Sister Germana Marthaler

Sister Germana (Teresa ) Marthaler, 88, died Monday, August 31, 2015, at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Crookston, MN. Teresa was the sixth of eleven children of German-American parents, Albert and Nettie Marthaler on February 5, 1927 in Todd County, MN. She was raised on a farm. She knew how to help with milking the dairy herd, running the milk separator, shocking grain, and driving the tractor. She graduated from Cathedral High School in Saint Cloud, and in 1949 she entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery as a postulant. She was invested in the Benedictine habit in 1950 when she received the name of Sister Germana. She made final monastic profession on July 11, 1955. Sister Germana taught in elementary parochial schools in Barnesville, Mahnomen, Bemidji, Moorhead, East Grand Forks and Thief River Falls. She also was skilled as a secretary and bookkeeper, and she worked in this field in Crookston, Detroit Lakes, East Grand Forks and Grand Forks, ND, where she worked for 15 years at United Hospital (now Altru). Sister Germana was gifted in many ways. She was mechanical and could fix lots of small things: rewire lamps, clean corrosion off battery operated things, check tires, fix door knobs and figure out how to run the newer battery operated clocks, radios, TVs. If one ever wanted a tool – hammer, pliers. screwdriver, etc. she had it. Her family attests to the fact that she was a good baker and made cakes and boiled frosting. All this was before the box cakes and ready-made frosting. She was good at making bread. Sister Germana was a great lover of dogs, and she grieved at the death of her dog, Dancer. Her father died in 1955 and after that, during her summer vacations, she would drive her mother to see all the people and places she wanted to visit. After her mother died in 1985, she and Sister Andre, her Benedictine sister, spent their vacations at her sister's guest cabin on the Mississippi River near Saint Cloud. She enjoyed boating and just sitting on the shaded dock reading and napping. She was clever at doing crossword puzzles and Suduko. She loved to read and could devour a book in a day or two. Sister Germana was an avid and knowledgeable sports fan. The Sacred Heart Eagles teams were the best. While at Sacred Heart in East Grand Forks, she attended any sporting event possible. Also at the top of her list of favorites was UND hockey. She attended quite a few games with her brother-in-law, Jack. Watching the the Minnesota Twins and Vikings games was an absolute must for her. Sister Germana lived for many years in Sacred Heart Convent, East Grand Forks, and she became attached to the people of Sacred Heart Parish. She considered it to be her home parish. Without seeming overly pious, she was very prayerful and reverent. Sister Germana is survived by three sisters, Sister Mary Peter, OSC, Sauk Rapids, MN, Imelda also known as Jackie (Jack) McCann of Sartell, MN and Joan (Charles) Pfannenstein of Saint Louis Park, MN and one brother, Rev Andrew Marthaler of Sauk Center, MN., many nieces and nephews and the members of her monastic community of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery, Crookston, MN. She is preceded in death by her parents Albert and Nettie Marthaler, brothers Paul, Anthony Lawrence and Albert and sisters Annella Hougnon and Sister Andre Marthaler, OSB.

Funeral Home: Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home 615 South Minnesota Street Crookston, MN US 56716

---

Previous Events

Visitation
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Visitation
Friday, September 4, 2015
Service
Friday, September 4, 2015
cemetery
Friday, September 4, 2015