Marguerite Horejsi

Our beloved Sister Marguerite Horejsi, 81, died suddenly and unexpectedly at Good Counsel Provincial House, Mankato, Minnesota, Wednesday, April 9, 2008, some time during the early morning hours. Active to the end of her life, a 2007 Diamond Jubilarian, Sister Marguerite is now making music with God, the God she loved and served so generously over her life of 81 years.

The funeral Mass for Sister Marguerite, with Fathers Peter Nosbush and Ed Ardolf as celebrants, will be on April 12, with community vespers the evening before. Following cremation, burial will take place in our cemetery at a later date. Loving sympathy to her sisters Therese Ollig and Kathleen Neubarth, her brother David and their spouses, to her nieces and nephews, and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, as well as her friends, former colleagues, students and parishioners. She was preceded in death by her parents John and Cecilia (Zeik) Horejsi, her brother John and sister Mary.

Marguerite Catherine, the oldest child in the family, was born April 30, 1926, on her grandparents' farm in rural Silver Lake, Minnesota, and baptized in St. Joseph Church. Her father was of Polish-Czech descent; her mother was Czech. Her family settled in Silver Lake, where during the school year, her parents boarded country children who attended the local Catholic school taught by SSNDs. Her father owned a caf" called the White Owl Inn in Silver Lake.

At the age of six, Marguerite enrolled in St. Joseph School, which had opened just the year before. Sister Carlissa Sorger was her teacher for three years. Marguerite wrote about her First Communion in 2nd grade, "The story about Blessed Imelda, who was permitted to enter a religious order and receive Our Lord when very young, impressed me very much. The picture of her as a novice " meditating with the sisters before the Blessed Sacrament, increased my desire of becoming a religious. After my first Holy Communion, I was a regular attendant at Saturday Mass in the Sisters' chapel. I loved the Sisters and loved to be with them." Marguerite's love for religious life carried over to her home, where she and her younger sister transformed various rooms into a miniature replica of the church, convent and school. The two girls dressed in makeshift habits and would "teach and marshal imaginary pupils from school to church using SSND tactics."

She began piano lessons in 3rd grade. Sister Perpetua Pavlicek trained Marguerite in 7th grade to play the organ in church. Marguerite then played for Devotions, Sunday Masses, weddings and funerals when Sister Perpetua was away. This training pre-pared Marguerite well, as she later served as organist and choir director for almost 40 years in various parishes.

Following graduation from 8th grade, Marguerite really wanted to attend Good Counsel Academy as an aspirant, having heard about the aspiranture from her teacher, Sister Antonella Gardner. However, she was needed at home to help with the growing family, so she attended Silver Lake High School for three years. Before her senior year, she secured her parents' permission to enroll at Good Counsel as an aspirant. During October of that year (1943), her youngest sister, Mary Cecilia was born.

Marguerite entered the candidature on August 28, 1944. In December of that year, Mary Cecilia died. Marguerite was permitted to go home for the funeral and remembered that the "funeral Mass had the atmosphere of a canonization about it," giving proof of the heavenly joys that her little sister was now enjoying. At her reception into the novitiate in 1946, Marguerite was given a form of her mother's and sister's name, Sister Marie Cecile. (She later returned to her baptismal name of Marguerite.)

Marguerite told a story about an experience on her Profession day that she considered a reward to her parents for allowing their oldest child to enter religious life. "My father had sold chances for a car raffle sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Dad received a free chance for his services. Before Profession day, I had written to my parents telling them to make their intentions and I would remember them under the pall. The evening of Profession, I received a call from my father. They had won the car plus $25 for selling the winning ticket."

Following Profession, Sister Marguerite taught middle and upper grades, played the organ, and directed the choir at several schools/parishes in Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota, including Assumption, St. Paul; All Saints, Madison Lake; SS. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis; St. John, Winona; St. Dominic, Northfield (where she also served as principal); Immaculate Conception, Lonsdale; Holy Rosary, North Mankato; and St. Pius X, Glencoe; SS. Peter & Paul, New Hradec, ND; and Immaculate Conception, Gilbertville, IA. At St. Francis in Rochester, she served as liturgist, organist, and choir director. She also worked part time as a tutor in the Good Counsel Learning Center for many years. During these years of teaching, she earned a BE in Education from St. Teresa College in Winona and an MA in Geography from St. Louis University.

In 1985, Sister Marguerite became a student again. She wrote, "After teaching, playing the organ and having choirs for almost 40 years, I wanted to fill a need for my SSND Sisters during my retirement. Following one of my father's talents of cutting hair, I studied at Cosmetology Training Center in Mankato and received a cosmetology license. After working at Mr. Allan's Salon in Mankato for four and a half years, I earned a cosmetology manager's license." Beginning in 1991, she began working part time in Good Counsel's Hair Care, which she continued to do until her death.

She treasured her opportunities to travel, including her Silver Jubilee Rome Renewal experience in 1972, and trips to Hawaii in 1995 and the Holy Land in 1996 with her sister, Therese. The Holy Land trip, a Golden Jubilee gift from Therese, was "a wonderful experience one cannot put into words."

Always willing to share her musical talents, Sister Marguerite often entertained with piano and accordion. She formed lasting friendships with parish music ministry colleagues and their families. In one of her brief autobiographies, she wrote, "Thank you, God, for the many graces and blessings you have given me during my lifetime. Thank you, God, for the wonderful family and friends who have supported me. Bless them. I love them and pray for them."

A creative and energetic teacher, a talented and dedicated musician, a gentle and caring cosmetologist, a loving and joy-filled family and community member and friend, Sister Marguerite will be missed by many. May dear Sister Marguerite, who was just three weeks short of her 82nd birthday, now be singing (and playing) God's praises forever!