A funeral Mass for Sister Teresita Kern, ASC, was celebrated Oct. 17 in the Ruma Center Chapel in Ruma, Ill. Sister Teresita, 93, was a professed members of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ for 76 years. She died Oct. 13 at the Ruma Center.
Born in Red Bud, Ill., Sister Teresita made her first profession in 1941 and her final vows in 1946. She was a member of the Dietary Managers Association and was certified in food service supervision and sanitation.
She spent 60 years in the industry, first as assistant cook, head cook and housekeeper, then later as food service manager. She started as a housekeeper at convents in Waterloo, Murphysboro, and O’Fallon, all in Illinois, and Vienna, Mo.
Later, in Illinois, she served at St. Teresa Academy in East St. Louis, the Ruma Center, the King’s House Retreat Center in Belleville, Weier Nursing Home in Belleville, St. Ann Healthcare Center in Chester, Clementine Residence, formerly a home for retired ASC sisters in Red Bud and Loretto Home and Catholic Children’s Home, both in Alton.
She also managed dietary services at three Illinois hospitals that were then sponsored by the former Ruma Province: St. Joseph Memorial in Murphysboro, St. Clement (now Red Bud Regional) Hospital in Red Bud, and St. Vincent (now Taylorville) Memorial Hospital in Taylorville.
She supervised the kitchen at St. John Cantius Seminary in St. Louis and at De Mattias Hall, the Adorers’ House of Studies on the campus of St. Louis University. She retired to the Ruma Center in 2003.
Sister Teresita is survived by a sister, Sister Lucille Kern, ASC. Burial was in the Ruma convent cemetery.
