Sr. Alice Ann Deardorff, O.S.F.'s Obituary
Sr. Alice Ann Deardorff, age 89 of the Srs. of St. Francis in Oldenburg, died Friday, January 23, 2014 at the convent. Born May 19, 1925 in Indianapolis, Indiana, she is the daughter of Elizabeth (Nee: Vaughan) and George Deardorff.
Sr. Alice Ann entered the convent February 2, 1947 and made her final vows August 12, 1952. She began teaching in 1948 and taught Kindergarten through Third Grade for over fifty years. Schools included St. Mark's, Our Lady of Lourdes, Holy Trinity and St. Therese Little Flower all in Indianapolis, Holy Cross in St. Louis Missouri, St. Ann's in Hamilton, Ohio, and St. Anthony's in Dayton, Ohio. She found great joy in preparing her young students for their First Communion. In May of 1990 she was recognized by Indianapolis' WRTV Channel 6 as "Teacher of the Week" by the Jon Holden de Haan Foundation for her "outstanding achievements as an educator making a difference to the students of Central Indiana." While the recognition was appreciated, the appreciation of her students and their parents were her greatest gratification.
From the time she was in first grade, she knew she wanted to be a Sister. The death of an older sister while she was in high school devastated the family and Sr. Alice Ann remembers how comforting the Franciscan Sisters were in consoling the family and helping them through their grief. That lasting impression only further influenced her decision to enter religious life. During her first novice year, she became very ill, returning home for two years to regain her health. She was eventually able to return and made her final vows in 1952.
In the later years of her career she became a substitute teacher and assisted with parish work which gave her the time to help her sister-in-law care for her ailing brother. Sr. Alice Ann returned to the Motherhouse in 2000 serving in various positions before retiring in 2008. She enjoyed working in the stamp room and baking cookies. She shared her homemade treats with the Sisters, co-workers and guests. She noted that "Through the years, Jesus has been the reason for the many sacrifices and joys I have experienced.
She is survived by nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she is also preceded in death by sisters Mary Ellen Marshall, Alice Deardorff and brothers George and Charles Deardorff. Visitation is Monday, January 26th, from 1 - 3 p.m. at the convent chapel. Funeral services follow at 3 p.m. with Rev. Robert Gilday officiating and burial in the convent cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Srs. of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN, 47036 (www.OldenburgFranciscans.org).
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