Sister Mary Francesca Presseller PBVM(1921-2020)

PRESSELLER

Posted By: KenWright (email)
Date: 1/5/2020 at 14:21:36

Sister Mary Francesca Presseller, PBVM, 98, died on Friday, January 3, 2020, at Mount Loretto Motherhouse, 2360 Carter Road, Dubuque IA.

Funeral Services will be Tuesday, January 7, 2020, at 1:00 pm at Sacred Heart Chapel, Sisters of the Presentation, with a dinner at 11:00 am and burial in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Key West. Friends may call from 4:00-7:00 pm on Monday, January 6, 2020, at Sacred Heart Chapel, where there will be a vigil service at 7:00 pm.

Sister Mary Francesca, daughter of Paul and Anna (Weiss) Presseller, was born Elizabeth Theresa on July 26, 1921, in Robbinsdale MN. She entered the Sisters of the Presentation on September 13, 1948, and professed her perpetual vows on May 3, 1954. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in education from Loras College, Dubuque IA.

Sister’s ministries took her to Mason City, Clare, Monona, Algona, Epworth, and Elkader, all in Iowa, St. Paul, MN, Oregon and Chicago, IL, where she spent her teaching career with the elementary grades. She retired to Mount Loretto in 1999 and celebrated her 60th Jubilee in 2008. Sister Francesca enjoyed her hobbies of reading, crocheting, card playing, enjoying nature, and she valued prayer and community service. She was a volunteer tutor from the very first day of the Presentation Lantern Center opening in 2002. Throughout her entire life one constant for her has been her love for her community of Presentation Sisters. “To me community is everything,” said Sister Francesca. “Community is life-giving.”

Surviving are her sisters, Mary Presseller and Joanne Homan, nieces, nephews, and the Sisters of the Presentation with whom she shared her life for 71 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, Anna Misch, Esther Hall, Margaret Watry, Dorothy Palmiter, Sister Elizabeth (Helen) Presseller, her brothers, Paul, Bill, Lawrence, Ralph and Joseph.

The Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to the Sisters of the Presentation, 2360 Carter Road, Dubuque, IA 52001 or online at: www.dbqpbvms.org.