Sister Dianne grew up on a farm in Old Monroe, Missouri. She is the oldest of four children, two boys and two girls. Growing up, the children had their chores to do. Sister Dianne’s and her sister’s were mostly in the house and attending to the chickens, while the boys did most of the labor when it came to baling hay and helping with plowing. Sometimes she could talk her mom into letting her do little jobs out in the field as she got older. She found she preferred pulling weeds in the garden to working in the house. That love is still there, as Sister Dianne takes care of several of the gardens here at the motherhouse.
During her childhood, Sister Dianne recalls one winter during her second grade of school that was wet and warm. The roads where she lived were torn up and being worked on, but it was often muddy, or the water would be over the bypass in the creek. Normally she walked the two miles to get to school, but when it was raining, her dad would take her to school on the back of the tractor, covered with a tarp. There were even times that year when she stayed with her cousin, who lived closer to the school, so she didn’t have to worry about the roads. No matter which way she got to school, she did not miss a day that year! Even on Sundays, there were times when her and her dad walked across fields to get to Mass.
Sister Dianne does not have any specific moment that led her to the convent and being a Sister. She said it was something she always knew. She attended the Immaculate Conception Academy in Oldenburg and continued her education at Marian College and St. Louis University. Sister Dianne taught for a total of 19 years in schools in Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri. The next 45 years she continued to work in a variety of roles, including being a PT Aide in nursing homes, office manager in a high school, business manager and bookkeeper in parishes, and office assistant. She was also Executive Director of the Franciscan Federation, a role she is particularly proud to have had, and feels is one of her greatest accomplishments.
Sister Dianne has continued to be active in various roles here at the Motherhouse. She has been part of the Advancement Office for the past seven years and is also currently the Secretary to the Leadership Team. Prior to that, she was secretary to the Formation Team, telephone operator (which she still helps with), and Archives assistant. When she is not busy with work, she enjoys gardening, enjoying nature, jigsaw puzzles, play cards, listening to the music of Vivaldi, and icon painting (see photo below).
In fact, you can see Sister Dianne’s icon painting work at an exhibit at the Mary Anderson Gallery, Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality in Mount Saint Francis, Indiana through April 20. The exhibit is titled From the Springs of Contemplation: Iconography by Religious Women, which features the sacred art of three Catholic women religious from Indiana.
We appreciate all Sister Dianne has contributed to her community and are proud of her many accomplishments.