Sister M. Daniella Kuhn, SSND

Mankato Mortuary 1001 N. Riverfront Drive Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 388-2202 Our beloved Sister M. Daniella Kuhn, 96, died peacefully at 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, in Notre Dame Health Care, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mankato, Minnesota. In February, she was diagnosed with a serious heart defect and entered Hospice shortly after the diagnosis. Her question of these past weeks, "When is Jesus coming?" has been answered. Her sister, Sister Mary Alene, SSND, who faithfully attended to Sister Daniella, was with her when she died. The funeral Mass for Sister Daniella, with Father Eugene Stenzel as presider, will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 21, in Good Counsel Chapel, Mankato, followed by burial in our cemetery. A prayer service will be held at 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, followed by visitation until the time of the funeral liturgy. We extend our sympathy to her sister, Sister Mary Alene, her nieces and nephews and their families, her friends, former colleagues, and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel and Frances (Stroh) Kuhn; her sisters, Sister Mary George, SSND (Theresa); Sister M. Dora, SSND (Catherine); Magdalen Nolz, Sister Mary Ann Welder, OSB; Benita Mitzel; and Lucille Richter; and her brothers Pius, Gabe and Al. Sister Daniella described her birth: "I was born on October 30, 1918, about twelve miles south of Kintyre, North Dakota, a half-block from St. Boniface church. My parents, Daniel and Frances Kuhn, my brother and five sisters welcomed me into our happy family." At her baptism, she received the name Lavina. Her parents were German Russian immigrants who came to the United States prior to the Russian Revolution. Her father was a member of the Czar's Royal Guard and had been warned that a revolution was developing. In addition to operating a store in Hague, North Dakota, Daniel was a music teacher (Lawrence Welk was one of his pupils) and the parish catechist. Sister Daniella commented that she went to public school, a block from her home, but "during the summer months we attended Religious Vacation School where the instructor was none other than my own dear, loving dad. It was he who prepared me and all the children of the parish for the reception of the sacraments." Sister Daniella remembered that when her two older sisters left home to join the School Sisters of Notre Dame, it seemed a sad occasion to her. She wrote, "Amid hugs and many tears, I told myself that I would never do that to my family. But it was a different story when they came home for their first visit. Seeing how happy and peaceful they were, I began to pray for the grace to recognize God's will for me. When I was twelve years old, God confirmed my vocation in quite a unique way. My mother was writing a letter to one of my sisters in the convent when she was called away. And I, who was always interested in what my mother told my sisters, like a naughty girl, read what she wrote. I was surprised to read, Please pray for Lavina. I think God will call her to be a sister someday.' From that day on the idea of becoming a School Sister of Notre Dame lingered in my mind." Lavina finally asked her parents if she could go to the aspiranture at Good Counsel, and they consented. Lavina spent one year in the aspiranture and then was invited to join the candidature, which she did in August 1935. Although her parents encouraged her to stay home and work in the store because she was so young, they supported her decision. She spent two years in the candidature; the first year she worked in the dining room in the motherhouse, and the second year she helped with the cooking at St. Agnes Convent, St. Paul. She was received into the novitiate in July 1937, and given the name Daniella, a form of her father's name. She professed first vows in July 1938. Sister Daniella's first year on mission after profession was spent at St. Casimir, Winona. From there she was sent to St. Anthony, Lismore. She described her time there: "Soon after I arrived, we moved into a different convent. It was a lovely home, but there was a lack of water. None of the seven happy sisters seemed to mind carrying the water from school, which provided not only spills, but thrills. During my four years there, I learned to love and appreciate the sisters, who were more than kind to me. The little country place suited me just fine." In 1943, Sister Daniella was transferred to Mankato to cook in the sanitarium. At first, she found it challenging to cook for the sick, but grew to enjoy the work and was grateful that she could bring joy to the sisters. From 1946 until 1949, she was the home service sister at Assumption Convent, St. Paul. During this time, she had three recipes published in the 1947 SSND Centennial Cookbook: Orange Cake, Delicious Little Cakes, and Cocoa Walnut Fudge. From 1949 until 1957, Sister Daniella called St. Benedict Convent, Strasburg, North Dakota, home. A photo from that time shows the sisters at prayer, with Sister Daniella as the only one in the SSND habit. During the 1930s and 1940s, some Catholic schools in North Dakota were public schools. Sisters staffed the schools, but there were some restrictions on public prayer and when religion could be taught. In 1948, a law was passed in North Dakota that outlawed the wearing of a habit while teaching, so the sisters wore simple suits instead. Because Sister Daniella did not teach, she was not affected by the law. Sister Daniella came to Good Counsel Academy in 1957, and worked with the aspirants for fourteen years. In addition to taking care of the girls' various needs, she also helped them learn housekeeping skills, such as the proper way to make a bed and set a table. In 1971, she began her ministry as home service sister at Sacred Heart, St. Paul, where she stayed until 1976 when she moved to St. Mary, New England, North Dakota. Her final home service position was at St. Agnes, St. Paul, from 1978 until 1986. She enjoyed her years as a home service sister and took pride in creating a joyful home atmosphere for the sisters. From 1986 to 1989, Sister Daniella cared for an elderly woman in her home, a ministry that was very special to her. In 1989, Sister Daniella was able to join her sister, Sister Mary Alene, in Pochahontas, Iowa, where she continued her ministry to the elderly. She wrote, "That was a bit of heaven for four years. I continually thank God for those wonderful years." Sister Daniella then returned to Mankato, where she provided community service in a variety of ways. She was responsible for the chapel in St. Joseph Hall and created many special treats for sisters. She also helped sisters take care of their veils and sewed for the Gift Shop and Craft Fair. Sewing doll clothes was one of her specialties. Throughout her years as a School Sister of Notre Dame, Sister Daniella valued both her community and community prayer. "I am grateful for the many spiritual opportunities I have for a closer walk with my God." Family was also very important to Sister Daniella. Sister Daniella very much appreciated that God had called her to be a School Sister of Notre Dame. May she now know fully the meaning of the words, "I have called you by name; you are mine." Sister Mary Kay Ash, SSND