It was with great sadness that we said farewell to our dear friend, Sr. M. Ancilla, on Thursday evening. She took her leave with such haste and so simply that we are still wondering about it, yet we are happy for her as she was keeping her watch for over a year for her Beloved to come for her. She felt tired and aged, yet always maintained a serenity and a sense of humor that endeared her to young and old. We will miss her very much. She told someone that what meant most to her in her religious life was friendship. She was a true friend to dear Sister M. Evangelista and to many of us, always making each one feel special in her presence. She was truly a beautiful soul, so quiet, hard-working and faithful.

Marie Luibrand was born November 1, 1893 in Ochsenhausen, Germany, a town west of Stuttgart, the oldest of five children. She was 5 years old when her father died, and the youngest child was born three months after his death. As her mother tried to support the family by doing laundry, Marie, at the age of 9, began working to assist her mother financially. When only 10 years old, she went to school in the morning and took care of eight children in another family in the afternoon. She succeeded so well that the father maintained the children were more obedient to her than to their own mother.

At the age of 15 she continued to do housework and also manifested a strong desire to become a religious and care for black children in Africa. At the age of 19, Rose, a sister to our Sr. M. Celestine Holl visited the Luibrand home. When learning that Rose was going to Chicago, Marie asked permission of her mother to go with her. She traveled with Rose and five other German women who were going to enter at Clyde. They were eventually Srs. M. Wunibalda and Willibalda Eichenhofer, Lidwina Klumpp, Pia Inwinkel Ried, and Appolonia Obrecht. Marie, however, went on to Chicago and obtained work as a housekeeper and was able to send some money to her mother.

Marie became ill in 1914 and had surgery to remove one kidney. Before surgery she made a promise to become a sister if her health was restored. God blessed her with restored health, and she entered at Clyde on May 8, 1915, was professed as Sr. M. Ancilla on February 3, 1917 and made perpetual vows on February 10, 1923. Sister could later admit that because she always loved children she thought she might not make it in the convent and one of her first questions at Clyde was, "Do you have any children here?" She did have the opportunity to work with the girls in the Academy, both in their dining room and in the dormitory. Sr. M. Ancilla also served in the printery, the altar bread department, the correspondence department, sewing room, as procuratrix and as local councilor. Her beautiful sense of humor and loving serenity will long be remembered, although certainly her life had not been without trials and suffering. Obviously her fidelity, quiet patience and determination helped her to achieve that serenity, which someone called her "unperturbability".

In 1932 Sister was transferred from Clyde to our Mundelein Priory where she helped in the sewing room, preparing vestments and other church goods. Because of a serious heart condition, she was brought back to Clyde in an ambulance in 1962, not expected to live, but again her health was restored. She came to St. Louis in 1975, and in 1983 became a resident of the Health Care Center. During those years she was able to spend much time helping in the Legion/A.I.M. room daily. She also spent time visiting the sick in the Health Care Center.

On the night of her death she was in her room when she fell, apparently having a stroke. After being lifted into bed, she quietly and peacefully died about 10 minutes later with ten of her Sisters beside her bed.

Her funeral Mass of Christian Burial was on Saturday morning, April 25 in the Monastery Chapel in St. Louis. Her remains were then taken to Clyde where the Eucharist was offered for her on Monday, April 27th, followed by burial in our Mount Calvary Cemetery at Clyde.