1918
Sister
2015
Sister Helen Obermiller
November 21, 1918 — March 21, 2015
Sister Helen Margaret Obermiller died peacefully at Villa St. Vincent on Saturday, March 21st, 2015. Helen Margaret was born in Faith, Minnesota on November 21, 1918 to Francis and Josephine (Rubash) Obermiller, the youngest of 27 children. Her father had eleven previous children and her mother brought thirteen siblings to the union which concluded with another brother, Stan, and lastly Helen Margaret. Stan remembers that "it was standing room only in the playpen". Helen Margaret had a happy childhood with much praying, singing, dancing, skating, reading, and teasing! Since either her mom or an older brother was always on the country school board, sister remembers that they had "the magic key [that] could always open our way to good library books". In school (and later in the convent), she was known as the giggler.
She began thinking of religious life as an 8th grader because of the love of liturgy she acquired from Father Charles Cannon, her pastor, the Benedictine sisters who taught at St. Michael's in Mahnomen, and her mother who took Helen Margaret with her to daily Mass. She entered community in January of 1936 and made final profession on July 10, 1940.
Sister's early years of ministry included teaching elementary education in many schools around the diocese including Thief River Falls, Crookston, East Grand Forks, Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, and in Mahtomedi and Lefor, North Dakota. She received a three-year normal diploma for this ministry at Viterbo College, where she later also received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in
Elementary Education before going on to graduate studies in the teaching of English at North Dakota State University. Sister's ministry then included teaching high school English at Sacred Heart High School, Lefor Public School, and Mount Saint Benedict High School. Sister Helen Margaret seemed to have a passion for classic literature including Shakespeare, because on a postcard from England to the monastery in 1979, she wrote, "Greetings from Shakespeare! Like Simeon of old, 'I am ready to die', I have seen Stratford". In addition to teaching, another of Sister Helen Margaret's talents was as a gifted writer; she was a member of the Crookston Benedictine staff and also wrote much poetry. She wrote poems in honor of her mom, her brother Stan, members of her monastic community and others, as well as about nature and things such as her "Ode to an Onion" written below:
Ode to An Onion O pungent white-faced bulb, Filmy, smooth and moist, Your outer coat peels easily And layers slip away, Revealing yet more richness Of inner onion life. Mid trickling tears I ponder My many-layered self Of pompous pride and "smugful whims" Too clingy to let go. Unless each layer strips away, Can the depth be ever reached?
When asked in autobiographical information about her greatest recognition or honor, however, she replied, "I have always received recognition for my greatest talent, namely that of cleaning". She remembered her contributions to community as "teaching and scrubbing".
Sister Helen Margaret was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers and sisters: Paul Obermiller, Albert Obermiller, Edward Obermiller, Benedict Obermiller, Mary Obermiller, Agnes Obermiller, Alvina Obermiller, Theresa Obermiller, Cecilia Obermiller, Leona
Obermiller, Vera Obermiller, John Rubash, Fred Rubash, William Rubash, Bill Rubash, Harry Rubash, George Rubash, Lambert Rubash, Lawrence Rubash, Raymond Rubash, Mary Rubash, Margaret Rubash, Anne Rubash, Evelina Rubash, Ida Rubash, and Stan Obermiller. She is survived by family members, friends, and the members of her monastic community. Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Helen Margaret Obermiller will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 26, 2015, at the Mount Saint Benedict Monastery in Crookston, MN. Visitation will be there from 5-7:00 p.m. Wednesday, with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, and also be for one hour prior to the funeral mass. Interment will be in the Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery later this spring. Memorials in honor of Sister Helen Margaret can be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Avenue, Crookston, MN 56716. Online registry:
www.stenshoelhouske.com
Funeral Home: Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home 615 South Minnesota Street Crookston, MN US 56716
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Service
Thursday, March 26, 2015
She began thinking of religious life as an 8th grader because of the love of liturgy she acquired from Father Charles Cannon, her pastor, the Benedictine sisters who taught at St. Michael's in Mahnomen, and her mother who took Helen Margaret with her to daily Mass. She entered community in January of 1936 and made final profession on July 10, 1940.
Sister's early years of ministry included teaching elementary education in many schools around the diocese including Thief River Falls, Crookston, East Grand Forks, Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, and in Mahtomedi and Lefor, North Dakota. She received a three-year normal diploma for this ministry at Viterbo College, where she later also received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in
Elementary Education before going on to graduate studies in the teaching of English at North Dakota State University. Sister's ministry then included teaching high school English at Sacred Heart High School, Lefor Public School, and Mount Saint Benedict High School. Sister Helen Margaret seemed to have a passion for classic literature including Shakespeare, because on a postcard from England to the monastery in 1979, she wrote, "Greetings from Shakespeare! Like Simeon of old, 'I am ready to die', I have seen Stratford". In addition to teaching, another of Sister Helen Margaret's talents was as a gifted writer; she was a member of the Crookston Benedictine staff and also wrote much poetry. She wrote poems in honor of her mom, her brother Stan, members of her monastic community and others, as well as about nature and things such as her "Ode to an Onion" written below:
Ode to An Onion O pungent white-faced bulb, Filmy, smooth and moist, Your outer coat peels easily And layers slip away, Revealing yet more richness Of inner onion life. Mid trickling tears I ponder My many-layered self Of pompous pride and "smugful whims" Too clingy to let go. Unless each layer strips away, Can the depth be ever reached?
When asked in autobiographical information about her greatest recognition or honor, however, she replied, "I have always received recognition for my greatest talent, namely that of cleaning". She remembered her contributions to community as "teaching and scrubbing".
Sister Helen Margaret was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers and sisters: Paul Obermiller, Albert Obermiller, Edward Obermiller, Benedict Obermiller, Mary Obermiller, Agnes Obermiller, Alvina Obermiller, Theresa Obermiller, Cecilia Obermiller, Leona
Obermiller, Vera Obermiller, John Rubash, Fred Rubash, William Rubash, Bill Rubash, Harry Rubash, George Rubash, Lambert Rubash, Lawrence Rubash, Raymond Rubash, Mary Rubash, Margaret Rubash, Anne Rubash, Evelina Rubash, Ida Rubash, and Stan Obermiller. She is survived by family members, friends, and the members of her monastic community. Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Helen Margaret Obermiller will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 26, 2015, at the Mount Saint Benedict Monastery in Crookston, MN. Visitation will be there from 5-7:00 p.m. Wednesday, with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, and also be for one hour prior to the funeral mass. Interment will be in the Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery later this spring. Memorials in honor of Sister Helen Margaret can be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Avenue, Crookston, MN 56716. Online registry:
www.stenshoelhouske.com
Funeral Home: Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home 615 South Minnesota Street Crookston, MN US 56716
Previous Events
VisitationWednesday, March 25, 2015
5:00 PM
- 7:00 PM
Mount Saint Benedict Monastery
620 Summit Avenue
Crookston, MN 56716
Prayer service at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
11:00 AM
Mount Saint Benedict Monastery
620 Summit Avenue
Crookston, MN 56716
Cemetery Details
Location
Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery
620 Summit Avenue
Crookston, MN 56716
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