Born August 17, 1897, Anna Nacke was one of a family of six boys and six girls who, with their parents, George and Anna Nacke, lived on a farm near Remsen, Iowa. Though we have no record of her early life or education, we may presume Anna attended a local rural school, along with her sisters and brothers, and with them shared in the pastimes and work usual on a farm. It was probably through our magazine "Tabernacle and Purgatory" that the family learned about our convent at Clyde. At any rate, Mary Angela, five years her senior, entered at Clyde in 1911 and was professed as Sister M. Georgia. Eight years later, on Sept. 8, 1919, Anna also became a postulant at Clyde and on the following May 1st received the habit of a Benedictine Novice. On August 10, 1921 she professed temporary vows as Sister M. Columba.

Final vows sealed Sister's commitment to God on August 12, 1926, and twenty-six years later she enjoyed the privilege of Virginal Consecration along with ninety other Sisters who participated in the solemn ceremony at Clyde on November 16, 1952. Sister had the joy of celebrating her Silver Jubilee in 1946, and her Golden Jubilee in 1971.

During the fifty-eight years of her religious life, Sister M. Columba was busy about many things: in the orchard and vineyard, the barn, the kitchen, the altar bread department, the printery and correspondence department, also did fine sewing and embroidery in the church work. However, Sister fell victim to asthma and various allergies, and was confined to the infirmary for many years. An avid reader, she found leisure time there to enrich her mind and spirit with the works of the Fathers, Holy Scripture, and other theological and spiritual writings. She was much interested in the works of Teilhard de Chardin, but in later years failing eyesight limited her reading.

When, in 1976, most of the Sisters in St. Mary's Infirmary at Clyde were transferred to the new St. Benedict's Health Care Center in St. Louis, Sister M. Columba asked to be allowed to spend her declining years at our convent in Kansas City. For a time she was able to take a limited part in community life. In 1979, she asked for and was given an opportunity to visit our Sisters at Sand Springs, Oklahoma, and thought the Forest of Peace a lovely place. In recent times she spoke much of heaven and eagerly awaited our Lord's invitation to make that final journey.

Unseasonably high temperatures in the summer of 1980 brought much discomfort to the Sisters in Kansas City as they lacked air conditioning and fans were inadequate. On Thursday, July 10, Sister M. Columba fell in her bedroom and was taken to the hospital where she responded satisfactorily to the treatment for heat prostration. On Saturday, the 12th, soon after the Sisters who visited her had returned to the convent, they were surprised by a phone call saying Sister had died.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Sister in the Kansas City chapel at 8:30 a.m. on July 14th, and she was taken to her final resting place in Mount Calvary cemetery at Clyde the same morning. This was the grave beside Sister M. Georgia which had been reserved for her.

Sister M. Columba was called to her eternal reward the day after we celebrated the feast of our holy Father Benedict. May she obtain for each of us the heart that is eager to listen and generous in responding to the precepts of his Holy Rule!