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Profiles of our Retired Sisters
Sister Clare Hartmann: A Lifetime of Service
At age 98, Sister Clare Hartmann, SSSF, has crystal clear memories of six decades spent serving on a Native American reservation in north central Montana. Fort Belknap Reservation in Harlem, Montana, is the home of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre people. “Speaks Holy” is the honorary name bestowed upon Sister Clare by the two tribes. “I’ll always remember the ceremony in 1955 when I was given that special name. We faced each of the four directions and prayers were said by all,” she recalled. Another School Sister of St. Francis, Mary Giswalda Kramer, was also adopted into the Gros Ventre tribe and was known as “Pipe Woman.”
Sister Clare now lives at St. Joseph Convent in Campbellsport, Wisconsin. Her room overlooks vast farmland and on the walls are artistic reminders of her years spent on the reservation. “Living here is as close to heaven as one can get,” she said with a smile. However, she remembered another beautiful spot that covered 600,000 acres of grazing land in a valley at the northwestern base of the Little Rockies. “I enjoyed everything about my ministry on Fort Belknap Reservation,” she said. “The people were wonderful and they still write to me and visit me.” Sister Clare proudly showed off her beaded “Tau” cross necklace, a handmade gift from a Native American friend.
While living on the reservation, Sister Clare taught first and second graders at St. Paul’s Mission School. “It was heavenly bliss and I loved every one of them,” she said, recalling that there were at least 40 youngsters in one classroom.
St. Paul’s Mission served the two tribes and was the center of life on the reservation. The Gros Ventres and Assiniboines lived on one reservation since it began in 1887. The Ursuline Sisters originally founded the Mission School, but in 1936 the School Sisters of St. Francis were asked to lend assistance. Sister Clare was one of about eight School Sisters who responded to the call.
Sister Clare also taught high school and was eventually asked to organize a library at the school. “There was no library so I made one that eventually had over 10,000 books,” she stated. “Mission High School was new and I was proud to be part of the first graduation ceremony.” Sister served as a teacher and librarian on the reservation and as a catechist in near by Lodge Pole. “I came to have such a great respect for Native American people,” she said. “They are conscientious and showed me their deep reverence for nature - to them it is like a living person. Every morning my friends would greet the sun and say their prayers. They were very religious, noble people and family always came first.”
Sister Clare wrote several books about her life on the reservation including one entitled, “The Significance of the Pipe to the Gros Ventre of Montana.” Sister Clare has always been intrigued by the reverence that Native Americans have for their pipes. Others are also intrigued with Sister Clare and her life of service. In 2007, a book about Native Americans was dedicated to her by an author in Germany. She is indeed recognized as one who “Speaks Holy.”
Sisters Iola Stecher and Monica Muskat
Many retired School Sisters of St. Francis remain active in teaching and tutoring. The School Sisters came to St. John Nepomuk School in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1917 at the invitation of a pastor in need of Bohemian and Slovak-speaking teachers.
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Sister Iola Stecher |
Sister Monica Muskat |
St. John School has 107 students in pre-school through eighth grade. Small in size, the school looms large in spirit, tradition and Catholic values. At the heart of the Catholic values is long-standing service by the School Sisters of St. Francis. “Our school has a wonderful reputation,” said Principal Bob Hesse. “The School Sisters have contributed so much to the parish and school with their love and generous spirit. They live their faith and the students respect them very much.”
When the school was filled there were hundreds of students and 20 sisters who served as teachers, homemakers, organists and cooks. In addition to working in the school, the School Sisters also served in catechetical ministry in the parish.
Sisters Iola Stecher and Monica Muskat talked about their service to the school and their passion for education. Sister Iola said, “I’ve been here for 17 years
and helped to build the library into what it is today. Teaching is my passion and I have been a primary school teacher all my life.” Sister Iola also helps teachers with ideas for religious education. The favorite part of her ministry is being around the students and teachers. “Sister Iola commands a lot of respect,” the principal said. “The students truly enjoy her as their librarian. She stays informed about many subjects and finds creative ways to motivate the students.”
Sister Monica was a full-time primary school teacher prior to coming to Racine in 1990. The first year at St. John School, she was a part-time reading tutor for various grades. She was interested in computers and took classes at Alverno College in Milwaukee and in Racine. “The first computer lab in the school used Apple computers until 1999,” she said. “Then due to a donation of 20 IBMs from a Racine business we began using IBM computers. The principal felt the children would benefit more from IBM knowledge later in high school, college and the vocation they would choose. Thus, I needed to update my skills.” She assisted pre-school through eighth grade students in the computer lab until her retirement in 2003. “I loved my second career as part-time computer teacher, even though it was challenging at times to prepare for all the grade levels.”
A teacher, Nancy Willing, commented that the School Sisters of St. Francis have provided a Christian moral compass for the rest of the school. “I am a teacher today because of the sisters that taught me at St. John’s,” she said. School secretary, Linda Witek, agreed and said, “The School Sisters have left their imprint and their influence and made a wonderful impression on all of us.