Sister Rebecca Endres, CSA
Sister
Rebecca Endres, CSA, baptized Mary Bernadette, died peacefully October 26, 2019,
at St. Francis Home, Fond du Lac, WI. Her family and the Sisters were at her
side during the last days of her life.
Mary was born
on the family farm in Waunakee, WI, on August 16, 1927, to Aloysius Endres and
Monica Schwab Endres. A farming family, the Endres children included eight
girls and four boys.
Mary entered
St Agnes Convent on August 29, 1942, having attended St. Mary’s Springs Academy
for her freshman year. She completed her high school education at St. Agnes
High School, Fond du Lac. Sister Rebecca
made her profession of vows in the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes on
August 15, 1946. In 1969 Sister received a BS in Education from Marian College
of Fond du Lac. She went on to earn a
Master’s in Religious Education in 1976 from St. Meinrad College, IN. Throughout her life, she continued to take post-graduate
courses in theology.
Sister
Rebecca taught the elementary grades for 54 years as classroom teacher, religious
education teacher, principal, and tutor.
She was also a member of the Foster Grandparent Program from 1990-1998. After teaching, Sister ministered as pastoral
care person at St. Agnes Hospital and the Central Wisconsin Cancer Center from1998
until she became a resident at Nazareth Court and Center in 2016.
Sister
Rebecca was preceded in death by her parents Aloysius Endres and Monica Schwab
Endres; her brothers Leo, Aloysius, Matthias and John Endres; her sisters Cyrilla
Dahmen, Rutilla Paar, Sister Yvonne Endres, CSA, Dolores Ganser, Monica Statz,
Lillian Archer, and Sister Marie Endres, CSA.
Sister
Rebecca is survived by her many faithful nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of
St. Agnes, with whom she lived, prayed and ministered.
Visitation
for Sister Rebecca Endres will be Thursday, October 31, 2019, at 9:00 in Nazareth
Court and Center, 375 Gillett Street, Fond du Lac, WI. A prayer service will take place that day at
11:00 a.m.
A Mass of
Christian Burial will be offered October 31, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., at St. Francis
Home Chapel, 33 Everett Street, Fond du Lac, WI. Fr.
Ken Smits, Capuchin will be the presider.
Burial will be at a later date in St. John’s Church Cemetery, Waunakee,
WI.
Memorials can
be directed to the Sisters of St. Agnes Mission Advancement Office, 320 County
Road K, Fond du Lac, WI 54937.
The Sisters
of St. Agnes are grateful to the nurses and staff of Nazareth Court and
Center/St. Francis Home and to Hospice Hope for their care of Sister Rebecca in
her last years.
Zacherl
Funeral Home is serving the Sisters of the Congregation of St. Agnes.