Agatha, one of 14 children (a set of twins and two other infants died at birth) of Anton and Frances Hochstein Heimes, was born April 9, 1916, in Wynot, Neb. She was one of a set of triplets –Ursula, Agatha and Victor. They began their faith journey with baptism on April 12th. She completed elementary school at Cedar Dale School, District 13 in September 1922.
On September 7, 1932, Agatha, along with 16 other young ladies, entered the Mount Saint Joseph novitiate to begin preparation for life as an Ursuline. On March 18, 1933, she was invested in the Ursuline habit and received the name Sister Frances Ursula. During the three-year novitiate, she worked with Sister Diomede Thomas making altar breads for the Motherhouse community and the Catholic parishes in the diocese and surrounding area. She earned a high school diploma from Mount Saint Joseph Academy during this time. She continued her education and earned an AB from Brescia College, Owensboro, and a master’s from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green.
In September 1935, Sister was assigned to St. Charles Convent, Bardwell, Ky., as housekeeper and organist for the church choir. She remained there four years. Other assignments, as music teacher/housekeeper/organist, were in Ursuline-staffed Kentucky schools in Central City, St. Francis, and Bardwell, along with Blanco, N.M. From 1945 to 1964, she taught music at Sacred Heart Academy, Waterflow, N.M.; Fredericktown and New Haven, Ky.; Nebraska City, Neb.; San Fidel, N.M.; St. Margaret Mary, Louisville, and St. Bartholomew, Buechel, Ky. In 1964 through 1979, Sister began classroom teaching in elementary schools St. Pius X in Owensboro, St. Margaret Mary in Louisville, Holy Cross in Holy Cross, Ky., St. Joseph in Mayfield, Ky., and St. John, Plattsmouth, Neb. She resigned from classroom teaching in 1980, but remained at St. John in Plattsmouth for a year. She then served as part-time librarian at Lourdes Elementary School in Nebraska City for seven years.
During the summer of 1988, she retired to the Motherhouse. She suffered from Parkinson’s disease that slowly consumed her strength. Sister went to her eternal rest Thursday, September 14, 2000, around 6:30 in the evening. The wake was in the chapel on Saturday, September 16th. Father Joseph Mills, chaplain, celebrated the funeral Mass, Sunday afternoon, September 17, 2000. Sister’s remains rest in the convent cemetery.