Frances Wohn, BVM (Alberic)
Frances Wohn, BVM died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, at Marian Hall in Dubuque, Iowa. Visitation will be from 9–11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, in the Marian Hall Chapel followed by a prayer service at 11 a.m. Funeral liturgy will be at 1:30 p.m. Burial is in the Mount Carmel cemetery.
She was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on April 21, 1935, to Joseph and Anna Lauer Wohn. She entered the BVM congregation Sept. 8, 1955, from Corpus Christi Parish, Fort Dodge. She professed first vows on Feb. 3, 1958, and final vows on July 16, 1963.
Frances was an elementary and secondary school teacher in Berwyn and Chicago, Ill.; and in Iowa City and Fort Dodge, Iowa, where she also taught on the college level.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters: Helen Bellingtier, Anna Schmidt, Elizabeth Clarken, Catherine Cain, Mary Brennan and Pauline Korte; and brothers Nicholas and Joseph. She is survived by sisters Margaret Edwards, Chicago, and Rose Holm, Fort Dodge, Iowa; nieces, nephews and the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with whom she shared life for 60 years.
Sister Frances Wohn, BVM (Alberic)
Funeral Welcome
Marian Hall, Jan. 8, 2016
Good afternoon and welcome to the celebration of life of our Sister Frances Wohn.
Frances Rosetta Wohn was born on April 21, 1935, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Joseph Wohn and Anna Lauer. She was the youngest of 11 children, nine girls and two boys, and is survived by sisters Rose and Margaret. After graduating from Corpus Christi HS, Fran took a secretarial course at Fort Dodge Junior College and then worked as an accountant at a hotel.
With all the girls in the Wohn household, a common saying when things did not go as desired was, “I guess I’ll just have to join the convent.” One day, while doing dishes with her mother, the saying came out of her mouth. When her mother warned her not to say that any more, Fran replied, “This time, Mom, I’m not kidding.” Fran entered the congregation on Sept. 8, 1955, and received the name Alberic upon her reception on March 19, 1956. She professed first vows on Feb. 3, 1958, and lived 60 years as a BVM.
After profession, Fran was sent to teach sixth and seventh grade students at St. Odilo in Berwyn, Ill., and at Holy Name in Chicago. After one year at Holy Name, she was assigned to teach high school biology and physical science, along with shorthand and typing. She was also missioned at Regina HS in Iowa City and St. Edmond HS in Fort Dodge, both in Iowa, and Cathedral and St. Benedict high schools in Chicago.
As a teacher, Fran’s mission, in her own words, was “to teach students . . . enough life science to be intrigued with the smallest living thing to the greatest, to love life enough to appreciate and respect it and to be thankful to God for the beauty of it.” Despite being considered a demanding teacher, Fran was greatly respected and loved by her students. Letters from her former students overflow with compliments. “You’re an amazing and inspiring teacher.” “I look up to you in so many ways.” “You have a zest for life and really know how to teach children.” “You’re driven by passion, and it’s contagious!”
Fran was dedicated to science education and environmental issues and was passionate about the preservation of our natural resources. She taught ecology classes and led guided ecology field trips. She wrote guest newspaper editorials and took students to Iowa legislative sessions when land use issues were debated. Fran and her students formed “The River Rats” research team to monitor changes in the Des Moines River. She was a member of several organizations including the Iowa Conservation Education Council and the American Biology Teachers, served as the president of the Webster County (Iowa) Conservation Board, and at one time taught a Boundary Waters Backpacking and Canoeing class at the University of Iowa.
Fran retired from fulltime teaching in 2012, but continued to volunteer and substitute teach at St. Benedict, completing 19 years of service at that school and a total of 52 years in education. Several organizations recognized her dedication to her ministry. She received the Sisters of St. Francis Excellence of Teaching Award given by the St. Benedict school board to “[an] individual who exhibits a commitment to teaching, models Christ like values . . . [and] cares for each student as an individual.” She also received the State of Iowa Conservation Teacher of the Year Award, The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)-Allis-Chalmers Teacher of the Year Award, and the Heart of the School Award from the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Fran’s other activities included teaching religious education, ESL and GED classes and participating in peace and justice activities. Regardless of all her activities, there was a great simplicity in the way she lived. During her summers away from teaching, she could be found at Two Spiders where she enjoyed the peace and the beauty while hiking in the woods and relaxing by the lake. Fran was gentle, gracious, insightful, and deeply concerned about others—simply a beautiful spirit. She loved her family deeply and they were devoted to her. Two of her nephews even drove from Fort Dodge to Chicago in a van to help her move to Mount Carmel.
In a letter to family and friends, Fran wrote the following:
I hope that I am remembered as a woman of dedication and integrity, with a passion for knowledge and truth, a love and a relish for what is right and just, a woman who favored order and rationality, a woman with a commitment to do the best she could in everything she tried.
I hope that I will be remembered as a woman who, in faith and hope searched for God all her life. One who found God in those around her, who shared her faith and tried to lead others into the discovery and the experience of a gracious and loving God who calls each of us by name.
I hope that I am remembered as a teacher who not only shared information, facts and ideas with students, but also shared her own life and experience as a person.
I hope that I am remembered as a sister who ministered and served God by serving the people of God, making herself available to them out of genuine care and love.
I hope that people will know how much I loved them and God.
Fran accepted her diagnosis with deep faith, believing, as did Martha, the sister of Lazarus, that whoever believes in Jesus, even though she dies, will live. Reflecting upon the end of her earthly life, she wrote, “You need not be sad when the candle of my life is extinguished. The gift of life was indeed a beautiful gift and I made good use of it. You were in my heart; now you are in my soul. Celebrate life!”