Sister Mary Louis McCormick 1923-2011

MCCORMICK, BERGLAR, HEIM

Posted By: j.n. (email)
Date: 3/3/2011 at 14:29:46

Telegraph Herald
Dubuque, Iowa
Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sister Mary Louis McCormick, PBVM

Sister Mary Louis McCormick, PBVM, 87, died Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, at Mount Loretto Motherhouse, 2360 Carter Road, Dubuque.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 28, at Mount Loretto Motherhouse, with burial in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West, Iowa. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Motherhouse, where there will be a wake service at 7 p.m. The Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main St., is in charge of arrangements.

Sister Mary Louis, daughter of Edward and Rose (Heim) was born Leona May McCormick on Dec. 20, 1923. She entered the Sisters of the Presentation in September 1941 and professed her perpetual vows on May 16, 1947.

She received her bachelor of arts degree from Loras College, Dubuque, and her master of arts degree from the University of Vermillion, S.D. She also did graduate studies at Clarke University and UNI. Her Presentation career, which spanned 58 years, took her to Mason City, Farley, Algona, Fairbank, Clare, Humboldt, Sheldon, Epworth, Madrid and Dubuque, all in Iowa, and Winner, S.D. Her ministries included teacher, principal, lay director of religious education, parish minister and resident manager of a senior housing facility.

Sister taught elementary school and served as principal at Winner, Sheldon and Epworth. She was lay director of religious education in Madrid, Iowa, and the resident manager of Dubuque's Ecumenical Tower from 1983 to 1999. She retired to Mount Loretto in 1999 and continued ministry to the elderly and homebound, as well as prayer and community service.

Sister Louis enjoyed playing cards, walking and enjoyed once again living with and reminiscing with her sister, Sr. Dorothy. Commenting on her ministries in later years at her 60th Jubilee, she said, "... I was happy to give as much as I could as long as I could for the poor and needy."

Surviving are her sisters, Sister Mary Dorothy McCormick, PBVM, and Dorothy Berglar; nieces and nephews; and the Sisters of the Presentation, with whom she shared her life for 69 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her stepfather, Alvin Severson; her brothers, Joseph, Harold, Edward and Cletus; and her sisters Marie, Helen, Geraldine and Dolores.

Memorials may be given to the Sisters of the Presentation, 2360 Carter Road, Dubuque, IA 52001.