Obituries - 8/1/04

Retired chicago priest

Father Walter Francis Somerville, 77, a retired priest of the archdiocese of Chicago, died July 19 of a stroke in Tucson, Ariz., where he lived since 2002. He had been retired from active ministry since 1997.

Father Somerville was a native Chicagoan whose 51 years of service included work as a chaplain for the Knights of Columbus and a moderator of Catholic scouting.

He attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette for three years before entering Quigley Preparatory Seminary in 1945. Samuel Cardinal Stritch ordained Father Somerville in 1953, following his philosophy and theology studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein.

For 13 years, beginning in 1953, Father Somerville was the assistant pastor at St. Mary of the Woods Parish on North Moselle Avenue.

He was assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish in Evanston and Our Lady of the Wayside in Arlington Heights for nine years and six years respectively before being named pastor of St. Edna in Arlington Heights in 1981.

For seven years, from 1985 to 1992, he was associate pastor of St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Niles. He retired in 1997 following a medical leave.

Sr. James M. Barry

teacher

Sinsinawa Dominican Sister James Mary Barry, 97, died July 18. Born in Belmond, Iowa, she was one of seven children.

Sister James Mary made her first religious profession in 1943, and her final profession in 1946.

She was a principal and elementary teacher for 25 years. From 1975 to 1987 she served as a high school secretary and finance officer. She then lived in community with her Dominican Sisters. She ministered in Iowa, Illinois, California, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister James Mary was principal at St. Giles School in Oak Park from 1961-67. She taught seventh grade at St. Thomas More School in Chicago from 1967-68.

From 1982-87, she was assistant secretary at Trinity High School, River Forest.

Sr. M. Gertrude Renaud

Served the elderly

Holy Spirit Missionary Sister Mary Gertrude Agnes Renaud, 78, died July 12 at Evanston Hospital. She was in the 46th year of religious life as a Holy Spirit Missionary Sister. Sr. Gertrude was from Trier, Germany, and joined the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters in 1956.

She came to the U.S. in 1959 with four other sisters. She is remembered for her many years of service to the elderly at St. Ann Home, Techny.

Sr. M. Henrilda Rademacher

Teacher/tutor

Sister of Christian Charity M. Henrilda (Cornelia) Rademacher, 90, died July 19 at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston.

Born in Westphalia, Mich., she entered the congregation in 1928 at the motherhouse in Wilmette. Two years later, in 1930, Cornelia became a novice and received the name Sister Henrilda.

After making her first vows in 1932, Sister Henrilda remained at the motherhouse to continue her studies. She made her final vows in 1937.

Sister served as a teacher. In the Chicago area her assignments included St Alphonsus, Prospect Heights, from 1976-78.

She taught English as a Second Language at Mallinckrodt College from 1978-79.

In 1979 Sr. Henrilda moved to Wilmette and taught part-time at St Joseph School. In 1983 she retired from the classroom, but continued tutoring there until 1986.

From 1986-93, Sr. Henrilda continued tutoring at Sacred Heart Convent in Wilmette. In 1993 she retired from teaching.

Sr. Teresita Pustaver

teacher

Benedictine Sister of Chicago Teresita Pustaver died July 15. She was a member of the community for 79 years.

Born in Waukegan, she was the first of 11 children. She entered St. Scholastica Monastery in 1924 at age 17. She made her perpetual profession of vows in 1929.

She served as a teacher and principal. In the Chicago area, she served at St. George (Wentworth), St. John Nepomucene, Queen of All Saints, St. Hilary and St. Symphorosa.

In addition to teaching, she often worked as parish sacristan and ministered within the Benedictine community as house superior at several parish convents.

After retiring from full-time classroom duties, she worked part time at Queen of All Saints.

She later served at St. Scholastica Academy as presider and tutor. She was also sacristan for the chapel in St. Joseph Court, the monastery infirmary.

After her retirement, she became a member of the Sisters’ Committee on Retirement Education at the monastery.

She joined Benedictines for Peace and took part in many letter-
writing campaigns to help bring about peace and justice.

She is survived by two sisters, Mary Mear and Betty Hamburger, and several generations of nieces and nephews.

Fr. William Dehler

teacher

Jesuit Father William A. Dehler, 92, long-time Loyola University Chicago professor of philosophy, died April 8. He would have celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood in June.

Born in Terre Haute, Ind., Father Dehler entered the Society of Jesus at Milford, Ohio, in 1931. He was ordained a priest in 1944.

Father Dehler’s career as a Jesuit was spent entirely in Jesuit education. In 1957 he began teaching philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, a position he kept for 20 years until his retirement in 1977. During his retirement, Father Dehler served at St. Peter Damian Parish in Bartlett.

Fr. Charles Ronan

Loyola professor

Jesuit Father Charles E. Ronan, author, and longtime Loyola University history professor died April 8 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago.

Born in Chicago in 1914, Fr. Ronan attended grade school at St. Mel’s in Chicago before moving west with his family to Villa Angela in St. Charles, Ill.

He graduated from Fox Valley Catholic High School in Aurora, Ill., in 1931 and entered the Jesuit novitiate at Milford, Ohio, less than a year later. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1945.

He was a teacher of English and Latin at Loyola Academy in Wilmette from 1941-42. He returned there in 1949 to teach Spanish.

Following doctoral studies in history at the University of Texas, he was assigned to Loyola University Chicago, where he served as a professor of history until 1960. In 1963 he returned to teaching history at Loyola and served in that capacity until he retired from full-time teaching in 1984.

In 1967 and again in 1976 Father Ronan taught history at Loyola University’s Rome Center.

Father Ronan is survived by his sisters, Mary Essig of St. Charles, Ill., and Elizabeth Webb of Plymouth, Wis., and his brother, Edward Ronan of St. Charles.

Sr. Mary Ruth Seaman

special educator

Felician Sister Mary Ruth Susan Seaman, 65, died June 9.

Born in Oshkosh, Wis., she was a member of the Felician Sisters for 48 years.

She was a teacher. In the Archdiocese of Chicago, she served at St. Mary Magdalen; St. John of God; Our Lady of Ransom; St Turibius; Our Lady of the Gardens; St. Helen; and Misericordia North.