Mary Helena Karls was born on August 25, 1898 at Cross Plains, Wisconsin, the youngest of fourteen children, 9 boys and 5 girls. Her parents, Mathias and Helena (Schmitt) Karls were both born in Trier, Germany. When she was two years old the family moved to a farm northwest of Waunakee. Prayer was a priority in this large family, and whenever they went on a journey Mrs. Karls would begin the rosary. Mary Helena, who was 7 years old when her mother died, was raised by her brothers and sisters. They stayed on the farm until 1920 when her father died. Mary Helena attended St. John’s grade school, taught by the Sisters of St. Agnes, but school was not her favorite thing. She much preferred playing outdoors with the other children or doing housework and sewing. As a young adult she enjoyed her work as an assistant cashier at a local bank in Waunakee.

Mary Helena respected the Sisters, but did not feel called to nursing or teaching. She learned about Clyde when Sr. M. Bernard Willmann and a companion came to their home on a collecting tour, apparently interested in more than money when they suggested that Mary Helena had a vocation. During a Mission in their parish she spoke to a Vincentian priest, and when she mentioned Clyde, he said: "Oh, I know that place...it’s heaven on earth." She entered on March 20, 1928. At her first profession of vows on January 18, 1930 she received the name Sr. M. Anna, changing it to Sr. M. Ann in 1975; perpetual vows was on May 26, 1935. Sr. M. Ann has served in various ministries in our monasteries, in the kitchen, the correspondence department, the infirmary, and for a time she helped in the academy staying in the dormitory with the girls. In 1935 she went to Mundelein where she spent 24 years, serving the community as cook for most of those years. She was back at Clyde from 1956-1957 and then returned to Mundelein until 1960. At Clyde from 1960 until 1975, Sr. M. Anna worked in the altar bread department and with sewing. On November 30, 1975 she transferred to our St. Louis Monastery where she was refectorian, helped with candles in chapel and did some sewing. In 1983 Sr. Marv Ann moved into the Health care community. As long as she was able to do so, she helped the bookkeeper count the money from the chapel offering box.

Sr. M. Ann remembered the "hard work" of early years, bushels of apples and pears to prepare, and scrubbing the big cooking kettle with salt and vinegar. "We had to work hard but we had a real family spirit," she said. Post Vatican II changes in the congregation did not worry her, but seemed to delight her and she was able to adjust with her usual graciousness and gratitude. "I can go along with the changes," she said serenely, "it doesn’t worry me. If the church wants that, then we should do it." She also found great joy on her home visits. In the year of her 90th birthday, her numerous nieces and nephews planned a celebration with her. She assured them, "I always love to come back because Waunakee is a very special place for me."

Because Sr. Mary Ann had such a beautiful, radiant smile, her personal sufferings were not always apparent, and in the latter part of her life they were definitely linked with the experience of being "exiled" from her heavenly home. As Sr. Mary Ann longed for eternal life, the words of Psalm 90 expressed her deepest hope: "Measure our joy by the days of our affliction." And now her joy is everlasting! We will remember our Sr. Mary Ann as a very grateful and gracious person who readily and frequently expressed appreciation for what others were doing in community, and doing for her. Through her dedication to the Eucharist she acquired a genuine spirit of thanksgiving. Among her personal writings we find this expressed: "Deepest gratitude is due to my past, present and future superiors, including each sister in the congregation, also to my immediate family, relatives and friends, and especially to all priests who served and cared for my spiritual needs in so many ways. I beg my Divine Bridegroom to reward each of you with a rich and delightful reward in our home in heaven....I am longing for His peace and seeing Him face to face. To Him be all honor and glory forever and ever."

Death came very quietly at 1:50 AM, September 7, while community members kept all night vigil of prayer at her bedside. Sr. Mary Ann’s nephew, Fr. Anthony Karls, celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial in the St. Louis monastery chapel on Friday, September 9, 1994. Burial was in Mt. Calvary cemetery at our Clyde monastery the following day. May she rest in peace.