Anna Massing was born at Kikapoo, Illinois on Sept. 3, 1874. She was a member of a large family, and had often known poverty by experience when she entered at Clyde on Oct. 4, 1890 at the age of sixteen. The family then lived near Conception, and her father worked at the orphanage and then at the convent for many years. One of her sisters joined - the Franciscans at Maryville.

Anna was invested on May 30, 1891, and professed as Sister M. John Berchmans on June 21, 1892. She made perpetual vows on July 12, 1900.

Sister was kind, humble, self-effacing, hard-working and very sacrificial. She spent-some ten years at Chewelah (1914-1928) where she had charge of the dairy barn and orchard. At Clyde she was in charge of the farm for six years, and of the dairy barn and orchard for eighteen years - relinquishing the latter charge only a short time before her death. Study and experience had made her very competent in fruit culture, and she conscientiously carried out the periodic sprayings, often with difficulty.

Sister loved prayer and tried to make up on Sundays for her lack of time for prayer during the week by spending most of the day in the chapel. She also had a great love for the Sacred Heart. Endowed with a beautiful voice she made a real contribution to the singing of the liturgy.

Breast cancer progressed beyond help. Confined to bed in the infirmary - an unusual thing for her - she suffered intensely and patiently, and died on Jan. 2, 1950, which was then the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. She was seventy-six years old.

As a last legacy to the community she loved so well and served so faithfully, Sister had prayed God to bless the convent with a bumper crop of apples that year. Her prayer was answered.