Mary Kreikemeier, born October 9, 1888, was the sixth of ten children of Anton and Elizabeth Kreikemeier, natives of Westphalia, Germany, who had come to America and settled in Monterey, Nebraska, a small town not far from West Point. Mary attended the parochial school from the age of five until twelve; then her help was needed on the farm. They were a thrifty family, healthy, strong and happy.

Teresa, an older sister, entered at Clyde, and a year later was followed by Gertrude and Mary. Teresa became Sister M Armella; Gertrude, Sister M. Antoinette; and Mary, Sister M. Immaculata.

Only fifteen when she entered, Mary attended some classes at the Academy conducted by our Sisters, and received the Benedictine habit on July 15, 1906. She was professed as Sister M. Immaculata on Sept. 27, 1907 and made perpetual vows on Jan. 18, 1913. Forty years later, on Jan. 6, 1953, she participated in the ceremony of the Consecration of Virgins. She had the privilege of celebrating both her Golden and Diamond Jubilees and of serving the Lord as a religious for seventy-two years.

Though small in stature, Sister had a strong physique. Accustomed as she was to farm labor, she did not find it too difficult to rise at three each morning to help with the milking, and to repeat this chore in the evening. She also worked in the printery, and later recalled pressing down piles of printed material by getting on top of the pile on her hands and knees and pressing for all she was worth. For about twenty years Sister helped with crediting in the correspondence department, and then was placed in charge. She also served as assistant novice mistress and later as novice mistress for a time.

Sister was a capable manager and loved good order, but was never domineering. Among her outstanding traits were fidelity to duty, generosity, childlike candor and simplicity, faith and trust, and especially a complete conformity to the Will of God. She was a person of prayer and a most devoted adorer of the Blessed Sacrament, as well as a great lover of her patroness, Mary Immaculate.

In 1938 Sister was transferred to our Tucson priory, where she fulfilled various assignments. Later she became one of the pioneers at San Benito, but returned to Clyde when that venture was discontinued.

In the course of years Sister’s health declined, and in November 1975 she came to the newly-opened St. Benedict’s Health Care Center in St. Louis. Her rosary became her constant companion, and often when she believed herself to be alone she would pray aloud softly, "Jesus, I love you. Thank you for coming to me in Holy Communion. Thank you, Jesus, thank you..."  

On June 20th, 1979, when the nurse came to help Sister up for breakfast, she found that Jesus had quietly come for her. 

The Mass of Christian burial was celebrated for her in the evening of June 21st, and those entrusted with conveying her remains to Clyde for burial left early the following morning. Some of Sister's relatives from Nebraska attended the funeral services at Clyde.