(1928-2023)

Jeri’s life can be characterized as one of generosity, one of abundance, and one of trust. But perhaps, most importantly, Jeri would describe her life as joy-filled. She rejoiced in deep friendships with myriads of people.

… Time spent with Jeri -- socializing with her, studying with her, or engaging in discussions with her – was always enjoyable. Jeri was God’s gift of delight to our world, and I am grateful for the privilege of knowing her and experiencing the blessing that she was to us.

Sister Karen Rossman included these paragraphs in her funeral homily for Sister Jeri Renner, who had been part of the Edmonds Dominican Congregation and then the Adrian Dominican Congregation for some seventy-six years when she died on July 5, 2023.

Sister Jerome Mary Renner, known to all as Sister Jeri, was born Agnes Theresa Renner on October 22, 1928, on the family farm near Dimock, South Dakota. She was the youngest of six children born to Joseph and Elizabeth (Triebal) Renner, the others being Josephine, Elsie, Marie, Helen, and Leonard. Joseph had emigrated to the United States from Austria, as had Elizabeth’s parents, and the children primarily spoke German until they started school.

The siblings came in two sets of three, with five years separating the older group from the younger group. Helen and Leonard often tried to get their little sister to take one or the other’s side if there was a disagreement, and “in my indecision, I would squeak,” Sister Jeri wrote in her autobiography. It earned her the lifelong nickname of Squeaker.

Read more about Sister Jeri (PDF)

 

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

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

 

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