A funeral Mass for Sister Paulette Marie Tiefenbrunn, SSND, was celebrated Oct. 12 in St. Louis. Sister Paulette Marie died Aug. 25 at Watsonville General Hospital in Watsonville, California. She was 76 years old.
The third child, and only daughter, was born to Pauline (Poepper) and Raymond Tiefenbrunn on Sept. 18, 1945, at Lutheran Hospital in St. Louis. She was baptized on Sept. 30, 1945, at Immaculate Conception Church in Arnold and named Joyce Adeline. Joyce attended Immaculate Conception School in Arnold, which was staffed by the Ursuline Sisters. After graduation, a cousin encouraged her to enroll at Notre Dame High School in St. Louis, which was staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
Joyce entered as a postulant at Sancta Maria in Ripa in St. Louis on Aug. 25, 1963. She was received into the novitiate on July 30, 1964, and given the name Paulette Marie. She professed first vows on July 31, 1965, and final vows on July 31, 1970. Sister Paulette Marie earned bachelor’s degree in American studies from the former Notre Dame College in 1967 and a master’s degree in elementary education from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 1980.
Sister Paulette Marie spent 52 years in Catholic education. She began her ministry at St. Philip in East St. Louis, Illinois. In 1972, she was missioned to St. Helen in Fresno, California as principal and teacher. After four years, she returned to the Midwest and was principal and teacher at St. Aloysius School in St. Louis. In 1984, she began a five-year term as assistant superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Fresno. She then returned to teach at St. Helen. Four years later, she became the principal and teacher at Sacred Heart School in Salinas, California. She spent more than 25 years ministering in California.
After a sabbatical, she taught at Holy Rosary School in Houma, Louisiana, and then principal at Holy Rosary Academy in New Orleans. In 2016, Sister Paulette was named an American Graduate Champion by New Orleans Public Television. This honor recognized her work with special needs students. For the next two years, she was a fundraiser for low-income schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. She taught at St. Joan of Arc in New Orleans and was a tutor in Metairie, Louisiana. In 2018, she became assistant to the director of Peace and Justice for Catholic Charities in New Orleans. She served as as the director of the math pull-out program at St. Stephen Elementary School in New Orleans.
In 2020, Sister Paulette Marie returned to California. She became the Restorative Justice Coordinator for the Monterey Diocese and a volunteer.
Burial was in the Sancta Maria in Ripa Cemetery.
