Sister Marie A. Theis, 101, Little Falls

February 17, 1918 - October 9, 2019

Sister Marie A. Theis, 101, died on October 9, 2019, at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls, Minn.

Marie was the oldest of eight children of Frank and Mary (Stein) Theis. She was born on a farm in Eden Valley, Stearns County, Minn., on February 17, 1918.

She was accepted as a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls, Minnesota, on August 12, 1939, and given the name Sister Mary Susanne. She was a Franciscan Sister for 80 years.

She served in the domestic area at the St. Cloud Children’s Home, the residences of Bishop Busch and Bishop Bartholome and at the Dwelling Place, a retreat center in Sauk Rapids. Her desire had always been to teach and she fulfilled that desire when she taught at Catholic schools in Waite Park, Elk River and Holy Spirit in St. Cloud. Following her years of teaching, she cared for the sick and elderly in their homes.

Sister Marie lived for a number of years at Mary’s House in St. Cloud, a place she thoroughly enjoyed because the back yard was the habitat of all kinds of God’s creatures and it was where she cared for a flower garden. She collected many recipes that she used in cooking and was an excellent cook. In the 1970’s, Sister Marie started writing the family history of both the Theis and Stein families. She wanted to preserve this history and she completed several family histories.

Sister Marie was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Florence Rademacher and Margaret Kerzman; brothers, Laurence and Sylvester; brothers-in-law, Aloys Radermacher, Ralph Kerzman and Peter Nohner; nephews, Kenneth Theis and Wayne Nohner; and her niece, Julie Theis.

She is survived by her sisters, RoseAnn Kerzman and Marion Nohner; her brother Francis and his wife, Helen; brother-in-law, Paul Kerzman; many nieces and nephews and her Franciscan Community.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Francis Convent on Saturday, October 19 at 11 a.m. Friends may call at St. Francis Convent on Saturday, October 19 from 9 a.m. until the time of the funeral. Arrangements are by Emblom-Brenny Funeral Service.

Donations to Franciscan Sisters ministries preferred.