Katharina was born May 17, 1893 at Mennwangen, Baden, Germany. Her parents, Marie Bader and Sebastian Eichenhofer provided a happy and wholesome home for their seventeen children in whom they instilled their own deep faith and fervent devotion. Daily prayers and daily manual labor were essential elements in their lives. Little wonder that seven of those children, responding to the call of Christ, were able to embrace the Benedictine monastic lifestyle with its balance of "ora et labora."

After Srs. M. Hildegard and Walburga had entered at Clyde in 1902, they were followed by Srs. Wunibalda and Willibalda in 1912. Katharina was asked if she intended to follow the example of her older sisters. She said that she was undecided but would pray and wait until the Lord let her know. In her autobiography she wrote: "I waited for the Lord and He answered me. One day, I was twenty at the time, when I was out in the field, an interior voice urged me to go. I went to a retreat house and then I made up my mind to go. After that I went on a pilgrimage to Maria Einsiedeln in Switzerland." 

When World War broke out in 1914 this changed her plans for the next several years. Yet she kept her hopes alive. Her prayers were answered when she learned that Sr. M. Bernard would be coming from Clyde to Germany for postulants, and Katharina became one of those returning to America with her. She entered on August 27, 1922, and the following year, 1923, while she was a novice, two more of her sisters, Srs. M. Eusebia & Sabina entered the community. Sr. M. Leona made first profession of vows on August 30, 1924 and perpetual vows September 1, 1929. She served the community at Clyde in the kitchen for three years, then worked outdoors on the farm, in the orchard and at the barn. In October 1935 she was sent as a pioneer member to our Tucson monastery where she remained until December 1989 when she moved to St. Louis.

Probably Sr. M. Leona’s most characteristic trademark was her radiant smile and happy disposition. When someone asked her why she was always smiling, she responded simply: "God loves me. Why shouldn’t I be happy?"

Because Sr. M. Leona became such a permanent and lovable "fixture" in Tucson, those who lived there remember Leona busy planting and harvesting peanuts. Who else could grow such big carrots? Who can forget that picture of her with that wide-brimmed hat to protect her from Tucson sunshine? Sr. M. Leona also knew how to help herself out on very hot days. She would simply run through the sprinkler to cool off.

Because she had worked so hard all her life, her willing but tired body often made its demand for some restful repose when Sister was in chapel for prayer. Or was she simply taking seriously the invitation of Jesus: "Come to me, all who are weary...and I will refresh you." When the other sisters would remind her that sometimes she was falling asleep right after Communion, Leona simply said: "Yes, Jesus and I sleep together." Sr. M. Leona was once seen leaning back in a chapel pew sound asleep, with her feather duster resting on her lap. She remained in that restful posture for a long time, sleeping peacefully.

Sr. M. Leona loved our Tucson monastery, but when she was asked to move to St. Benedict Health Care community in December 1989, she accepted that change with the same kind of faith and enthusiasm with which she had always been open to change in her life. This brought her a new challenge and she took upon herself the "mission" to "cheer up the old sisters." Sr. M. Leona did indeed bring joy and humor to others just by her pleasant disposition, her happy smile and her forgiving spirit. She often commented that she was the only one in her family who was still living, and wondered if she was ever going to die. "They’ll just have to wait until I come," she would say with a smile.

Sr. M. Leona celebrated her 99th birthday in May this year with delight and laughter, enjoying her many cards, etc. As recently as July 4th she was outdoors for the picnic having a wonderful time. Soon after that her strength began to fail significantly, and the time of her "going home" became more imminent. Her long years of faithful love and service quietly came to an end at 1:30 AM, Sunday, August 2, 1992, while she was asleep. No one of us heard her say it this time, but undoubtedly, with the fullness of her being, our dear Sr. M. Leona was saying one last time, now with new and deeper meaning: Jesus and I sleep together!

Her death brings closure to an era in our congregation history when we were blessed to have seven sisters from the Eichenhofer family among our membership. Sister M. Leona was the fifth to enter at Clyde and is the last one to be laid to rest in our Clyde cemetery.

May our dear Sr. M. Leona be at rest forever with Jesus in eternal peace and love! And may she bequeath to all of us a goodly measure of her happy disposition, her forgiving heart and her loving smiles.