Gertrude Genevieve Faber was born Jun1917, at Mellen, Wisconsin to Francis Joseph Faber and his wife, Laura M. Walport Faber. She was the youngest of five children and much loved by the entire family. She used the words, “I was spoiled,” when she spoke about her life at home.

Young Gertrude began school in a one room public schoolhouse, where one teacher was responsible for all eight grades. The Faber family lived on a farm about five miles from the nearest town and parish church, and two miles from the country school.When Gertrude was eight years old the family moved to Monticello, MN. She again attended a one room schoolhouse. Her favorite subjects were history, geography and arithmetic. She was also a regular cast member of the school plays.

Gertrude made her first Holy Communion when she was twelve years old. Her class had special instructions from two Benedictine Sisters from a nearby parish. This was the only contact she had with nuns until she entered religious life. At the time she made her first Holy Communion, the priest asked all the students to receive Holy Communion at least once a month until they were twenty-one years old.

Sr. Mary Andrew told us, “/ lived in Minnesota where the winters are cold and we often get much snow. That one winter all the Sundays in January were the same, cold and much snow! It came to the last Sunday in January and what was I to do? I urged my sister to go with me and we walked two miles to church for the early Mass as that was the only time they gave out Holy Communion in that era. When we got to church we were so cold we could hardly talk in the confessional, but we made it. We were happy about that. ”

During High School in Monticello Gertrude was torn between becoming a sister or a nurse. She knew she didn’t want to combine the two. She enjoyed embroidery work and won several prizes for her work at the County Fair. After graduation Gertrude worked as a waitress in a hotel till she made up her mind to enter religious life. By December she knew she was deeply attracted to the life at Clyde which she read about in our magazine “Tabernacle & Purgatory.” The parish priest in Monticello had encouraged four young women in his parish to enter at Clyde: Sr. M. Louise, Sr. M. Estell, Sr. Evelyn Agnes and Sr. M. Andrew.

Gertrude had intended to work for a bit longer before coming to Clyde, but God had other plans. The parish priest knew that Estell was coming to Clyde right after Christmas. Her family was driving her to Clyde. With a little time to think it over, Gertrude came along on the trip. The decision was made so quickly she barely had time to gather her items to bring to Clyde. She was happy to learn that Clyde had a supply of black dresses for postulants as she didn’t have time to make any for herself.

As a postulant Gertrude worked in the printery and during novitiate she was assigned to the kitchen. She made her first monastic profession Jan 21, 1939, and received the name Sr. Mary Andrew. After profession Sister worked in the main kitchen helping to cook for 170 sisters and over forty workmen. She also worked in the infirmary kitchen where they had as many as sixty trays for a meal. Never very strong physically, Sr. M. Andrew was sent to Tucson for her health and worked there in the embroidery dept.

Little more than a year later Sister was back in Clyde taking care of arranging transportation and shopping. Sr. M. Andrew had a driver’s license before she entered. She mentioned that giving up driving a car was one of the hardest sacrifices she had to make. Then God gave it back to her. She became the regular driver for all the Maryville trips. It was work she loved to do. That assignment lasted eighteen years. Eventually Sr. M. Andrew was assigned to our monastery in St. Louis as portress. After that she returned to Clyde to work in the maintenance department. She learned much of the outdoor work and often dealt with the workmen. She told stories of her days taking care of the big Kewanee boilers. She always spoke of them as being “scary.”

When the time came to change over to new equipment and to update things at Clyde, Sr. M. Andrew decided it was time for her to leave maintenance work. After turning the work over to Sr. Sean, Sr. M. Andrew went to work in altar bread production in the morning and sewing in the afternoon.

Highly respected by her sisters in community, Sr. M. Andrew served on the monastery council of two prioresses. She was well loved and a good example of patience and practicality. She also played a challenging game of cards. In her later years Sr. M. Andrew suffered from cancer and several other chronic illnesses. Her cheerful nature carried her through much suffering. When it was clear she was failing our sisters kept vigil with her. Sr. Gladys Noreen was with her when she died at 6:45 AM.

Sr. M. Andrew was a woman of deep prayer and devotion. She practiced living in constant awareness of God’s presence. This was her joy, her strength, and her advice to those of us who came after her, “Just stay with the Lord.”