Sister Lois Wickenhauser

Our beloved Sister Lois Wickenhauser, 70, died suddenly at Good Counsel Convent, Mankato, Minnesota, Saturday, February 9, 2008, at 9:25 a.m. She was in Notre Dame Health Care recovering from esophageal cancer surgery, and unknown complications resulted in her untimely death.

The funeral Mass for Sister Lois, with Father Tim Biren as celebrant, will be on February 13, with community vespers the evening before. Burial will follow at a later date after cremation. Loving sympathy to her sister Delora (Don) Rolf, and brothers Wallace, Gordon (Alice), Dennis (Bernice), Leon (Marcey), and Adrian, to her nieces and nephews, and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, as well as her former colleagues, students and parishioners. She was preceded in death by her parents Albert and Clara (Eiden) Wickenhauser, a brother Gerald, who died at age 3, and a sister-in-law Dorothy.

Sister Lois was born February 28, 1937, in Cologne, Minnesota and baptized in St. Bernard's Church. Her family lived on a farm north of Cologne. She was the sixth child and oldest girl. A list entitled "A Few of My Favorite Things" was found with her funeral plans. In that list, she included training received from parents: to be resourceful, to work, to pray, to reverence/respect everyone and everything, to live simply, to be responsible, to be of loving service to others. Other items on that list reflected her love for her rural background: Rural living, family farm, farm animals, cats, dogs, fields of corn, wheat, alfalfa, pastures with grazing cows/calves, gardens/orchards, Nature"all the seasons with their unique beauty.

She wrote of her early education " and call to religious life: "At the age of six, I began my formal education at St. Bernard's School and there became acquainted with the School Sisters of Notre Dame. From then on, I knew that someday I would be one of them!" Her first trip to Good Counsel Hill while in the upper grades initiated a love for the Hill that remained strong throughout her life; she included an aerial picture of Good Counsel as part of her Golden Jubilee display.

Lois attended Waconia High School as a freshman, but transferred to Good Counsel Academy as a boarder for her final three years. "The years at the Academy solidified my desire to become a School Sister of Notre Dame, and so it was that I entered the Candidature September 3, 1955 with 42 other young women." She entered SSND with the idea of doing domestic work " her list of her favorite things continues: Preparing meals, cooking, canning, baking, food in general! Cleaning, decorating, making a "homey' atmosphere. However, she was convinced to take college classes to prepare for a teaching ministry. At her reception into the Novitiate, she was given the name Sister Mary Alclare, a combination of her parents' names. (She later returned to her baptismal name of Lois.)

Following profession in 1957, she spent one year in the Juniorate, and then began her teaching apostolate with three years at St. Stanislaus in St. Paul. She also taught upper grades at St. Stan's, Winona, SS. Peter & Paul, Mankato, and Holy Childhood, St. Paul. Beginning in 1966 she combined teaching with administration at Corpus Christi, St. Paul; Notre Dame and St. Joseph, Cresco, Iowa; and Fitzgerald Middle School, Mankato. She also earned bachelor's and master's degrees during these years. Teaching religion was a special interest of hers, as was English and art, where she employed a variety of media in her instruction. From her list of favorite things: poetry, creative writing, literature, reading, teaching"

In 1983, Sister Lois was elected a member of the Provincial Council. Following her term, she returned to school administration at St. Dominic in Northfield, where she spent 13 years. At St. Dominic, as she did in her other schools, she promoted SSND ideals of education as enabling individuals to grow to their fullest potential, and reverence for life in all forms. Several times St. Dominic was featured in publications for raising awareness of current issues. In spring 1999, during her last year at Northfield, she was named Archdiocesan Principal of the Year. At that time she stated that her greatest reward "was to see students grow and mature, and involvement of parents and teachers as they worked with children."

After one year as Director of the Education Center in Mankato, in 2000 she moved into a new ministry that she loved as much as teaching and administration: pastoral ministry in the parishes of Mapleton, Vernon Center and Good Thunder. She was actively involved in this ministry at the time of her final illness. Her favorite things list includes: Rituals of all kinds, planning them; participating in well-planned church rituals during the Liturgical Year; celebrations of every kind; pastoral ministry.

Throughout Sister Lois' years of active ministry, she found time for activities that enriched others as well as herself " creative writing, especially poetry; various province, school, parish, diocesan and civic committees; the Global Apostolic Aware-ness Program with its time in Guatemala and Honduras; editorial board and feature writing for SSND Magazine. From her list"Opportunities for education, renewal, spiritual formation, retreats, Global Apostolic Awareness Program, Rome Renewal Program with travel in Europe, craft sales, garage sales, thrift stores, simple pleasures, LIFE!

She will also be remembered for her sense of humor and the spark that she brought to gatherings, both small and large. To the end, her humor was evident. On Saturday morning, Sister Lois called for a nurse and reported being short of breath. Oxygen was immediately provided. Meanwhile Sister Mary Martin Tobias stopped by and offered to pray with Sister Lois. When the nurse asked if Sister Mary Martin needed a book, Sister Lois responded, "She doesn't need a book. She can make it up." Those were Sister Lois' last words before she was called home to God, the God she loved and served so generously over her life of 70 years. And among her favorite things, she lists wit, humor, laughter, playing jokes on others, teasing, surprises"

Her final favorite thing, written in upper case, summarizes Sister Lois' grateful spirit: EXTRAVAGANCE OF GOD'S LOVE MANIFESTED IN EVERYTHING GOD HAS GIVEN ME THROUGH LIFE ESPECIALLY AS SSND! Sister Lois shared that "extravagance of God's love" in so many ways with so many people. This was evidenced by the quantity and content of messages shared with her on a Caring Bridge website during her final illness. Over 3500 visits and 200 messages were recorded on the site at the time of her death.


May dear Sister Lois, who celebrated her Golden Jubilee this past summer, and was just short of her 71st birthday, be living in the eternal extravagance of God's love!

Authored by Sister Mary Kay Ash