A memorial Mass for Sister Marlene (formerly Michael de Deo) Buese was celebrated Dec. 9 at the Theresa Center Chapel at Sancta Maria in Ripa in St. Louis. Sister Marlene died Nov. 18 at the Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois. She was 83.
She was the second of nine children born to Catherine (DeMange) and Herman Buese at St. Mary’s Hospital in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Nov. 11, 1942. She was baptized at St. Regis Church in East St. Louis on Nov. 28, 1942, and named Marlene Frances.
Marlene attended St. Philip Grade School in East St. Louis, staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She began her high school education at St. Teresa Academy, which was staffed by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ from Ruma, Illinois. Marlene was attracted to religious life since grade school and at the end of her sophomore year, she asked permission to enroll at the aspiranture at Sancta Maria in Ripa in St. Louis. After discussion with her parents, pastor and sisters in the parish, she entered the aspiranture for her junior year.
Marlene had sufficient credits to begin college, so she entered the candidature following her junior year. She received the candidate’s veil at her home parish, St. Philip, on Aug. 26, 1959. She was received into the novitiate on July 30, 1960, and given the name Michael de Deo, in memory of her deceased brother Michael. She professed first vows on July 31, 1961, and final vows on July 29, 1966. Later, she returned to her baptismal name.
She received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the former Notre Dame College in St. Louis in 1963; a master’s degree in biology from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, in 1974; and a master’s degree in theology from St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana, in 1985.
Sister Marlene ministered as a teacher for 19 years. She taught fourth grade at Our Lady of Sorrows in St. Louis for two years. Across the next 17 years, she taught science and math at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Illinois; St. Joseph High School in Farmington; Rosary High School in St. Louis; and Duchesne High School in St. Charles.
In 1982, she felt a call to serve in parish ministry. She ministered in small rural parishes as a pastoral associate and director of religious education. She began at St. Rose in Metropolis, Illinois, followed by St. Paul in Vienna, Illinois; St. Joseph in Palmyra, Missouri; St. Mary in Centralia, Illinois; and St. Joseph in Farmington. In 2010, she was a teacher assistant at Farmington Public School for one year. In the following decade, she served as director of religious education at St. Lawrence in Sandoval, Illinois.
Sister Marlene retired in 2021 to O’Fallon, Illinois. In October 2025, she moved to the Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville.
Sister Marlene is survived by her sisters Catherine (Michael) Lobstein, Elizabeth Weidenbenner, Susan (Joseph) Callais and Annette (Henry) George; her brothers Donald (Ursula) Buese and Dennis (Veronica) Buese; many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, School Sisters of Notre Dame and SSND associates. She was preceded in death by her parents, Catherine and Herman Buese; her sister JoAnn Moran; her brother Michael; and brothers-in-law Jose Moran and John Weidenbenner.
Burial was in the Sancta Maria in Ripa Cemetery.
