Roberta Genevieve Schuster was born December 19, 1912, in Pilot Grove, Missouri, the 6th of fourteen children born to Frank and Effie (Hamilton) Schuster. One sister, Rosaline, (Sr. M. Regina) was a Franciscan Sister at Nevada, Missouri. One brother, Father Philip, was a monk of Conception Abbey.

At age 16 Roberta felt drawn to the religious life, a desire that was further inspired by the monthly reading of "Tabernacle & Purgatory." Longing to dedicate her life to God, she entered at Clyde on Dec. 2, 1929. At her first profession of vows on August 22, 1931, she received the name Sr. M. Flora. The date of her perpetual vows was August 29, 1936. Already as a novice and a junior sister she had earnestly embraced the Benedictine pattern of "Prayer and Work," and her generosity knew no limits.

Sr. M. Flora accepted and fulfilled all her responsibilities, great or small, with fidelity and generosity. No matter where she was needed or what she was asked to do, her cheerful, willing spirit was always apparent, along with her timely sense of humor. Every assignment was embraced as the will of God to which she gave her all, never counting the cost, never holding back. 

Soon after she arrived at Clyde: "I was needed in the Altar Bread Dept, for the Christmas rush, and that rush lasted 22 1/2 years! I enjoyed every minute of it..." Her description of the work at that time is interesting: "There were three pumps or wells near the house. There was one by the printery and the two by the big tree out front. That’s where we came with our buckets and carried water to the AB Dept. Then we mixed our dough and carried it back to the coolers in kitchen overnight and the next morning we carried it all down. As I look back I remember they were very happy years...but what impresses me now ...just how did we have the strength to do all that?" In those early years, her day may have been like this: "We would get up for the barn at 3:15 or 3:20 ... go down and try to be finished by 5:30...Prime and Tierce before Mass which was at 6 AM. Six months of my novitiate I went to wash milk dishes after Mass and breakfast....up to the chicken house until dinner... down to the AB Dept, in the afternoon after 2:00 PM spiritual reading...and then try to go to bed at night as soon as possible.  She worked in the AB Dept both in Clyde and Kansas City, supervising the work for 18 years. 

She was Subprioress in Kansas City from October 1951 to April 1956; at Clyde she was novice director from April 1956 until September 1959. From March 1960-1964 she supervised the farm work at Clyde, following the death of Sr. M. Josephine Gruenes. In November 1965 she was appointed subprioress in Mundelein, until August 1967, then served as prioress until April 5, 1970. Transferred back to Clyde she worked in the printery, and her ever ready spirit of sacrifice found her also in kitchen, the infirmary, as portress, wherever there was need. Her manner of "giving" was well described by Prior James Jones, OSB in a homily on her Golden Jubilee, August 22, 1981: "Her love, for Christ has been wholehearted, and for fifty years, very reckless - no bounds."

On April 20, 1992 Sr .M. Flora moved from Clyde to St. Benedict Health Care community in St. Louis. Until then she had been serving the community and our guests at Clyde as the gracious and loving portress who will always be remembered by those she met and served. On that day she was reminded, in a homily by Fr. Philip, that "the elderly, the helpless, are really quite powerful. Your work is to pour out prayer and your helplessness before our God. You have much work to do, and your prayers and especially your attitude are very powerful." 

Sr. M. Flora took this "new work" as the will of God for her, and in St. Louis her prayers and her attitude were a "work of love" and a blessing in our midst. During Advent our focus is on "being prepared" for the coming of the Lord, at Christmas and at the end of time. She was prepared for both. Her Christmas cards for family and friends were all addressed, each one bearing a personal message from her, dictated to the kind secretary who did the writing for her.

Just as she would have wished it to happen, our dear Sr. M. Flora completed her earthly pilgrimage very quietly and unnoticed, without flair, not causing any inconvenience or loss of sleep to anyone who might have wanted to watch and pray with her until the end.  Although we were aware of her weakened condition, we were not expecting her to leave us so quickly. Death came early in the morning of December 7. When the night nurse stopped in around 5:15 AM to check on her, Sister had already answered the call of her God. The Mass of Christian burial was celebrated in the St. Louis monastery chapel on Friday, December 9, with interment in Mt. Calvary cemetery at Clyde the following day. Fr. Philip presided at the funeral Mass and burial at Clyde.