Agnes Cecilia Mohr was born on Feb. 12, 1927 in New Ulm, MN to Martin Joseph and Clara Tauer Mohr. She had six brothers (Vernon, Clarence, Landis, Marlow, Hilary, Allen) and three sisters  (Aurelia, Irene and Elizabeth). Agnes was the sixth child of the ten children and the first to go to high school. She grew up on a farm and helped with milking cows. She also did baking and cleaning with her mother.

During those depression years music gave much joy and fun to the family—her father played concertina and harmonica; her mother played the organ; Agnes played a little piano; her sister Elizabeth played drums and piano; her brother Hilary played piano and clarinet; her brother Marlow played the piano, concertina and accordion and her brother Allen played concertina. A fond memory she had from her childhood was going to Mass on Sundays during the winter by horse and sleigh with six foot snow banks in zero degree weather.

Agnes graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1945. The following September she took the Diploma Nurses Course at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. She graduated in 1948 and then worked as a registered nurse the next two years at the two hospitals in New Ulm. She also did private duty nursing at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN.

Agnes was content with her nursing profession but still felt a deep inner voice calling her to more prayer. She had been aware of a calling to religious life since the 6th grade even though she had pursued a nursing degree. A priest in her parish at New Ulm, Fr. Paul Judge, had a sister already in our congregation—Sr. Consilia. So he suggested Agnes write to Clyde. She visited the convent and had a “God-experience” while keeping a period of adoration which helped her know this was the community for her. She entered on the feast of St. Anne, July 26, 1951 and was invested as a novice on Feb 21, 1952.

During the novitiate she was assigned to help in the bakery. They started work early in the morning and usually ate a late breakfast and Agnes ate a very light meal. This caused the gruff German sister in charge of the refectory to say to her, “Novice Agnes, if you don’t eat a good breakfast you will soon go down in the grave.” Though the sisters were not accustomed to taking sugar on their cereal in those days, Sister sprinkled Agnes’ cereal generously with sugar to make it most enriching and appetizing. Deeply touched by this sister’s solicitude, Agnes tried to follow her advice.

She professed First Vows Feb 24, 1953 receiving the name Sr. Mary Agneta so that she was able to keep her beloved St. Agnes as her patron. She made Final Profession on March 13, 1958. After First Profession, she was assigned to help the infirmarian and from that time on had ample opportunity to practice her nursing profession. In 1959 she spent a few months in San Diego at the temporary convent in Old Town. She then went to Tucson where she worked in the altar bread department and welcomed the change from nursing. She then returned to San Diego and helped with the moving to the new location on Paducah Drive where she had charge of the infirmary. She would serve as infirmarian in many of our monasteries over the years.

When Mother Mary Carmelita had her serious car accident in 1958, Sr. Agneta helped her convalesce at Mercy Hospital in St Louis. In 1971 she took a clinical refresher course in nursing at the Rochester Clinic in MN. That same year she had the privilege of receiving the Consecration of Virgins at our Kansas City monastery. It was her privilege to go to San Diego in 1990 to help care for two sisters who were both dying from cancer. Over the years when not assigned to nursing, she served the congregation as portress and worked in the altar bread department in many of our monasteries.

Sr. Agneta was fond of the Good Shepherd image of our Lord and considered herself a ‘poor and needy lamb who was a little lost’ at times. “But Jesus the Good Shepherd always finds me, in Him I place my trust,” she wrote.

Sr. Agneta entered Our Lady of Rickenbach Health Care Center in 2007. In late December of 2012, her health rapidly declined. She died at 5:30 am on January 2nd. Sisters Pat and Virginia Anne were with her when she died. Sr. Agneta was 85 years old and in the 59th year of her Monastic Profession. Her funeral Mass was held on January 5th and she was buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery at Clyde, MO.