Christina (Dena) Struck was the daughter of German born parents who immigrated to this country some years before her birth. She was born at Oquawka, Illinois on January 29, 1862, and entered the Clyde convent on September 2, 1876, at which time the family lived at Maryville, MO. One of the earliest members of our congregation, she and the future Sister M. Placida were brought to the convent from Maryville by the latter's father in a horse-drawn lumber wagon. She was invested with the Benedictine habit on Sept. 29, 1876, made her first profession May 3, 1878, and perpetual vows on Sept. 29, 1884. Sister was one of the first group to receive consecration of virgins in November 1952.

Cheerful, hard-working, sacrificial, community minded, Sr. M. AJoysia was always ready to help wherever needed. She was sacristan for some 40 years; assumed the management of the farm for some time, did sewing, and helped at the laundry and canning room. She was a member of the local council for many years, and her prayerfulness was outstanding.

Confined to the infirmary in later years, she voluntarily sacrificed the peace and quiet of a private room, sharing it with a sister who had grown very senile and needed much attention. This charge cost her many extra steps and many disturbed hours, both day and night, but she was happy to be of help in this way and to spare the infirmarians.

Brought close to death's door several times by heart attacks, she eagerly awaited her holy patron, St. Aloysius, to come for her on his feast day. But he delayed his coming till a few hours after midnight, on June 22, 1944. Sister was eighty-two years old.