Obituary of Sister Mariarthur Hamann, OSF
Sister Mariarthur Hamann, OSF (1916 – 2019) died at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home, Joliet, Illinois, on March 7, 2019. Sister Mariarthur was the daughter of the late Rose (Gruenke) and William Hamann. She was preceded in death by her parents and her two sisters, Elaine Wermich and Shirlee Heinz. She was a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, Joliet for 86 years.
Born and raised in Chicago, Sister Mariarthur was a member of St. Pascal Parish in Chicago, Illinois and attended the Parish Grade School and Alvernia High School in Chicago and graduated from St. Francis Academy (now Joliet Catholic Academy). She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the College of St. Francis (now the University of St. Francis) in Joliet, Illinois and a Master of Arts degree in Education at De Paul University in Chicago.
In 1936 Sister Mariarthur began her life-long ministry in the field of education at Immaculate Conception Parish in Columbus, Ohio teaching grades 4 – 7. She taught in other schools in both Ohio and Illinois until 1953 when she became the first principal of the new St. Jude Parish School in Joliet. She served there for seven years as teacher, principal and organist for the Parish. From 1960 until 1969 she continued ministering as a teacher and organist for various parishes in Illinois and Colorado.
In 1969 Sister Mariarthur became an educational consultant for the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin and in 1975 she served in that same capacity for the Diocese of Joliet. From 1980 – 1986 she ministered as an administrative assistant at St. Mary School in Plainfield, St. Raymond School and as Principal at St. John School in Joliet. She worked at the Will County Multiple Sclerosis Office as Patient Coordinator and Office Manager from 1986 – 1990 when she began teaching adults at the Bolingbrook Center. In 1994 she began her volunteer ministry at Silver Cross Hospital and Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home until her health began to diminish in 2006.
The wake for Sister Mariarthur will be at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home, 1201 Wyoming Avenue, Joliet, IL, (Wyoming and Rt. 30) on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 from 2:00 – 6:45 p.m., with a Prayer Service at 4:45 p.m. and Mass of Christian Burial at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral Procession will leave from Our Lady of Angels on Thursday morning, March 14, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. The Interment will take place at Resurrection Cemetery in Romeoville, IL.
Memorials may be made to the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, 1433 Essington Road, Joliet, IL 60435.
Arrangements entrusted to the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home. For more information, please call 815-741-5500 or visit her Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com
