Maria Elisabeth Heil was born to Friedrich Joseph Heil and Carolina Elisabeth Korte in Rüschendorf, Germany on January 22, 1882. She came to America on May 27, 1902, entered at Clyde on January 23, 1905 and was invested with the Benedictine habit on November 13, 1905, receiving the name Sister M. Helena. She made her commitment as an Oblate on September 26, 1907. As such she did not participate in the Divine Office, but was a prayerful, faithful and devoted adorer.

Sister was a conscientious, loving person, thoughtful and rather quiet, and always pleasant. For many years she daily went down to the barn to separate the milk and spent hours in the room next to the bakery churning butter, and then making various kinds of cheese. As a result of being in cold and damp surroundings, she developed a painful form of arthritis, which stiffened her limbs and made it very difficult for her to get around. Nevertheless, she kept up with her duties, suffering patiently and uncomplainingly, until her death on October 27, 1959 at the age of seventy-seven years.