S. Francine Streff OSB

S. Francine Streff OSB, 68, died on Friday, November 1, 2019. A wake service will be held at 7:00 PM, on Wednesday, November 6, 2019 and the Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, on Thursday, November 7, 2019, both in Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel. Burial will be in the monastery cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Yankton. Francine was born December 17, 1950 the oldest of six children to LeRoy and Betty (Tuschen) Streff of Salem, South Dakota. She grew up on the farm and through the responsibilities given to her on the farm, she was instilled with the ability to creatively solve problems. She attended St. Mary’s School in Salem and was a part of the last graduating class of St. Mary’s High School. She continued her education at Mount Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota, where she received a BA in education and began teaching. She later received a Masters from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. She was also involved in Democratic Party politics during her young adult life and worked on several campaigns. While teaching, she also developed skills in painting, calligraphy, and weaving. Rainbow colored thread became her signature for her woven creations. S. Francine entered Sacred Heart Monastery on August 23, 1992 and entered the novitiate on August 5, 1993. She made her first profession on August 7, 1994 and her final profession on August 2, 1997. During her years of ministry, she taught at Sacred Heart School in Yankton and at Christ the King and St. Michael’s in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After leaving teaching, she was in the public relations office at the monastery for a while and later ran the Monastery Gift Shop. She was also a spiritual director and initiator of the Monastery’s annual Holiday Fair. S. Francine was a determined person who did not let disability hold her back. She used her creative spirit to design her life with ingenuity and rainbow splendor. She was devoted to her family and encouraged her nieces, nephews and students to be the best they could be. S. Francine is survived by her Benedictine community, her brothers Rodney, Dan, Steve and Ray, her sister Paulette and nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father and mother.