(1926-2016)

Sister Virginia Therese, baptized Eleanor Conway, was born on January 13, 1926, in Chicago. She and her brother William were the two children born to William C. and Eleanor (Brown) Conway. Her father was born in Rochester, New York, and was a broker. Her mother was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.   

Sister Virginia gave very few details about her early life, only that her father traveled frequently, that the family had a summer home on Lake Michigan, and that one of the care-takers became a close friend with whom she had fond memories.

Sister Virginia was educated at St. Laurence Grade School and Aquinas High School.  After graduating in 1944, she enrolled in Siena Heights College and studied full-time for two years before entering the postulate in June 23, 1946, at the age of twenty. The following year, her father died of a heart aneurysm on June 3, 1947.

Read more about Sister Virginia (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 Funeral Home, Adrian.

 

 

Vigil for Sister Virginia Therese:

Videos will be posted for 4-6 weeks, then removed.

 

Funeral for Sister Virginia Therese:

Videos will be posted for 4-6 weeks, then removed.

 

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(1927-2016)

Sister Patricia Dillon was born on December 1, 1927, in Royal Oak, Michigan. She was the fourth of seven children born to Leo and Adelaide (Sortor) Dillon. 

During the Depression, her father lost his shoe store in Royal Oak and the family moved to New York so he could look for work as a shoe salesman in Brooklyn. He eventually found a job in Philadelphia and the family settled in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

Read more about Sister Patricia (pdf)

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

 

(1923-2016)

Sister Audrey Hull, known also as Sister Raymond Clare, was born in her grandparents’ home, which was in a citrus grove in Miami, Florida, on February 17, 1923. She was the first of two children born to Perry Benjamin and Helen (Porter) Hull. 

Both parents grew up in the Miami area, attended the same country school, and were devout Episcopalians who married there in 1922. In 1924, the family moved to West Palm Beach so her father could begin his own citrus grove business. The following year, Sister Audrey’s brother Frasure was born.

Read more about Sister Audrey (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 Funeral Home, Adrian.

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

(1927-2016)

Sister Joanne Patricia Gwizdala was born on March 8, 1927, in Bay City, Michigan. She was the fourth of five children born to Ann (Wazbinski) and Joseph Gwizdala. Both of her parents were born in a Bay County rural township: her mother in Linwood area and her father in the Fisherville area. 

In her autobiography, Sister Joanne shared the following about her family.

Dad was orphaned at the age of nine and lived with his uncle on the farm. When he was older he moved to Bay City, Michigan, to live with his oldest brother [until at] the age of seventeen when he enlisted in the army and was sent to Europe in the First World War. Mother helped on Grandpa’s farm and later moved to Bay City and did housework for some of the lumber barons who had large estates.

They both enjoyed music and dancing and met during the “Big Band Era.” They were married in 1920 in Bay City. When they were getting married, my mother said to my father, “Joe, I don’t care where we live, but don’t buy a farm!’” My dad worked at Pete’s Packing Company and delivered meat to stores in the “Thumb” area.

I have two brothers and two sisters. My brother Marion was a Navy pilot in the Second World War. He was killed at the age of 33 while testing one of the planes used for teaching cadets in Pensacola, Florida. My brother Leonard was in the Army division. My older sister Eugenia was better known as Gene and my older sister Edna was about six years younger.

Read more about Sister Joanne (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 Funeral Home, Adrian.

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