Sister M. Romaine Krug, IHM
Sister M. Romaine Krug, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Friday, November 18, 2022, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA. Sister died at the age of 109 and was the oldest living member of the IHM Congregation.
She was born on September 12, 1913, in Ashville, PA, and given the name Verna Matilda. She was the daughter of the late Herman E. and Matilda Douglass Krug. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1940, and made her temporary profession of vows on May 10, 1943, and her final profession of vows on August 2, 1946. Sister Romaine received a Bachelor of Science degree in education/social science from Marywood College, and a Master of Arts degree in home economics/foods from New York University.
Sister Romaine served as a teacher at St. Joseph High School in Danville, PA, from 1943 to 1953; and as a faculty member of Marywood College in Scranton, PA, from 1953 to 1971.
At the Marian Convent in Scranton, PA, Sister Romaine served as dietician from 1971 to 1983, and as a member of the dietary staff from 1983 to 1988.
Sister Romaine was faithfully committed for many years to work of the Diocese of Scranton Enthronement of the Sacred Heart Guild where she served as moderator from 1988 to 1992, and as administrative assistant from 1992 to 2009.
From 2010 until the time of her death, Sister Romaine was a prayer minister at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.
She is preceded in death by five brothers, Herman, Leo, Robert, Douglas and Francis, and seven sisters, Helen, Mary Bender, Marian, Jane, Dorothy Conlon, Sister M. Hermine, IHM, and Sister M. Franceline, IHM.
She is survived by a brother, Edgar of Pittsburgh, PA, a sister, Theresa Cole of Indiana, PA, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and great-grand nieces and great-grand nephews. She is also survived by the members of the IHM Congregation.
Interment will be at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow, PA. Because of restrictions related to the coronavirus, the funeral mass and graveside service are private.
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.
Prayer of Remembrance and Funeral Mass: https://video.ibm.com/recorded/132345192
Below is a reflection written by Sister M. Celesta Sinisi, IHM that was read at the beginning of the prayer of remembrance for our Sister Romaine Krug. Sister Celesta worked with Sister Romaine for many years at the Diocese of Scranton Enthronement of the Sacred Heart Guild.
Good Morning!
It is a joy and honor to reflect on a long and well lived life of our dear Sr. Romaine. It was in 1994 that I first became acquainted in a deep relationship with Sr. Romain in the apostolate of the Enthronement of the Guild of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. As the moderator of the guild, Sister had a great passion to promote the Enthronement of the Sacred Hearts in homes where families honored them as a way of life, reflecting on a domestic church.
Sister Romaine and I have bonded through the years. Her deep prayer life and strong example have always been an inspiration to me in my life as an IHM. Any time I met Sr. Romaine and asked how she way, her answer was quick... "good enough." We can all attest to her great welcome home from Jesus, Mary and Joseph and that is "good enough"!
Sister M. Romaine Krug, IHM, Funeral - Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Reflection given by Sister Katie Clauss, IHM Congregation President
We come to this celebration of the life of our Sister Romaine with great gratitude for her 109 years of life, and her 79 years as an IHM Sister. We welcome Sister Romaine’s brother Edgar and members of the Krug family who are joining us on livestream and those present with us: We have Dennis and Kim, Cindy and Mike, Jane and Tim, Karen and Steve, and Earl. You are so welcome and we are thrilled that you are here with us. Thank you for coming.
We also welcome all IHM Sisters, Associates, and friends of Sister Romaine, especially her dear friend, Kenny Noll, who are present and those joining us virtually.
We are grateful for our Passionist brother, Father Lee Havey, our Presider, a long-time friend of Sister Romaine and his mother, Mary Joy Havey, who joins us today.
On your behalf, I would like to thank Sister Romaine’s community in 2C for their loving support of Sister and the administrators and staff at Our Lady of Peace Residence for their tender care for Sister Romaine. Danelle Hill, our Director of Nursing was with Sister at the time of her death. She shared that as Sister took her final breath, her eyes opened and a beautiful smile illuminated her face. We can only imagine what she saw and the overwhelming joy she experienced in God’s presence.
As we prepare to enter into the Liturgy, I invite you to hold the reflections that were shared during the prayer, and let them connect with your own experiences of Sr. Romaine. Allow these memories to bring you to a sense of joy and gratitude as you remember her. Let the joy and gratitude enfold the sadness you experience as you feel the loss of her physical presence.
Let us together hold the life of our Sister Romaine with deep gratitude for her long, full, and faithful years of service to God and God’s people.
In numerous conversations with Sister Romaine over the years, I came to appreciate her strength, her deep spirituality and the ways they were rooted in the faith life of her family and her closeness and respect for all creation. She was the daughter of Herman and Matilda Krug and one of 15 siblings, brothers Herman, Leo, Robert, Douglas, Francis, Edgar and her sisters Helen, Mary, Marian, Jane, Dorothy, Theresa, and Hermine and Franceline who followed Romaine into the IHM community. Sister is survived by her brother, Edgar and her sister, Theresa; by many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, great-grand nieces and great-grandnephews.
As the third oldest of 15 children, Sr. Romaine had the opportunity to develop servant leadership, communication skills, and a strong work ethic which flowed throughout her life in community and mission. Her bachelor’s degree in education and social science from Marywood College and master’s degree in home economics and food from New York University paved the way for her service as a teacher at St. Joseph High School in Danville, PA, faculty member at Marywood College, and her role as a dietician at the Marian Convent. Sister brought to her teaching and accompaniment of students, sisters, and the women and men in the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart Guild and all of the prayer groups to which she belonged, her great heart and a steadfast hope that was fortified by her trust in God and God’s ways
Over her lifetime, Romaine lived out the call that Jesus offered to his disciples in today’s Gospel passage: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and have faith also in me. She lived out her belief that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, a belief that she surely learned and lived out in the context of her family and throughout her years as an IHM Sister.
As I have been reflecting on Sr. Romaine’s life, I believe that it was her strong faith-filled heart that enabled her to reflect God’s unconditional love in her active service, prayer and through her engaging presence. Hers was a heart that could hold the joys and sorrows of her family and all those she knew and loved by remembrance in her prayer, confident that God would hear and respond. Hers was a heart that inspired others “to keep some room in their hearts for the unimaginable,” – to rephrase the poet Mary Oliver. Her heartfelt and hope-filled way of living motivated and challenged those she served to be their best, to do their best for their own good and the good of others. Hers was a sacred heart.
Romaine’s youngest brother Edgar will place Sr. Romaine’s bible on the coffin. It is open to the passage from John’s Gospel that resonated throughout Sister’s life, “ Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and have faith also in me.”
Sister Romaine staked her life on the Word of God and it is the Word who now welcomes her home.
Go in peace Romaine. Memories of you will warm our hearts and inspire us to continue to grow in and share God’s love as you did.
