Jubilarians honored for 75, 60, 50 and 25 years of service

In 2007 Arkansas parishioners gave $131,524.86 through the collection.

75 years

Sister Benedicta Boeckmann, OSB, was born in St. Elizabeth, Mo. At the age of 6 she moved to Knoble, Ark., where she attended the local public schools and was a member of St. George Church. She entered Holy Angels Convent at the age of 19 and made first vows in 1933. Her first assignment was at the culinary department of St. John Seminary in Little Rock. She also served as supervisor of St. John Place in Hot Springs before being named director of the juniorate for girls too young to enter the convent.

After serving as administrator of Consolata Retirement Home in New Iberia, La., she was elected the 11th prioress of Holy Angels in 1966 and served in that capacity until 1975. During her tenure the current convent was built north of the Jonesboro city limits.

After serving as superior for three terms, she worked in the pastoral care department of St. Bernards Medical Center. She stayed there until her retirement in 2006. She continues to attend Mass and community prayers in a wheelchair as much as her health permits.

60 years

Sister Lucita Barthes, RSM, a native of Biloxi, Miss., entered the Sisters of Mercy at Webster Grove in St. Louis, Mo., in 1948 and made her first vows in 1951. She taught in schools in Mississippi and then worked in the business office, data entry and secretary for the licensed practical nurse program at Mercy Hospital in Vicksburg, Miss. She retired to Our Lady of Wisdom in New Orleans in 1999. Since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, she has been living at McAuley Convent in Barling.

Sister Georgia Felderhoff, OSB, a native of Muenster, Texas, had three aunts at Holy Angels Convent who inspired her. Other sources of inspiration were the sisters who taught in her school.

"My parents loved the sisters and prayed that they would have a sister in the family," she said.

After graduating from Sacred Heart School, she entered Holy Angels in 1946 and made her first vows in 1948. She spent her life in education, including many years as a junior high teacher and principal. Her assignments took her to St. Andrew and Our Lady of the Holy Souls schools in Little Rock, Blessed Sacrament in Jonesboro, St. Maria Goretti in Lake Arthur, La., and Sacred Heart in Muenster. Her last 17 years in education were spent as a teacher and later principal of St. Michael School in West Memphis.

"I loved every place I ever worked. I loved teaching," she said.

For the past six years she has worked in the motherhouse. Today she is the subprioress of the community.

Sister Amelie Hawxhurst, RSM, was born in Evanston, Ill., and entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1948. She earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Loyola University in New Orleans. She served as housemother at Mercita Hall in St. Louis and taught at University City, Mo. She then taught at schools in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. For five years she traveled Europe during the summers with teenage students, studying comparative cultures. After retirement, she began volunteering in the guided study department at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock.

Four years later, she worked with teen parents and their children at Catherine's House in Little Rock and remained there until it closed in 2006. She then began volunteering as a caseworker at the Center for Women in Transition in Little Rock.

Sister Rosarita Huber, OSB, has two older sisters who were Benedictines -- Sister Herbert Huber, who lives in the infirmary, and the late Sister Marie Huber. The daughter of German immigrants who moved to Subiaco in the 1920s, Sister Rosarita joined St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith at age 17. On her first mission at Shoal Creek, she taught elementary school but soon her musical skills were put to good use teaching music at St. Scholastica Academy and in various missions over the next 19 years. She also served as organist at the monastery and organist/choir director in the many parishes where she taught. While teaching she earned her bachelor's degree in music with an emphasis in organ at Webster University and a master's degree in liturgical music with an emphasis in organ at St. Joseph College. She also studied organ for a number of years at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. In 1970 she transferred to public school teaching in the Fort Smith School District, retiring in 1996.

Sister Rosarita continues to serve the community as laundry manager.

"I pray to be open to whatever surprises God has in store for me," she said.

Sister Adrian Wewers, OSB, learned a prayer at her mother's knee: "God help me to know what you want me to be." Through her mother's encouragement and the example of her aunt, Sister Benita Wewers, Sister Adrian joined St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith at age 15 and was later followed by her sister, the late Sister Mary Ruth Wewers. As a Benedictine sister, she taught for 40 years in Catholic and public schools, including Nazareth, Texas, where she prayed the rosary at every sporting event. While teaching she earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education at St. Mary's College. Although Sister Adrian had initially wanted to become a nurse, she never regretted being a teacher. Before coming back to the monastery to assist the house coordinator in 1997, she finished her teaching career at St. Joseph Early Childhood Learning Center in Little Rock.

"I thank God every day that he gave me the inspiration to hear his call and the strength to continue his work," Sister Adrian said.

Sister Ann Wiedemer, OCD, a native of Duncansville, Pa., was employed in making canvas water tanks for use overseas for a while during World War II. Experiencing God's call to give herself totally to God, she entered the Carmelite Monastery in Loretto, Pa., in 1946 and was professed in 1948. She was chosen to be one of the founders of the Carmel in Little Rock when the sisters came in 1950. Sister Ann's help was invaluable in those early days, especially in the kitchen, garden and in caring for the sick. With the changes of the Second Vatican Council, Sister Ann, who had been a lay sister, became a choir nun. She adapted to the Liturgy of the Hours easily, because while praying the Our Fathers, she was also absorbing the liturgy going on around her. The Carmel of New Orleans benefited from her help several times. From 1992 to 2002 she lived there until the community moved to Covington, La. Then she returned to Little Rock, where she has continued of give of herself in prayer and service to the community.

50 years

Sister Jeanette Bayer, OSB, grew up on a dairy farm in Muenster, Texas. She thought about becoming a nun from the time she was in the third grade. As they were not always able to go to church for special evening services, her family prayed the rosary around the ironing board. While her mother ironed, her father led the rosary.

Just out of eighth grade, in 1955, Sister Jeanette left for Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro. She became a novice in 1957 and made profession of first vows in 1958. When she became a novice, she received the name Lucille, but after Vatican II she returned to her baptismal name.

Sister Jeanette began her teaching career in Lake Arthur, La. She also taught in Little Rock, Pocahontas, Stuttgart and Paragould. She currently teaches at Sacred Heart School in Muenster.

Sister Lillian Marie Reiter, OSB, was also born in Muenster. The family farmed and raised sheep and chickens. All of the six children helped with the chores on the farm. Sister Lillian Marie's job was feeding the chickens, rounding up the sheep and playing with the lambs.

She grew up wanting to become a priest, but decided she would become a sister after she learned that only boys could become priests. Two of the teachers who inspired her were Sister Carmelita and Sister Canisia.

She left Muenster after she finished the eighth grade and moved to Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro in 1955. She became a novice in 1957 and made her first profession in 1958. She received the name Jacinta at that time, but she returned to her baptismal name after Vatican II.

She has spent her career teaching children. She is currently a religion teacher at Sacred Heart School in Muenster.

25 years

Sister Damian Marie Atkinson, OSB, a native of Bloomington, Ind., was a convert to Catholicism. Before converting, she was married to Leslie Atkinson. They had one son. After her husband died in 1975, she converted.

She worked as a nurse in a mental institution in Maryland for 24 years and frequently went with friends to Mass. After becoming Catholic in 1977, she visited the Mother Seton's shrine every Friday and prayed for guidance.

She entered Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro in 1981 and made her first vows in 1983. She has been assigned to the pastoral care department at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro since that time. She recently received a 25-year service award for her work. In addition to visiting hospital patients, she visits the dialysis unit twice a day to offer comfort and encouragement to the patients. Her special love for those patients is because she donated one of her kidneys to her brother in 1977.

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