Sister Joseph Clara Johnson

Date of Birth: February 22, 1948
Date of Death: June 12, 2014
Age at Death: 66 years
Marker Location: Row F No. 50

It was on February 22, 1948, at Daviess County Hospital in Owensboro that Clara Alice was born to Ruth Agnes Higdon Johnson and Justin Aloysius Johnson, the fourth of 10 children. Her parents took her to St. Columba, Lewisport, Ky., one week after her birth to have her baptized and become a member of the…

Sister Mary Rudina (Rita) Klarer

Date of Birth: January 3, 1926
Date of Death: July 11, 2014
Age at Death: 88 years
Marker Location: Row A No. 50

Mary Rita, one of eight children of Leo Lambert and Rudina Philomena Bauer Klarer, was born in Louisville, Ky., on January 3, 1926. Her faith journey began with baptism at St. Columba Church on January 10. In September of 1931, she began her formal education at St. Columba, staffed by the MSJ Ursulines, where she…

Sister Jean Madeline Peake

Date of Birth: July 22, 1915
Date of Death: October 23, 2014
Age at Death: 99 years
Marker Location: Row H No. 49

Mary Wilbie, the only child of John and Nettie Medley Peake, was born July 22, 1915, at Holy Cross, Ky. Her faith journey began with baptism at Holy Cross Church on September 14. When she was only two months old, her father died, and she and her mother moved in with her mother’ parents. Seven…

Sister Mary Clarentia Hutchins

Date of Birth: March 16, 1920
Date of Death: November 5, 2014
Age at Death: 94 years
Marker Location: Row G No. 58

Mary Clarentia was born on March 16, 1920, to Johanna Sutton Hutchins and Joseph Bernard Hutchins, of Louisville, Ky. She had two brothers Xavier, called X, and Henry. Her parents took Mary Clarentia, only five days old, to St. Patrick Church to be baptized. Mary Clarentia attended St. Patrick School and later St. Brigid School…

Sister Annalita Lancaster

Date of Birth: February 7, 1923
Date of Death: December 9, 2014
Age at Death: 91 years
Marker Location: Row G Plot 8

Rita Bernadette was born the third child in what would be a family of eight children on February 7, 1923 to Joshua and Anna Magdalene Lancaster from Meade County, Ky. When Rita turned six, she enjoyed her journeys to the Woodland School. When the rural schools were consolidated, Ursuline Sister Jamesina became Rita’s teacher. So…

Sister Rita Lavigne

Date of Birth: August 2, 1922
Date of Death: September 17, 2015
Age at Death: 93 years
Marker Location: Row K No. 6

Rita, one of two children of Harry Lavigne and Elizabeth Bestgen, was born on August 2, 1922, at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka, Kansas. She was a “home girl,” staying in her home parish of Assumption Church in Topeka from the time she was born until she entered the convent. She was baptized there on…

Sister Philomena Cox

Date of Birth: March 9, 1926
Date of Death: March 9, 2017
Age at Death: 91 years
Marker Location: Row L No. 46

Philomena Ward Cox was born in Owensboro, Ky., on March 9, 1926, to Thomas Sylvester Cox Sr. and Margaret Catherine Ebelhar Cox. She was baptized on March 14, 1926 by Rev. Richard Maloney and confirmed on April 26, 1936 by the Most Reverend John A. Floersch. She was the third child in the Cox family…

Sister Jane Irvin Hancock

Date of Birth: June 14, 1927
Date of Death: March 18, 2017
Age at Death: 89 years
Marker Location: Row K No. 54

Martha Jane Hancock was born in Waverly, Ky., on June 14, 1927, to her parents Robert Irvin Hancock Sr. and Jane Catherine Payne Hancock. She was baptized on July 3, 1927, and confirmed on June 4, 1935 by Bishop John Floersch. Her brothers and sisters were Irvin Hancock Jr., Mary Catherine Hancock Veatch, Father Walter…

Sister Joan of Arc Walz

Date of Birth: July 1, 1931
Date of Death: July 5, 2017
Age at Death: 86 years
Marker Location: Row K No. 4

Joan was born on July 1, 1931 in Cloverport, Ky., to Otto Walz and Ida May Brown Walz. She was baptized on September 13, 1931, at St. Rose Church in Cloverport by Rev. Gardian Lewis C.P. She joined her sisters, Martha, Regina and Dorothy and welcomed a younger brother, George in 1937. Though Joan’s formal…

Sister Judith Osthoff

Date of Birth: November 9, 1926
Date of Death: July 10, 2017
Age at Death: 90 years
Marker Location: Row D No. 58

Caroline Marie Osthoff was born in Lenora, Kan., to Frank Clement Osthoff and Anna Margaret Hickert on November 6, 1926. She was baptized at St. Joseph Church in New Almelo, Kan., on November 11, 1926, and confirmed at Immaculate Conception Church in Leoville, Kan., on March 29, 1939. Sister Judith wrote a short autobiography while…