Angeline Therese Kramek was born of Polish parents on March 20, 1921, in Hamtramck, Michigan, and baptized on March 27, 1921 in St. Florian Church in Hamtramck. Her father, Felix Joseph Kramek, was born in Wies, Hira, Poland and her mother, Catherine Kuziola was born in Dabbre, Poland. Angeline was the only daughter, with three older brothers and one younger brother. When she was 8 years old they moved from Hamtramck to Detroit, Michigan where she went to school. Sr. Pauline said she had always wanted to be a Sister as long as she could remember, and she thought about joining the Notre Dame Sisters who taught her in school.

Often after school or on Saturday, she liked to help the Sisters with church cleaning and votive candles. One day she found a copy of Tabernacle and Purgatory in the back of church and she read it from beginning to end. When she saw a picture of four postulants kneeling in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel at Clyde, MO, she decided that was where she wanted to go. She showed it to her older brother and then had to tell her mother and father. Her mother told her she was too young to go so far, and her father asked, “Where in the world is Clyde, Missouri?” Her brother got a map on which he drew a line from Detroit all the way to Clyde and when her father saw this he said, “We can try it.”

In 1935 they made a trip to Clyde, traveling for three or four weeks and stopping along the way. Before making that trip, fourteen-year old Angeline had already made up her mind that she would stay at Clyde. Because the Clyde Academy had just been closed, she and another young Academy girl then had to go to Conception Abbey for four years to continue their studies and get a high school diploma.

The first two years they were aspirants and not yet postulants. Angeline’s entrance date as a postulant was August 3, 1937 and she was invested as a novice April 30, 1938. On the day of her First Profession of Vows, August 26, 1939 Angeline received the name Sr. Marv Pauline

She made her Perpetual Vows on August 26, 1944. Sr. Pauline lived in all the monasteries of our Congregation: Clyde, Mundelein, Kansas City, San Diego, Tucson, and Our Lady of Rickenbach Health Care Center. Every place was considered a “blessing” for her. As a new postulant she was sent to help in the kitchen. After one day it became obvious that her talent lay elsewhere. Sr. M. Veronica, who became a special friend, invited her to help in the sewing room where she found her special niche in the congregation.

Being in the Church Work Dept, at Clyde and later in San Diego was a wise use of her talent and was her special joy. When the San Diego Convent was being closed and the Church Work Dept, was being moved to our Tucson monastery, Sr. Pauline’s picture, standing at the door, appeared on the front page of The Southern Cross diocesan paper on May 21, 1992. The article was entitled “Forty Years Later, Farewell.” Sr. Pauline also served as portress and as the sacristan in all our monasteries.

Sr. Pauline’s youthful enthusiasm and simplicity of heart did not diminish with age. With a pleasant disposition her ever grateful spirit never left her, even after she had been in much pain and was taken to the hospital on October 27th. Two days later when she was brought back to our Health Care Center to receive the care she needed, her conversation was not about pain but her desire to express heart-felt appreciation for the loving care and goodness she was experiencing.

It was Tuesday morning, November 20, at 7:05 when our dear Sr. M. Pauline’s life in our midst came to an end very peacefully. She was 91 years old and in the 73rd year of her monastic profession. She was preceded in death by her brothers William, Julian and Anthony. She was survived by her brother Joseph. The funeral was held on November 26 and she was buried in Mt. Calvary cemetery at Clyde, MO.