S. Rosemary Weber, OSB

S. Rosemary Weber OSB, age 85, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. A wake service will be at 7:00 PM, on Thursday, March 7, 2019 and the Mass of Christian Burial is 11:00 AM, on Friday, March 8, both at the Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel in Yankton with Fr. Valerian Odermann officiating. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Monastery Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Yankton. Rosemary was born on the family farm near Salem, South Dakota on January 13, 1934. She was the seventh of eleven children of Stephen and Frances (Weber) Weber. She attended St. Mary’s School in Salem, graduating in 1952. She entered Sacred Heart Monastery on August 20, 1952 and was invested as a novice June 28, 1953 and received the name Francille. S. Francille made temporary vows June 29, 1954. Her perpetual vows were on June 29, 1957. She later went back to her baptismal name and was known as S. Rosemary. S. Rosemary was a teacher and principal for twenty-two years ministering in York, Nebraska; Aberdeen, Dimock, Sioux Falls and Salem, South Dakota. She received her credentials for this ministry from Mount Marty College in 1965 and, in 1971, she earned a Masters of Education from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1977, she left education for parish ministry at McLaughlin, Bullhead and Wakpala, South Dakota. This ministry among the Native people on the Standing Rock Reservation was significant for her because this was where the Benedictine Sisters first served in the Dakotas. Following her time at Standing Rock, she continued pastoral ministry in Watertown and Yankton, South Dakota until she retired. S. Rosemary’s leadership style was honest, practical and persistent. She was a kind-hearted person, aware of the needy and poor in spirit. This was especially evident in her time spent at Standing Rock Reservation and at Our Lady Help of Christians, Ndanda, Tanzania, East Africa. She was a strong advocate for liberal arts education as a Mount Marty College board member. S. Rosemary enjoyed playing cards, doing puzzles, and watching ball games and movies. Her life was simply a continuous seeking and listening for the Holy Spirit’s lead. S. Rosemary is survived by her Benedictine community, her sisters: Theresa Weber, Joyce (Duane) Kappenman, and Phyllis Zwart, her brother, Steve (Sue), sister-in-law, JoAnne Weber and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Peter, Philip, Bernette Westhoff, S. Stephanie, OSB, Loretta Engesser, and Leona Vogel. To send an online message, please visit www.wintzrayfuneralhome.com.