Sister Jean Theis

Sister Jean Marie Theis, School Sister of Notre Dame, age 83, died May 28, 2005, at Good Counsel Convent, Mankato, Minnesota.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at Good Counsel Chapel, with Fr. Tim Biren as celebrant. Visitation is from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Good Counsel, with Vespers in the chapel at 7:00 p.m. Visitation is also one hour prior to the funeral on Thursday. Mankato Mortuary is in charge.

Sister Jean Marie (Luverna Theis) was born in Marystown, Minnesota, on June 12, 1921, to William and Isabelle (Lenzmeier) Theis. She entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato in 1940 and took First Vows in 1943. A teacher for over 50 years, she taught on all levels but her particular area was biology on the secondary level. With the exception of three years in North Dakota, her years of teaching were spent in Minnesota. She taught here in Mankato at Good Counsel Academy from 1964-67 and 1976-80. She retired to the Provincial House in 1997. Over the years, she earned a B.A. in English, with a minor in Biology, from St. Catherine College, St. Paul, an M.S. in Education from Creighton University, Omaha, and an M.A. in Biology from Notre Dame University.

She is survived by her sisters, Sister Valeria, SSND, and Sister Annabelle, SSND, both of St. Paul, and Georgia Rose Theis of Bloomington. She was preceded in death by her parents, five sisters, and two brothers.