Juliana Klumpp was born in Mosbach, Germany on June 8, 1890 to Ignaz and Luisa Klumpp, parents of six sons and four daughters. Of her childhood we have no record, but apparently her thrifty parents had instilled in their children the Germanic trait of industry, which Juliana manifested in her religious life. At the age of twenty-two, she bravely left home and country to enter the Benedictine Convent of Perpetual Adoration at Clyde, Missouri, in far-away America, along with several other young women having the same destination. Thus unknowingly Juliana was already manifesting the Benedictine ideal "to prefer nothing to Christ."

October 20, 1912, after a stormy voyage during which the ship was stranded on a sand-bar for three days, the group arrived at Clyde. With a sigh of relief, Juliana exclaimed: "Now I am home!" Nine months later, July 5, 1913, she was clothed with the Benedictine habit, and on completion of her novitiate made her commitment of temporary vows on January 30, 1915. The choice of patron for her seems to have been prophetic, for, like St. Lidwina, her life was to bear the stamp of suffering. Sister was admitted to perpetual vows on March 5, 1921, and on November 16, 1952 participated in the privilege of Consecration of Virgins.

The first work assigned to Sister was typesetting for the German magazine, "Tabernakel und Fegfeuer." Instructed to ask all questions in English, the task proved both difficult and interesting, but at times also amusing. Later Sister helped in the kitchen, where one of her tasks - as she later recalled - was to make toast for the Sisters by holding slices of bread over glowing coals with a long fork. Her talent for sewing was also put to use, especially her patience and economy in mending church linens. From 1960 to 1963, the community at San Diego appreciated her help in making First Communion veils - one of their means of self-support at the time.

In January, 1963, Sister welcomed a transfer to Mundelein, as one of her hidden apostolates was prayer for priests. Her assignment of work there was in the altar bread department. Her last transfer was to Kansas City, in 1969, where she again helped with the altar bread work.

During all these years, Sister M. Lidwina suffered much as she strove to bear all with patience and loving conformity to the will of God, in union with the Passion of Christ.

After celebrating her Golden Jubilee at Clyde with several companions on Feb. 20, 1965, Sister expressed the desire to return to her beloved convent in Kansas City, which had become her 'home’ and where she felt much loved. She was no longer able to do much work, but took care of her own needs. She came regularly to the refectory for breakfast about 5:30 each morning, then went to chapel to pray privately until Morning Prayer at 6:30. When she failed to appear in chapel at the usual time the morning of September 15, 1979, one of the Sisters went to her room and found that she had quietly slipped into eternity. Tucked in bed, with covers neatly drawn around her, her body still warm, it appeared as if she had just slept peacefully away. A bowl of cereal at her bedside, still warm, indicated that she had gone to the refectory but, not feeling well, took it to her room.

Still youthful at the age of eighty-nine, Sister had spent sixty-seven years in the service of God. Despite life-long delicate health, she was always zealous in revealing her love for our Eucharistic Lord by keeping hours of adoration both day and night. In the funeral homily, the Chaplain, who knew Sister well, spoke of her spirit of zeal and her zest for life. He observed that she had lived with enthusiasm as a joyful Christian, expressing this in a warm and loving out-reach to the Sisters and guests at the convent.

For years Sister had eagerly looked forward to death as a 'going home' to God. The spirit of her eager longing seemed to pervade the convent during the time of her wake and the joyful Liturgy celebrating her Christian Burial on September 18th. Interment took place in Mt. Calvary cemetery at Clyde that afternoon.