Emily was the daughter of John and Rosalia Malinski Czurles and was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on July 9, 1907. She was baptized July 21, 1907 at Saint Adelbert Parish Church.
Emily attended Saint Stanislaus Polish School and Amsterdam High School before going to New York State College and Cornell University for graduate work. She taught school before coming to the Mount, held the positions of Lab Assistant and Lab Instructor at New York State College, and was curator of the Herbarium at Cornell. She taught the nurses at Elmira Girls’ College in New York. In 1931, she joined the faculty at Mount Saint Joseph Junior College, teaching physical education and science.
Emily entered Mount Saint Joseph novitiate on January 21, 1933. When she received the Ursuline habit on August 14, 1933, she was given the name Sister Casimir in honor of her Polish heritage. She continued to teach in the Junior College and Academy until 1938.
She was missioned to St. Charles High School for one year, and in 1938 was sent to St Joseph High School in Owensboro. In 1943, she returned to the science department at Mount Saint Joseph Junior College teaching biology and chemistry. She followed the Junior College to Owensboro and continued teaching at Brescia College until her retirement in 1984. She had spent a total of 47 years teaching at Mount Saint Joseph Junior College and Brescia College.
Sister Casmir possessed an unusual wealth of knowledge in many fields of science, and even after retirement she never stopped seeking new data and deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of the universe — always the teacher. For the inspiration of the Sisters, visitors and employees, she kept the community bulletin board filled with interesting information about the wonders of nature; the beauties of the Mount campus, describing its birds, flowers, and trees; health hints; and the results of the latest scientific research.
After a brief period in the infirmary, Sister Casimir was called home to God on December 19, 1994. Her remains are buried in the convent cemetery.