Anna Owens was born in Iowa on Oct. 6, 1902. She was a student at our Clyde Academy and entered the convent as a postulant on March 8, 1919 at the age of sixteen. Six months later she was invested with the habit, and on Aug. 28, 1920 made profession as Sister M. Benigna. Her perpetual vows were made privately on Sept. 27, 1924, a few days before her death.

Sister was of a cheerful disposition, very generous and self-sacrificing. She loved challenges and always won out, due to her zeal, though at times she was indiscreet. She was determined to become a saint and did not want to lose any opportunity in pursuing her goal. Helping with the milking in the early morning from 4:00 a.m. until time for Holy Mass at 6:00 taxed her strength but not her generosity.

At her baptism, Sister’s sponsor was a doctor who proved to be a "fairy god-father", as he had no heirs and at his death left all his property to Sister M. Benigna. It was quite a large inheritance, but Sister generously renounced all claim to it, rejoicing in her vow of poverty. All the money and real estate went to the convent, and was used to complete the Relic Chapel and the new wing of the convent building.

Sister M. Benigna hoped to die young, like her patroness Benigna Consolata and the Little Flower, whom she tried to imitate in her total gift of self to God. Like St. Therese, she contracted tuberculosis (the quick, progressive type) and died after a comparatively short period of intensive suffering, just four days after her 22d birthday and four years after her religious profession. She was permitted to make her perpetual vows on her deathbed on Sept. 27, 1924 and died on the following Oct. 30th, having edified all by her spirit of joy and resignation.