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(1930-2025)
Sister Alice Riegel, formerly known as Sister Mary Carol, died on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 95 years of age and in the 76th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister Alice was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Alden and Laura (Ouellette) Riegel. She graduated from Visitation High School in Detroit and received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian; a licentiate degree in Spanish from the University of Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and a master’s degree in education from Siena Heights College (University).
Sister ministered 14 years in elementary education in Santurce, Puerto Rico and West Palm Beach, Florida, and at Dominican High School in Detroit, a legacy institution of the Congregation. In all, she was at Dominican High School for 26 years over the course of her ministry, including seven years as a guidance counselor and 15 years as counselor/guidance director. She was also a guidance counselor for four years at Hoban Dominican High School in Cleveland, Ohio, also a legacy institution of the Congregation. Sister became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2022.
Sister Alice was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Rev. William Riegel, CSB; and a sister, Carol Wood. She is survived by her sister, Mary Lou Zarem; other loving family members; and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 29, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 29, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Home, Adrian.
Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)
Note: To view recordings with closed captioning, they must be viewed on our public video library rather than through the links below.
Recording of Sister Alice's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
Recording of Sister Alice's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
MIDDLE LEFT: Alice on the day of her First Holy Communion in the morning and Confirmation in the afternoon at St. Brigid Church, Detroit. MIDDLE RIGHT: Graduation photo, Visitation High School, Detroit, 1948. RIGHT: Entrance Day, June 1948.
MIDDLE: Members of the Riegel family are, from left, Alden William (father), Laura (mother), Carol Anne, Sister Alice, Mary Lou, and Father William. RIGHT: Sister Alice Riegel, left, with Sister Elise D. García, OP, Prioress.
LEFT: Members of the 1967-1971 community at Hoban Dominican High School, Cleveland, Ohio, are, from left: Sisters Judith Girard (Carleen Maly), Joseph Loretta (Elaine Lederer), Ann Pauline (Mary Margaret Beh), Mary Jeanette Cerny, Mary Carol (Alice Riegel), and Charles Joseph (Joan Zinn). RIGHT: Sister Alice Riegel, left, with Sister Jean Keeley.
Members of the 1998 Golden Jubilee December 1948 crowd are: back row, from left, Sisters Judith Mary Singer, Mary Catherine Jordan, Marie Geraldine Brownell, Mary D. O’Connor, John Norton Barrett, and Joyce Banks; middle row, from left, Sisters Joan Sopha, Nora Brady, Mary Schmagner, Celestine Dunne, Margaret Urban, Therese DeCanio, and Patricia Wiley; and front row, from left, Sisters Mary E. Quinn, Mary Helen Mack, Dorothy Thielk, Mary Frances Radtke, Patricia Ann Hurley, Marion O’Connor, and Alice Riegel. Sister Catherine Eggleston is not pictured.
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(1945-2025)
Sister Mary Margaret “Peggy” Fornicola, formerly known as Sister Joseph Carolyn, died on Friday, August 22, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 79 years of age and in the 63rd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister Peggy was born in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, to Joseph and Bernadette (Juers) Fornicola. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Adrian and obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian.
Sister Peggy ministered for 50 years in education in Oak Lawn, Illinois, and Iron Mountain and Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. This includes 28 years at Dickinson Area Catholic in Iron Mountain, four of those years as elementary/junior high administrator. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2025.
Sister Peggy was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Phyllis Byrd. She is survived by her sister Karen Fornicola, her brother Charles Fornicola, other loving family members, and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 2, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.
Recording of Sister Peggy's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
Recording of Sister Peggy's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
LEFT: Peggy poses on her First Communion day with her brother Charles and sisters Karen and Phyllis. RIGHT: Peggy, as a Postulant, with her Aunt Mell, 1961.
LEFT: Sister Peggy teaches her class at St. Mary School, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, 1996-2013. RIGHT: Making up the Offertory Procession for Sister Peggy’s Silver Jubilee Mass in Iron Mountain, Michigan, are, front, from left, her nephew Richard and her brother Charles, and in back, from left, Karen, Sister Peggy’s sister, and Sister Peggy.
LEFT: Sister Joseph Carolyn on the day of her First Profession with her parents, Joseph and Bernadette Fornicola, 1961. RIGHT: Members of the 2011 Golden Jubilarian June-December Crowd are: back row, from left, Sisters Kathleen Morrissey, Gloria Korhonen, Rosemary Abramovich, Virginia Corley, Mary Jean Williams, Tarianne DeYonker, Carol Ann Gross, and Attracta Kelly (Prioress); and front row, from left, Sisters Mary Karen Lietz, Mary Jane Clark, Michele Kopp, Lois Paha, Mary Eileen Sullivan, Mary Margaret Fornicola, Carol Ann Dulka, and Grace Dennis.
(1948-2025)
Sister Donna Marie Baker died on Friday, August 22, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 76 years of age and in the 58th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister Donna Marie was born in Detroit to Patrick L. and Virginia (Wyrauch) Baker. She graduated from St. Agatha High School in Detroit and obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a master’s degree in Reading/Consultant/Resource from Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sister Donna spent 48 years ministering in education in Southgate, Michigan; Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach, Florida; and Slidell, Louisiana. This includes serving 13 years as assistant elementary principal at St. Margaret Mary School in Slidell and 15 years as junior high school teacher and two years as the middle school director at Rosarian Academy, a legacy institution of the Congregation in West Palm Beach. Sister Donna became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2023.
