Delores Ruth Long was born on May 19, 1939, the oldest of four daughters born to Cloyd Harold Long and Wilma Francis Gibson Long, in Mexico, Mo. Dee’s father was born in Pratt, Kan., and her mother was born in Hawk Point, Mo. They were both Methodists. Dee said that her family began in the Congregational Church and she joined the Disciples of Christ when she was in high school.
Dee’s heritage is listed as Scottish-Irish, but she discovered that her great, great grandmother was Cherokee, and she was very proud of that bloodline. She said that her sister married a Cherokee and his grandparents were chieftains.
Dee described her childhood as normal. She was on the honor roll at Paseo High School in
Kansas City, Mo., where she was very active in sports. She was a great athlete, and was involved in tennis, softball and basketball in her younger years. She helped coach and mentor many young people.
Dee was received into the Catholic Church at St. Therese Church in Kansas City, Mo., on May 2,
1971, and was confirmed on December 3, 1972, at Queen of the Holy Rosary Church in Overland Park, Kan. She became a certified catechist and worked with all types of children in religious education.
Dee felt that God was calling her to enter religious life, and she found deep happiness in that journey. She filled out an application form and received an answer, along with a birthday card, on her birthday on May 19, 1975. She entered the community at Paola on June 15, 1975. She was received into the novitiate on December 21, 1975. She made First Profession of Vows on June 12, 1977, and Final vows on June 8, 1980.
After entering the Ursuline community, Sister Dee received her bachelor’s degree at St. Mary
College in Leavenworth, Kan., and earned her master’s degree in education administration at Emporia State University. For 37 years, she worked with children with special needs and with elementary students.
When she moved to Kentucky, she adapted and made many friends, especially among the Villa staff. She volunteered to work in the Archives and was an intercessor in the Powerhouse of Prayer.
Sister Delores “Dee” Long, 81, died June 7, 2020, at Mount Saint Joseph in her 45th year of religious life. The funeral Mass was at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2020, in Mount St. Joseph Chapel with burial in the convent cemetery.