.

Sister Esther was a Brooklyn native. In 2008, Sister celebrated her 90th Jubilee after her 108th birthday, which made her the oldest Daughter of Charity in the world.

Sister Esther joined the Daughters in 1918 in St. Louis, Mo. Her first mission was at St. Vincent School in San Francisco. In 1925, Sister Esther went to Poyang, China, to care for orphaned children at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Mission. Because of political conditions in China, she had to return to the States in 1927 and was sent to teach at St. Joseph School in New Orleans.

Sister Esther left the country again to teach at Immaculate Conception Academy in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, from 1931-1933. After returning to the United States, she resumed teaching at St. Joseph in New Orleans and completed a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and English in 1936. Beginning in 1942, Sister Esther taught at St. Vincent High School, San Francisco; St. Patrick High School, Chicago; and Cathedral School in Natchez, Miss. In 1971, Sister Esther was appointed assistant provincial treasurer, serving in Chicago and later in Evansville, Ind.

In September 1972, Sister Esther was missioned to St. Patrick Center in Chicago, where she served as the local superior, until she went into semi-retirement in 1975.

At that time, Sister Esther moved back to Mater Dei Provincial House in Evansville. She moved to Seton Residence in 1991, where she took part in the Ministry of Prayer until she died.

Father Leo Hotze

MISSIONARY, ADMINISTRATOR

Father Leo Hotze, 92, a Divine Word Missionary who served two terms as provincial superior, died Jan. 18 in Techny.

A Missouri native, he was the fifth of nine children, five of whom took religious vows. His brothers Alphonse and Clement also served as Divine Word Missionaries.

Father Leo Hotze entered the Society of the Divine Word in 1938 and was ordained in 1943. His assignments included teaching math, speech, music and English at Divine Word seminaries in Epworth, Iowa, and at Techny. At the schools, he nurtured the choirs, bands and orchestras and enjoyed conducting.

In 1948, he earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Chicago. A year later, his superiors chose him to establish the Brother Candidate High School and trade programs at Techny, the first program developed specifically for boys ages 14 to 18 who wished to become religious brothers.

Father Hotze served as vocation director from 1951-58 and 1967- 71. In the 1960s, the governing body in Rome twice named him to head the Eastern Province. As provincial superior, he oversaw territory that spanned from the Province of Quebec through the Eastern seaboard of the United States and included six seminaries and three mission centers.

Beginning in 1972, Father Hotze coordinated appeals for the Divine Word Mission Center. He also served as chaplain for the Knights of Columbus councils in Glenview and Northbrook and organized a prayer group that met at the Holy Spirit Chapel at Techny Towers.

He is survived by three sisters: School Sisters of Notre Dame Mary Clarea Hotze and Mary Helen Hotze and Angela Ann Hotze.

Sr. Victoria Marie Ziegler

HOMEMAKER, SACRISTAN

School Sister of St. Francis Victoria Marie (Victuaria) Ziegler, 90, died Jan. 20 in Campbellsport, Wis.

A Wisconsin native, she joined the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1935.

Sister Victoria Marie was a homemaker, dietary assistant and sacristan in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served as a homemaker at St. Joseph Convent in Wilmette (1936-40) and at St. Peter Convent in Skokie (1948-49).

Sister Victoria Marie is survived by her brother Jonas Ziegler.

Sr. Elizabeth Clare Schindler

AQUINAS ALUM, PROVINCIAL

Adrian Dominican Sister Elizabeth Clare (Florence Marie) Schindler, 84, died Jan. 24 in Adrian, Mich.

A Chicago native, she graduated from Aquinas High School. Sister Elizabeth Clare spent 38 years ministering in education in Detroit; Wilmette, Ill.; Oakland, San Francisco and Oceanside, Calif.; and Des Moines, Iowa. She was provincial at St. Dominic Provincial House in Hometown (1976- 82).

Sr. Gertrude Marian Bauer

TEACHER, PRINCIPAL

Sister Gertrude Marian (Marie Cecilia) Bauer, 96, died Jan. 24 in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

An Indianapolis native, she entered the congregation in 1927. She served as a teacher and principal for 52 years before serving as administrator of Providence Hall in St. Mary-of-the-Woods.

In the archdiocese of Chicago, she ministered at St. Mel (1930- 31, 1936-37), St. Leo (1931-34, principal 1955-58), Our Lady of Sorrows (1941-422), Our Lady of Mercy (1942-44), St. Genevieve 1944-49), St. Mel-Holy Ghost principal (1945-51) and Maternity BVM (1960-65).

She is survived by a brother, James Bauer.