Mary Jamesita Keller, BVM
Mary Jamesita Keller, BVM, 80, died Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, at Marian Hall in Dubuque, Iowa. Visitation will be from 10–11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 26, 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 Joliet, Ill., on Dec. 5, 1935, to Stephen Harry and Kathryn Elizabeth Donahue Keller. She entered the BVM congregation Feb. 7, 1954, from St. Ferdinand Parish, Chicago. She professed first vows on March 19, 1956, and final vows on July 16, 1961.
Mary Jamesita was an elementary school teacher in Chicago, Rock Island and Round Lake Ill.; and Phoenix, Ariz.
She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by a brother, James, Gurnee, Ill.; cousins; and the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with whom she shared life for 62 years.
Sister Mary Jamesita Keller, BVM
Funeral Welcome
Marian Hall, Aug. 26, 2016
Good afternoon and welcome to the celebration of life of our Sister Mary Jamesita Keller.
Donna Kathryn Keller entered this world on Dec. 5, 1935, as the first surviving child of Stephen Harry and Kathryn Elizabeth (Donahue) Keller of Joliet, Ill., and was later joined by a brother James.
At the time Donna entered the congregation, her father was working as an egg salesman in Chicago. However, while she was growing up, the family moved several times when her father worked for the East Anheuser-Busch company and dabbled in the stock market and commodities. He was sociable, ambitious and optimistic, able to “roll with the punches.” Her mother was realistic, bashful and a good listener. Their very different personalities must have been complimentary as they were married for 70 years.
Reflecting on her parents, Donna remarked: “In my elder years I noticed that I take after both my parents. I share my father’s love of people and my mother’s value for punctuality.”
Donna attended grade schools in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Davenport, Iowa, before enrolling at St. Ferdinand Grade School in Chicago where she met Sister M. Delphine White, BVM who influenced her decision to enter religious life. After graduating from Notre Dame HS in Chicago, she entered the congregation on Feb. 7, 1954, received the name Jamesita upon her reception on Aug. 15, 1954, professed her first vows on March 19, 1956, and lived 62 years as a BVM.
Jamesita taught in elementary schools for 43 years, ministering many years as a reading specialist in the primary grades. She was missioned at St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Eugene in Chicago; St. Joseph and Sacred Heart in Rock Island Ill.; St. Joseph in Round Lake, Ill.; and St. Agnes, St. Theresa and Paradise Valley Preschool in Phoenix. As an extremely dedicated teacher and tutor, she gave her all to instill a love of reading in her little ones.
While at St. Agnes, Jamesita was selected as a finalist for the 1977 Arizona Teacher of the Year, the only sister in Arizona to ever receive this award. A friend of hers wrote, “Jamesita was a master teacher in early education. She willingly shared her creative skills with many teachers. She had a special gift of making her students feel good about themselves. Among many thank you letters to her from parents, one wrote, “God walks with you. I see His glow.”
In 1988, Jamesita opened an in-home school called The School of “I CAN!” As described in Salt, she saw “the overwhelming need for the development of basic skills among students in grades one through eight . . . The positive environment of The School of ‘I CAN!’ motivates students’ interest and accelerates learning . . . Classroom teachers remark how students’ self-esteem increases with their new academic confidence.”
Jamesita described herself as spontaneous with an adventurous spirit while a friend commented that she was generous and always willing to help in any way possible. She inherited her parent’s love of nature and found a home in creation-centered spiritually. Her copy of Earth Prayers was well-marked and falling apart! She loved flowers, but it was the beauty of Arizona that truly fed her spirit. She enjoyed all types of books and named Mary Oliver as one of her favorite poets. Her artistic talents were expressed through needlepoint and creative projects such as sewing and decorating Christmas stockings for children of families served by St. Mark Community Center here in Dubuque.
Jamesita was extremely dedicated and loyal to her family and friends. Among her closest BVM friends were Sister M. Cecily Criswell and Sister Mary Francis Leahy. Their deaths in December of 2007 and February of 2008, respectively, were a tremendous loss.
Cecily and Jamesita lived together in Arizona for three decades. Cecily, although 14 years her senior, was always ready to join in whatever Jamesita wanted to do. She introduced Jamesita to farm life – riding on a tractor and whistling to bring the cows home – and together they traveled across Canada, to Mexico, and even rode mules down into the Grand Canyon. It may have been on the Criswell farm that Jamesita developed a love for horses. Mary Francis met Jamesita, the new student at St. Ferdinand, in the fourth grade and they remained friends for life. She once toasted Jamesita as “the richest lady in the world” because she had two good friends.
An anonymous friend wrote, “During her lifetime, Jamesita suffered with physical illness. This struggle, however, did not prevent her from expressing a deep love for her family and the BVM community to which she lovingly and conscientiously committed herself in ministry. She continued to engage in stimulating reading and praying with the elderly in the neighborhood. She had a great empathy for them. We thank God for her presence with us.”
As St. Paul reminds us, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose.” Jamesita was very grateful for her BVM life and the support and opportunities she received from the community. We, too, are grateful for her presence with us as we celebrate and rejoice her entrance into eternal life.