Mercy sister keeps the faith to celebrate 100th birthday

Sister Laurene Favre grew up the youngest of 12, on 80-acre farm near Conway

Published: April 7, 2016

By Maryanne Meyerriecks
Fort Smith Correspondent

Father Bill Elser, who was taught by Sister Laurene Favre, RSM, at St. John School in Hot Springs, helps his former teacher celebrate her 100th birthday at McAuley Convent in Barling March 28.

Father Bill Elser, who was taught by Sister Laurene Favre, RSM, at St. John School in Hot Springs, helps his former teacher celebrate her 100th birthday at McAuley Convent in Barling March 28.

BARLING — Sister Laurene Favre, RSM, celebrated her 100th birthday March 28 with homemade ice cream from a former student.

At the party at McAuley Convent, she was surrounded by her religious community, family and friends. Father Bill Elser came with his mother and brother and served up his homemade vanilla ice cream for his former fifth-grade teacher. Al Hiegel, Sister Laurene’s nephew, traveled from Conway with his wife Mary Adelaide and another nephew, Philip, to celebrate her birthday.

“Al will be 90 soon,” Sister Laurene said. “We grew up together. I was his babysitter, and took him to his first bazaar.”

Sister Laurene grew up on an 80-acre farm in Conway, the third youngest of 12 children.

“Of course, some of them were grown by the time I was born,” she said. “My brother Al (Father Al Favre) was already in the seminary. He would come back to visit once a year and I’d ask my parents, ‘Who is that man?’”

One of her older sisters was a member of the Sisters of Mercy.

“When I was 17 I spent 10 days with Sister Winifred (Favre, RSM) in Little Rock,” Sister Laurene said. “I had planned on joining the School Sisters of Notre Dame who had taught me in school, but when I visited my sister I decided to join her order.”

Sister Laurene had always wanted to be a nurse, but while she was in formation in Webster Groves, Mo., she prepared for a teaching career. After Sister Laurene made her religious profession in 1936, she taught in Catholic schools in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Fort Smith, Tontitown, El Dorado and Hot Springs.

“Sister Laurene was a strict disciplinarian as a teacher and always made it clear that we were there to learn,” Father Elser said. “She also always promoted our growth in the faith and encouraged the practice of our faith, especially daily Mass.”

After 42 years of teaching, Sister Laurene worked 10 more years in the medical records department of St. Joseph Hospital in Hot Springs (now CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs), but never had a chance to care for patients until she retired to McAuley Convent in 1992. “Sister Laurene’s biggest contribution at McAuley Convent has been sitting with sisters who are dying,” said administrator Debra Allen. “She prays with them and wipes their brows.”

“When I was 17, I told my mother I wanted to become a sister, but I didn’t want to teach,” Sister Laurene laughed. “God gave me the chance to comfort the dying when I retired.”

Sister Laurene never expected to celebrate her 100th birthday.

“Sometimes I wonder if God’s forgotten about me,” she laughed.

“Sister Sarto (Gaffney, RSM) visits me a few times a day,” Sister Laurene said, looking over at the rosaries and prayer books on her night table. “We pray together every night. We read the Bible and say the rosary. We do it all.”