RUMA — Sister M. Jane (Frances Marie) Ratermann, an Adorer of the Blood of Christ for 60 years, died July 22 at the Ruma Center. She was 80 years old.
Sister Jane was born Sept. 5, 1934 in Breese, the ninth of 12 children born to Joseph and Wilma (Woltering) Raterman. She entered the Adorers on Aug. 29, 1953, made her first vows on July 1, 1955 and her final profession on July 1, 1960.
She studied at St. Louis School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1959, and served as pharmacist at all three of the ASC-sponsored hospitals in Illinois: St. Clement (now Red Bud Regional) Hospital in Red Bud; St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro; and St. Vincent (now Taylorville) Memorial Hospital in Taylorville. She also worked in the pharmacy at John Cochran Veterans' Hospital in St. Louis and at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville.
Sister Jane earned her master's degree in health services administration from St. Francis College in Joliet in 1984, and later worked as assistant administrator and director of personnel at Appalachian Regional Hospital in Harlan, Ky. She returned to pharmacy at Berea Hospital in Berea, Ky.
Outside of pharmacy work, she prepared children for first Communion and was a Big Sister to a young girl. In Kentucky, she was coordinator of the Mountain West Region of Religious Women in the Lexington, Kentucky Diocese.
She also served her ASC community, coordinating volunteers and serving on the House Council Activities Committee at the Ruma Center.
Sister Jane had an eye for beauty and was a self-taught artist and photographer. She used her work for greeting cards and painted in bold, bright colors.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters Joan Plebanek and Mary Ann (who died in infancy); her brothers Wilbert, Thomas, Arnold, Paul, Mark and James; brother-in-law Cletus Fehrmann; and sisters-in-law Ruth, Barbara and Dorothy.
She is survived by her sisters Deane (Jack) Richter and Pat Fehrmann; brothers Father Jerome and Dan; sister-in-law Virginia Ratermann; brother-in-law Simon Plebanek; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; many friends and members of the ASC community.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 27 in the Ruma Center Chapel. Burial was in the Ruma community cemetery.
Memorials in honor of Sister Jane may be sent to the U.S. Region Mission Center, 4233 Sulphur Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109, or made online at www.adorers.org.