Sister Donna was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers William and Patrick. She is survived by her sisters Linda Anderson (James), Mary Beihl (Bernie), Sharron Valentine, and Colleen Wilson (Steve); brothers Dennis Baker and Michael Baker (Kay); other loving family members; and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 27, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 28, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.
Recording of Sister Donna's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
Recording of Sister Donna's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
LEFT: Donna in kindergarten, at the age of 5. MIDDLE RIGHT: Sister Donna as a Postulant, 1966. RIGHT: Sister Donna Marie with her parents, Patrick and Virginia.
LEFT: Members of the Baker family in 1998 are, back row, from left, Patrick, Bill, Denny, and Michael, and front row, from left, Sherry, Colleen, Mary, Patrick (their father), Linda, and Sister Donna. RIGHT: Posing together during the Congregation’s Gathering 2002 are, from left, Sisters Donna Baker, Dorothy Dempsey, Jeanne Lefebvre, Rose Celeste O’Connell, and Mary Rita Gleason.
LEFT: Sisters Mary Ann Caulfield, left, and Donna Baker enjoy Rosarian Academy’s 80th Anniversary Breakfast, 2006. RIGHT: Members of the 2017 Golden Jubilee Crowd, August 1967 reception, are: back row, from left, Kathleen Klingen, Marie Skebe, Corinne Mary Florek, and Donna Markham; middle row, from left, Sisters Joanne Podlucky, Mary Jane Lubinski, Ellen Burkhardt, Patricia Siemen (Prioress), and Donna Marie Baker; and front row, from left, Marie Solanus Reilly, Julie Hyer, Nancy Jurecki, and Nancy Murray.
LEFT: Sister Donna at her 69th birthday celebration in Sauce Restaurant, Adrian, November 13, 2017. MIDDLE: Celebrating the 2025 Jubilee are: back row, from left, Sisters Catherine Olds, Mary Ann Caulfield, and Judith Rimbey, and seated, from left, Sisters Donna Baker and Patricia Leonard. RIGHT: From left, Sisters Donna Baker, Mary Ann Caulfield, and Kathleen Klingen.
(1934-2025)
Sister Dorothy Booms, formerly known as Sister Rose Alphonsus Booms, died on Monday, August 18, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian. She was 90 years of age and in the 72nd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister Dorothy was born in Harbor Beach, Michigan, to Marcus and Mary (Klee) Booms. She graduated from SS. Peter and Paul High School in Ruth, Michigan, and received a bachelor’s degree in French from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
She ministered 31 years in education in Utica, Iron Mountain, Escanaba, and Norway, Michigan; Chicago, Rockford and Joliet, Illinois; Des Moines, Iowa; Tallahassee and Melbourne, Florida; and Lemon Grove, California. This included seven years as principal at Dickinson Area Catholic School in Iron Mountain. She served five years at the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan, as secretary for the Religious Education Department, and ministered for five years at St. Bernard Parish in Alpena, Michigan, where she was secretary and bookkeeper.
She ministered for two years as secretary for the Consortium of Hope for Oakland Inner-City Catholic Education (CHOICE) in Oakland, California; during this time, she also served the Congregation as secretary for the Dominican West Chapter in California. She also served the Congregation for six years as secretary for the Southeast Adrian Chapter (SEAC) in Farmington Hills, Michigan, two years in Transportation /Residence Services, and four years in the Archives Office. Sister became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2007.
Sister Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Ann Berryhill and Donald, William, and Helen Booms. She is survived by four sisters: Grace England, Arlene Davenport, Rosemarie Booms, and Joan (Martin) Miller; four brothers: Raymond (Marjean), Dennis (Patricia), Lawrence (Judy), and Leroy (Susan) Booms; other loving family and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30-7:00 pm on Monday, August 25, 2025, in the Gathering Space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 pm Monday, August 25, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 am Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221.
Recording of Sister Dorothy's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
Recording of Sister Dorothy's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
LEFT: First Holy Communion, 1942. MIDDLE LEFT: 1952 graduate of Saints Peter and Paul High School, Ruth, Michigan. RIGHT: Sister Dorothy (Rose Alphonsus) with her parents, Mary and Marcus Booms.
LEFT: Sister Dorothy with students in her classroom in Iron Mountain, Michigan. RIGHT: From left, Sisters Dorothy Booms, Mary Eileen Sullivan, and Michael Claire Wilson.
LEFT: Sisters Dorothy Booms, left, and Paul James Villemure volunteer at Office Support Services at the Motherhouse, February 2015. RIGHT: Members of Sister Dorothy’s “crowd” are, from left: Sisters Lorraine Sinn, Lorraine Pepin, Marguerite Renuart, Frances Madigan, Cora Marie Campbell, and Dorothy Booms.
LEFT: Members of the 2012 Diamond Jubilarian Crowd are: back row, from left, Sisters Dorothy Booms, Lorraine Pepin, Carolyn Nelson, Reta Drexler, Arlene Marie Kosmatka, Frances Madigan, and Attracta Kelly (Prioress); middle row, from left, Sisters Kathryn Hartnett, Marguerite Renuart, Maureen Keeler, Lorraine Sinn, and Cora Marie Campbell; and front row, from left, Sisters Anne Cenci, Ann Kelly, Joann Weigang, and Magdalena Ezoe. RIGHT: Community members from Livonia, Michigan, enjoying a meal together are, from left, Sisters Colette Madden, Mary Jane Schallert, Adrianna Emery, Bridget Maier, Lenore Boivin, and Dorothy Booms.
Our Adrian Dominican cemetery with its circular headstones is a beautiful place of rest for women who gave their lives in service to God — and a peaceful place for contemplation and remembrance.
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