Madonna Marie Friedman was born on October 1, 1946, in Glennonville, Mo. Her parents were Michael Friedman and Johanna Vanderfeltz Friedman. She was the youngest of four children. Her siblings were Vincent, Patricia and Richard.
Madonna was baptized on October 2, 1946, the day after she was born, at St. Teresa Church in Glennonville. She was confirmed at St. Teresa Church on October 10, 1955.
She attended St. Teresa School for her elementary education. Her teachers included Mount Saint Joseph Ursulines: Sisters Angelina Payne, Monica Aud, Benigna (Naomi) Aull, Cecilia Mary McBride and Amanda Rose Mahoney.
She attended high school at Mount Saint Joseph Academy. Ursuline Sisters again taught her. Following her graduation, she entered the Ursuline community at Mount Saint Joseph. Eleven months later, on August 14, 1965, she received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Michael Marie, after her father.
Prepared for the teaching apostolate, Sister Michael Marie taught, or was principal, for 46 years at the following schools, all in Kentucky: Mary Carrico School (Knottsville); St. Paul (Princeton); St. Alphonsus (St. Joseph); St. Romuald High School (Hardinsburg); St. Mary High School (Paducah); St. Mary Elementary School (Paducah); Owensboro Catholic Middle School (Owensboro) and St. James (Elizabethtown). While principal at St. James, the school was named as a National Blue Ribbon School, earning the distinction in the “exemplary high performing category” meaning its test scores were among the highest in the state.
Later she served in pastoral outreach ministry in Livingston County, in western Kentucky. She visited the homebound or in nursing homes and led faith formation for youth classes at St. Pius X Parish in Calvert City. After retirement, she served as information receptionist and daily annalist at the Motherhouse.
Sister Michael Marie, 75, died September 12, 2022, at Mount Saint Joseph in her 57th year of religious life. The funeral Mass was at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 16, 2022, at Mount Saint Joseph. Burial was in the convent cemetery.