Sr. Marie Rose Petrie, OSF
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Sister Marie Rose (baptized Alice) Petrie, 84, was born January 29, 1937, in Mt. Calvary, Wis., the fifth daughter in a family of seven. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in 1954 and began teaching first grade in Milwaukee parishes. After professing vows on August 12, 1957, she transferred to St. Coletta of Wisconsin, Jefferson, where she ministered for five years as a teacher and group parent. Following an illness, she returned to teaching at Milwaukee parishes in 1962, and completed her bachelor's degree at Cardinal Stritch University. After another six-month recuperative period in 1969, she returned to teaching elementary grades at schools in Chicago, Ill., and Lyons and Jefferson, Wis.
After earning a master's in psychology in 1974 from UW-Whitewater, she spent one year as a school psychologist before joining the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Office of Education as a psychologist and providing support for teacher programming. In 1981, she joined the faculty at Stritch, where she founded and coordinated a math center. From 1988 to 2003, she ministered as a school psychologist at parochial schools in Jefferson and Racine, Wis., while earning a master's in religious studies from Cardinal Stritch University. She returned to Milwaukee as a learning specialist at Prince of Peace School until her retirement in 2007. She enjoyed writing poetry, capturing the beauty of the outdoors with her camera, and creating greeting cards, framing pictures and more.
Sister Marie Rose is survived by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, with whom she shared life for 67 years; a sister, Patricia Giebel; a brother-in-law, Ray De Both; nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Urban and Mary Ann (Schmitz) Petrie; brothers Walter (Catherine) Petrie and Father Fulgence (baptized Herbert) Petrie, a Capuchin missionary priest who died in Guam (1974); sister, Loretta De Both; two sisters who died in their youth, Florence and Rose Mary Petrie; and brother-in-law, Don Giebel.
Private funeral services were held at St. Francis Convent, with burial at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Cudahy, Wis. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi Memorial Fund would be appreciated.