Sister Edna Marie Wentland, IHM
Sister Edna Marie Wentland, IHM, (formerly Sister M. Sophie), of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on November 22, 2005, at the Marian Convent in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
She was born on May 2, 1916 in Scranton, PA, and was the daughter of the late Francis and Josephine Stasiak Wentland, and the step-daughter of the late Josephine Krushinski Wentland. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1935, made temporary profession of her vows on August 3, 1938, and final profession of her vows on August 3, 1941.
Sister Edna Marie served as a teacher at the following schools: St. Bernard Elementary School in Hastings, PA, from 1956 to 1958; St. Mary Elementary School in Avoca, PA, from 1969 to 1970; as well as at schools located in Brooklyn, NY, Upper Marlboro, MD, New Bern and Rocky Mount, NC, and Coeur d’Alene, ID. She served as a catechetical instructor at St. Peter's Parish in Wellsboro, PA, in 1971.
Sister also served as a nurse’s aide at the Marian Convent in Scranton, PA, from 1971 to 1980; support staff member at the Marian Convent, from 1984 to 1994; minister to the elderly in Silver Spring, MD, from 1980 to 1984; and receptionist at the IHM Center in Scranton, PA, from 1994 to 1996.
From 1996 to until the time of her death, Sister Edna Marie served as a prayer minister at the Marian Convent.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Marywood College.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Albert and Alfred, and a sister, Natalie Williams.
She is survived by two brother, Gerald of Sacramento, CA, and Paul of Blakely, PA; two sisters, Agnes Rogoff of Brooklyn, NY, and Theresa Kohut of Ocala, FL; nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Tuesday, November 29 at 10:30 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at the Marian Convent followed by interment at St. Catherine Cemetery, Moscow. Friends may call at the Marian Convent on Monday, November 28, between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to support the retired IHM Sisters c/o the IHM Sisters Retirement Fund, IHM Center, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509.
Reprinted from "In Memoriam" section of Journey, Winter 2006 issue
It is true that mighty gifts can be found in small packages. Sr. Edna Marie was four feet, eight inches tall. But height was no hint of her tremendous energy and generous heart. Sr. Edna Marie had an unbelievable amount of energy that she used to do good.
She was always right there whenever there was anything to do. Not only did she attend to the task at hand but she made sure that it was completed to the best of her ability. She never held back.
Long before Sr. Edna Marie became a resident of the Marian Convent, she was a nurse’s aide, providing service to our sisters. She extended herself to anyone in need. Long after she retired as a nurse’s aide, she would continue to try to provide assistance with words of comfort that could calm any fear.
Sr. Edna Marie always found time to be alone with her God. As long as she was able, she would grab her prayer book and make her way to the chapel. There she would sit in silence for a period of time. If she prayed as hard as she worked, and one would suspect that she did, God could not help but hear her prayers. As all of our IHM Sisters, she was truly a friend of God.
by Sr. Rosemary Goulet, IHM
