Obituary for Sister Jeanne Giese
Sister Jeanne Giese of Mother of God Monastery in Watertown, SD, died Monday, November 28, 2022, at Jenkins Living Center in Watertown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the Mother of God Monastery in Watertown.
A Liturgical wake service will be at 6:30 p.m., Friday, December 2nd at the Mother of God Monastery.
Burial will be at Mother of God Monastery Cemetery in Watertown.
Given the name Mary Joan at birth, Jeanne was born on December 26, 1930, in Hoven, SD. She was the older of two children born to Rudolf Giese and Marion (Gross) Giese. Preceding her in death were her parents and her brother, Dean.
She grew up on a farm near Hoven during the hard years of the depression and the dust bowl. S. Jeanne attended grade school at St. Anthony School in Hoven, then Mount Marty H.S. and College in Yankton, SD. She entered Sacred Heart Convent in Yankton, in the fall of 1948.
S. Jeanne made a profession of perpetual vows to Benedictine life on June 29, 1954. On June 15, 1961, she became a founding member of Mother of God Monastery and served the community as Vocation Director, Formation Director, organist, Oblate Director, archivist, and Liturgy Director. She served as assistant prioress for Sisters Mildred and Josita, and then as prioress from 1985 – 1993.
After graduating from college, S. Jeanne joined the faculty of Mount Marty H.S., teaching Latin, English, Religion, Dramatic Arts, Music, and whatever else was needed. She also taught at Richardton, ND and at Stephan and Harmony Hill H.S. and Mount Marty College in SD. She was a creative and exciting teacher, popular and loved by her students.
In addition to classroom teaching, S. Jeanne expanded her ministry by working for the Institute for Christian Brotherhood at Blue Cloud Abbey and the American India Culture Research Center, also at Blue Cloud. She helped the Abbey put all their library holdings on computer and put together a new revision of their Divine Office, also on computer.
Then she was given the daunting task of putting together a new office book for the Monastery: new books for Lauds, Day prayer and Vespers, and 47 user friendly booklets for solemnities, feasts and the liturgical seasons.
S. Jeanne was a seasoned traveler and took every opportunity to visit Germany, Rome, England and other sites of interest.
S. Jeanne’s last years were marked by pain and illness, which she bore cheerfully, always asking for news of the Monastery when visitors stopped in.
She was eager to receive lists of intentions to pray for; “I pray better when I know who to pray for,” she commented.
The Sisters of Mother of God Monastery give thanks to God for the life of Sister Jeanne. We will miss her cheerfulness. She was a gift to all who knew her.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the Mother of God Monastery in Watertown.
A Liturgical wake service will be at 6:30 p.m., Friday, December 2nd at the Mother of God Monastery.
Burial will be at Mother of God Monastery Cemetery in Watertown.
Given the name Mary Joan at birth, Jeanne was born on December 26, 1930, in Hoven, SD. She was the older of two children born to Rudolf Giese and Marion (Gross) Giese. Preceding her in death were her parents and her brother, Dean.
She grew up on a farm near Hoven during the hard years of the depression and the dust bowl. S. Jeanne attended grade school at St. Anthony School in Hoven, then Mount Marty H.S. and College in Yankton, SD. She entered Sacred Heart Convent in Yankton, in the fall of 1948.
S. Jeanne made a profession of perpetual vows to Benedictine life on June 29, 1954. On June 15, 1961, she became a founding member of Mother of God Monastery and served the community as Vocation Director, Formation Director, organist, Oblate Director, archivist, and Liturgy Director. She served as assistant prioress for Sisters Mildred and Josita, and then as prioress from 1985 – 1993.
After graduating from college, S. Jeanne joined the faculty of Mount Marty H.S., teaching Latin, English, Religion, Dramatic Arts, Music, and whatever else was needed. She also taught at Richardton, ND and at Stephan and Harmony Hill H.S. and Mount Marty College in SD. She was a creative and exciting teacher, popular and loved by her students.
In addition to classroom teaching, S. Jeanne expanded her ministry by working for the Institute for Christian Brotherhood at Blue Cloud Abbey and the American India Culture Research Center, also at Blue Cloud. She helped the Abbey put all their library holdings on computer and put together a new revision of their Divine Office, also on computer.
Then she was given the daunting task of putting together a new office book for the Monastery: new books for Lauds, Day prayer and Vespers, and 47 user friendly booklets for solemnities, feasts and the liturgical seasons.
S. Jeanne was a seasoned traveler and took every opportunity to visit Germany, Rome, England and other sites of interest.
S. Jeanne’s last years were marked by pain and illness, which she bore cheerfully, always asking for news of the Monastery when visitors stopped in.
She was eager to receive lists of intentions to pray for; “I pray better when I know who to pray for,” she commented.
The Sisters of Mother of God Monastery give thanks to God for the life of Sister Jeanne. We will miss her cheerfulness. She was a gift to all who knew her.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com