"Generosa" and "Fidelis"! What more needs to be said to describe the life of our Sister than these two names which she bore: Generosa, her baptismal name; and Fidelis, her espousal name?

Born at Wagenrein, near Wurttemberg, Germany, on April 17, 1906 to Alois and Josephine Reiger Veil, Generos was raised in a large family of brothers and sisters Three brothers and three sisters were living at of her death, which occurred December 22, 1985, Patrick Veil, a Bethlehem Missionary priest was living in Taitung, Tawwan; Michael Veil had a home in Rochester, New York; and Johannes Veil lived in Wurttemberg, Germany. Her two religious sisters, Sister Paciana and Sister M. Sanctina in West Germany, were suffering the infirmities of age and confined to bed. Another, Anna, was living in Aalen, Germany.

Generosa learned of the convent at Clyde, Missouri through her brother, who had some contact with Father Lukas Etlin. Michael had already migrated to Utica, New York, and missed his family. He begged Generosa to come and live with him, and she responded. After two and a half years, they went back together to Germany to pay a visit to their dying mother. The joy of seeing them revived her. While in Europe, Generosa went to a shrine of the Blessed Virgin to pray about her vocation. She consulted the priest there and he told her that he felt she belonged in a convent.

She accepted his answer and never doubted her vocation. Her mother, however, wished her to enter a convent in Germany, and even made her promise to do so. Father Patrick by this time had been sent to the missions, and he assured her that their mother knew that when God calls, a person cannot be stingy.

Generosa had written to Clyde and received a brochure from Sister M. Salome Eikelmann. The view of the convent and chapel captured her heart. She sent the brochure to her mother's pastor and begged him to explain that her heart’s desire was to enter at Clyde, where the Sisters kept perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The priest, when he learned that the community combined work and prayer was very much pleased, and persuaded her mother to affirm that choice.

Sister was introduced immediately to the convent regime when Sister M. Ehrentrude Diemert told her as she ate supper in the guest dining room the night of her arrival, November 21, 1930: "Take some sugar. That’s the last time you will get sugar in the convent!" The next morning, Rose, as she was called when postulant and novice, was assigned to work in the Altar Bread department, and that is where she continued to labor the rest of her life, except for about six different times in kitchen at one or other of the convents.

After her perpetual vows, made on February 5, 1938, she went to Tucson but stayed only eight months as she was recalled to Clyde. She was making the community retreat, repeating to herself as she walked down the hall the words of a poem recited by the Retreat Master: "Lord, I will go wherever you want me to go, and be where you want me to be." Mother M. Dolorosa was approaching and stopped and asked, "Sister, are you ready to go back to Tucson?" So on March 4, 1940 she left again for Tucson and stayed nearly fifteen years, receiving the Consecration of Virgin there, January 6, 195: Leaving Tucson in February 1954 she went to Kansas City until August 31, 1959 when her superiors sent her to Mundelein. After ten years in Mundelein she returned to Kansas City on January 9, 1969. From there she went to Clyde in 1970.

On Saturday, December 21, 1985 Sister went to adoration at four o'clock in the afternoon, but appeared very restless. A Sister in the chapel offered to take her place. Sister M. Fidelis left and started for her bedroom in the infirmary. The infirmarian met her in the hall and questioned her. She said she was very dizzy, so Sister took her over in a wheelchair. She notified the superior and assistants. She had difficulty in breathing and slipped into eternity at 4:45 Sunday morning, with the four Sisters who had been with her all the time at her side. 

The Mass of the Resurrection was held at 7:30 on December 24, 1985 with five of the Abbey priests concelebrating. Sister had expected to sing one of the Lessons at Christmas vigils, and had her name up for night adoration when stricken. Surely, Jesus gave a loving welcome to His faithful Spouse as He called her to celebrate His Nativity with Him in a new life.