Sister Jeannette (Loyola) Klassen, OSB

Intermountain Catholic

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ST. JOSEPH, MINN. — Benedictine Sister Jeannette Klassen died Jan. 18, 2014 at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud, Minn. She was 93.

Sr. Jeannette was born March 7, 1920, to Jacob and Elizabeth (Nathe) Klassen in Melrose, Minn. She graduated from St. Mary’s Cathedral Grade School and Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, Minn. She entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery on October 6, 1944, made first monastic profession on July 11, 1946, and perpetual monastic profession on July 11, 1949.

A graduate of the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn., Sr. Jeannette also earned a bachelor’s degree in library science from the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minn., and a master’s in library science from Washington University in Seattle, Wash. She also studied at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minn.

Sr. Jeannette’s ministries included serving as an educator in Eau Claire, Wisc.; Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, and St. Boniface High School, Cold Spring, Minn. She also served as a librarian at Cathedral High School and Newman Center in St. Cloud; St. Bernard’s Monastery, Cullman, Ala.; Judge Memorial Catholic High School, Salt Lake City, Utah; and as librarian and archivist at College of Saint Benedict. Later in life, she became receptionist and secretary at the Salt Lake Pastoral Center and volunteered serving meals and helping the poor at the St. Vincent de Paul Center in Salt Lake City.

In 1991, she returned to Saint Benedict’s Monastery, where she was involved in many areas of community service. In her later years, she moved to Saint Scholastica Convent and continued to be involved in assisting retired sisters. She had a special ministry of community living and prayer.

Sr. Jeannette is survived by her Benedictine community, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by three brothers: Frederick, James and Bertrand; and four sisters: Alice Peterson, Wilkelmine Matzke, Ann Wasilowski and Mathilda Zimmerman.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 31, 2014, at the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn.

Please direct memorial gifts to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict Retirement Fund.