(1921-2017)

Dorothy Mary Jehle, known also as Sister Norbert Mary, was born on April 7, 1921, in Chicago. She was the oldest of six children born to Herman and Dorothy (Elvin) Jehle. Her five younger siblings, in the order of their birth, were Philip, Francis, Barbara, Kathleen, and Eleanor. 

Both of her parents were born in Kansas. Her father was a manufacturing jeweler whose work caused the family to move a few times. This is reflected in the various schools Sister Dorothy attended.

Her elementary education began at St. Joseph and Holy Cross Schools in South Bend, Indiana. When the family moved to Joliet, Illinois, she finished grade school at St. Patrick, where she met the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Her high school years were at St. Francis Academy in Joliet. 

After graduating in 1939, Sister Dorothy attended the College of St. Francis in Joliet, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1943. She then worked as a reporter at the local newspaper, Joliet Spectator, until she entered the postulate on February 2, 1945. 

Read more about Sister Dorothy (pdf)