Sister Mary Rosalie Helinsky 1904-2004

HELINSKY

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 6/26/2011 at 21:47:30

Sister Mary Rosalie Helinsky
Sister Mary Rosalie Helinsky died Friday, March 5, 2004, a little more than a week after she celebrated her 100th birthday with her fellow Servants of Mary.

Services were held March 10 at Our Lady of Sorrows Convent in Omaha.

Sister Rosalie, whose birth name was Julia, was born in Fairmont, Minn. At 3 years old, she moved with her mother and father, William and Mary Agnes Helinsky, to Estherville, Iowa.

At a young age she knew she wanted to pursue a religious life. Her first encounter with religious Sisters was on a trip to Des Moines and introduced her to the thought of a religious vocation. At the time, she informed her sister, Agnes, "I'm going to be one of them." She remained true to her word and at the age of 17, she entered the Servants of Mary in Cherokee, Iowa. She took her first vows as a Servant of Mary on Jan. 3, 1923. Beginning 80 years of faithful service, which included more than 50 years in the classroom, most of it was teaching first grade and music.

When asked how she managed teaching first grade all of those years, she said, "I love to see the progress the children make. You can see it more in the first grade than any place, in reading, numbers and comprehension. They're still excited about school."

She touched many lives during her teaching and music career. Up until her death, she received calls, letters and visits from former students.

Her teaching assignments included Sacred Heart School in East St. Louis, Ill., St. Mary School in Massena, N.Y., Holy Name School and St. Rose School in Omaha, Immaculate Conception School in Sioux City, St. Juliana School in Detroit, and Our Lady Assumption in Fairview Heights, Ill.

She retired from teaching in 1973, but a new phase of her life began in 1981, when she returned to Sioux City where she would spend 13 years in community service. It was there that she received the "Golden Apple Award" given to an outstanding retiring teacher.

In 1994 she moved to the Servants of Mary Motherhouse in Omaha. She spent her retirement years doing crafts and caring for the other retired Sisters. [Sioux City Journal, Sioux City, IA, March 12, 2004)