Sister Helen Louise Schmitz, OSU, formerly known as Mother Mary Julian, died on Nov. 13. She was 98 years old.
She was born in Glendale, Mo., on May 26, 1919, daughter of Frederick William and Elsie Louise Boehm Schmitz. She entered the Ursuline Order in 1939, and professed her vows on July 16, 1941.
She received her bachelor’s degree in music from Webster University in Webster Groves, Mo., her master’s in music education from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, and her choirmaster certificate from the Gregorian Institute of America.
Sister Helen Louise taught organ, piano, clarinet, violin and guitar. She was church organist and director of children’s mixed choirs, boys’ choir, and adult choirs. She taught in grade schools and high schools in Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana and Minnesota. She also taught at Dominican College in New Orleans and Springfield College in Illinois. She was a member of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
In the Springfield diocese, Sister Helen Louise taught at St. Aloysius, Blessed Sacrament and St. Joseph schools in Springfield and was principal at St. Patrick School in Decatur. For six years, she was a volunteer organist at St. Patrick Church in Springfield on Sunday mornings.
In addition to teaching at all grade levels and playing five musical instruments, Sister Helen Louise was gifted in both music and art. She composed a Mass in honor of St. Patrick in 1994. Her preferred medium in art was design and sketching in pen and ink. She did tatting on cards/stationery, embroidered, knitted, created her own designs on plastic canvas, made church banners and sewed much of her own clothing.
After retiring from teaching, Sister Helen Louise worked at Cathedral Parish for 18 years updating the parish census and other parish records, as well as recording all new parishioners, baptisms, address changes and deaths.
In 2005, she became a resident of Loretto Home at the Franciscan motherhouse. She continued working at the Cathedral, enjoyed various craft work, read books and cheered for the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues on TV.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Richard L. Schmitz. Sister Helen Louise is survived by one brother, Fred W. Schmitz (wife, Gertrude) of Brazil, Ind.; cousins; nieces; nephew; grand-nieces; grand-nephews; and her Ursuline Sisters.
A concelebrated funeral Mass was held on Nov. 21 at St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel at St. Francis Convent. Burial will be in Kirkwood, Mo., at a later date.
Memorials may be made to the Ursuline Sisters Retirement Fund, 353 S. Sappington Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122.
The family and religious community of Sister Helen Louise were served by Kirlin-Egan & Butler Funeral Home, Springfield.