Sister Rachel Zenzen

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Francis Convent on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, at 11 a.m. Friends may call at St. Francis Convent on Monday, March 25, from 4 – 8:30 p.m. and from 8:30 a.m. until the time of the funeral on March 26, at 11 a.m. Arrangements are by Shelley Funeral Chapel. Sister Mary Rachel was born on November 22, 1919. She was the fifth of six children born to the late John and Amelia (Scholz) Zenzen of rural Elrosa. She was accepted as a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls, Minn., on August 12, 1940. She made first profession of vows on August 12, 1942, and final vows on August 12, 1945. She was a Franciscan Sister for 72 years. A beautiful friendship developed between Sister Celine Jonas and Sister Rachel when they both worked in the kitchen at St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minn. During this time, they often talked about what they would do with their lives. The rest is history as they both entered the St. Francis Convent on December 8, 1939. Fifty years ago we had very few sisters who could drive. Sister Rachel became one of our early sister drivers. She often drove sister nurses to their meetings. She was eager to take sisters shopping and to visit their families. Sister Rachel had a deep and enduring love for her family. She was a hard-working person with a strong determination to do a good job in whatever she did. She was well known for her delicious cooking and baking. Her apple pies were outstanding. Last fall Sister Rachel made apple pies with the help of Cheryl Aswegan, Activities Director, and the week before she died, she was trimming cancelled stamps with Sister Ida Bursch. She was interested in and cared for the earth and, like a true farmer’s daughter, loved to plant seeds as well as care for, harvest and process the produce. Sister Rachel loved to embroider and was very good at creating her own designs. Her finished products were sold in the Franciscan Gift Shop. There was always a call for more of her embroidery work. Sister Rachel served as a food service supervisor in Little Falls, Moorhead and Onamia, Minn.; Darlington, Dodgeville and South Milwaukee, Wis., and Wahpeton, N. Dak. She served as a nurse’s aide in Alexandria and Little Falls and as a baker of altar breads and supervisor of transportation in Little Falls. She ministered as a core member of the House of Prayer in Flensburg and as a cottage supervisor at St. Cloud Children’s Home in St. Cloud. Sister Rachel was preceded in death by siblings George, Richard, Cecilia Loxtercamp and Edwin. Survivors include siblings: Raymond (Laura), Melrose; sister-in-law, Selestia, nieces and nephews and her Franciscan Community. Donations to Franciscan Sisters Ministries preferred.

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Sister Rachel Zenzen

November 27, 1919 - March 21, 2013