(1919-2017)

“Because I was born on December 6, 1919, I always knew in an unexpressed smug little way that I had something a bit more special than anyone else in my little world: MY birthday was on St. Nicholas Day. Santa Claus himself and I had a celebration in common.”

So begins the autobiography of Sister Susanne Hofweber, the second of six children born to August and Emily (Campbell) Hofweber. Baptized as Elizabeth Jane, she was the middle child of a set of three – with August (called Jack) the oldest and sister Dorothy born a year and a half after her – that was followed by a baby brother, Jimmy, who died at birth. Later, two more children, Billy and Marian, came into the family. ...

Sister Susanne was nine years old when the Great Depression hit. Her father lost his business and eventually the family was evicted from their home. As time went on, August was able to rebuild a business and even held two patents, one for the first self-contained domestic water heater and another for a process that allowed graphite to be used as a lubricant. With other investors, he was able to build that process into a thriving oil-refining company.

Read more about Sister Susanne (pdf).

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221. 

(1947-2017)

Sister Kay Muzzy, known also as Sister Angela Patrice, was born in Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, on August 9, 1947. She was the first of four children born to Kenneth and Angela (Quadrani) Muzzy. Kenneth George, Jr., Larry John, and Terrence Raymond were her brothers. 

Shortly after Sister Kay’s birth, the family moved to L’Anse on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Upper Michigan. At that time, her father was a pilot for American Airlines and owned a small airport on the outskirts of L’Anse, a village in northwest Michigan. Sister Kay’s mother was a registered nurse who began her career in Iron Mountain. Her parents met in the local hospital after her dad suffered injuries in a plane crash. Sister Kay wrote, “Mom was assigned as Dad’s personal nurse and there began a romance that led to marriage.” 

As a registered nurse, Sister Kay’s mother was instrumental in helping her live a normal childhood. When Sister Kay was in kindergarten, she wore a brace and one day during recess someone called her a cripple. Her mother reassured her she was not crippled. Sister Kay said, “That’s pretty much how I live my life…not crippled.” 

Read more about Sister Kay (pdf)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Home, Adrian.

Ritual of Remembering for Sister Kay (Angela Patrice) Muzzy:

(1928-2017)

Sister Joan Sopha, born in Port Huron, Michigan, on December 12, 1928, was second youngest of eight children born to Herbert and Mary (Lynch) Sopha. She was born at home and, because she barely weighed one and a half pounds, was baptized a few weeks later. 

Sister Joan’s father was an engineer at Edison and her mother was a homemaker. The eight children attended St. Stephen Grade School staffed by the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Sisters from Monroe. She continued her education at St. Stephen High School, where she graduated in 1947. 

In her biography, Sister Joan is described as actively participating in high school basketball and tennis games. In fact, it was after a game with St. Joseph High School in Port Huron that Sister Joan first met the Adrian Dominican Sisters. What impressed her most was the Sisters’ outgoing spirit because they attended all of St. Joseph’s athletic events to support their team.

Read more about Sister Joan (pdf)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221.

(1929-2017)

Sister Nelda Ann Klein, known also as Sister Ellen Dolores, was born in Los Angeles, California, on September 3, 1929. She was the third of four children born to William and Nell (Smith) Klein. 

Her father was born in Pennsylvania to Lutheran parents who were second-generation German-Americans. When his mother died, the family moved to Kingman, Arizona, where he eventually met Nelda’s mother, Nell Smith. Nell’s father, Anson Smith, was one of the founders of Kingman, Arizona.

In her autobiography, Sister Nelda shared these memories of her youth.

I grew up in the small town of Kingman, surrounded by an older brother and sister, Bill Jr. and Mary Alice, and a younger brother, Anson. [In addition, I had] eleven sets of aunts and uncles and many cousins. It was a good time to grow up. We young people used to joke that we were related to half the population and knew the other half, so little supervision was necessary. Before I got home in late afternoon, my parents knew every place I had been and all I had done!

Read more about Sister Nelda Ann (pdf)

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221.

Leave your comments and remembrances (if you don't see the comment box below, click on the "Read More" link).